There’s something intriguing about how a woman’s body is programmed for life, but the journey is marked by occasional discomfort, often minor, sometimes less so. That’s certainly the case when it comes to hot flashes, a phenomenon that usually arises with the onset of menopause. The good news, ladies, is that you can calm down your internal thermostat by adopting certain eating habits.
A woman officially enters menopause one year after her last menstruation [1]. The much dreaded hot flashes may sometimes appear a few years before this juncture in a woman’s life, during a period known as perimenopause, a time characterized by irregular menstruation.
That said, it is normally during the first 12 months of menopause that hot flashes are at their peak. Close to three quarters of women feel their effects [2], and the phenomenon can last 4 to 5 years, sometimes even longer [3].
What is commonly called a hot flash is medically known as a vasomotor symptom (say what?). The phenomenon is not completely understood even today, but it is initiated by a drop in the body’s estrogen level, a female reproductive hormone produced primarily in the ovaries. A menopausal woman therefore undergoes a kind of estrogen withdrawal, and a series of hormonal and chemical shifts occur in her body.
In turn, these changes come pounding at the door of the hypothalamus, which unfortunately just happens to be the brain’s centre of temperature regulation. Thrown out of whack by the intrusion, the hypothalamus overreacts to slight increases in temperature and jump starts the body’s systems to try and cool down at all costs (even if it was perfectly comfortable at the time). [4].
As part of that reaction, the peripheral bloodstream (which circulates just under the skin) goes into overdrive to try and dissipate this phantom excess of heat and bring the body’s core temperature back to “normal”. The woman experiences a surge of heat, blushes intensely, feels her heart rate go up and starts to sweat: these are the vasomotor symptoms. [5].
Hot flashes do the most damage when they occur at night, disrupting a woman’s sleep. The irritability that often accompanies menopause can more often be traced back to a terrible night’s sleep than to hormonal changes.
In short, hot flashes are not inconsequential. They can significantly alter a perimenopausal or menopausal woman’s quality of life, so it’s vital to find ways to sooth these symptoms.
It is critical to develop or maintain healthy lifestyles that include balanced nutrition, ample hydration, regular physical activity, quitting smoking as well as slimming down or maintaining a healthy weight.
Until now, the most effective treatment for hot flashes is hormonal therapy [1] as prescribed by a physician. There are, however, some alternative or complementary methods that are worth a look.
First, it’s important to develop or maintain healthy lifestyles that includes a balanced nutrition, ample hydration, regular physical activity, quitting smoking as well as slimming down and maintaining a healthy weight. [2]. Once these main areas are covered, consider these options:
All the same, a number of women have reported a positive effect (possibly placebo) after starting to eat more soy. If you have no contraindications to consuming soy, such as an allergy or a history of hormonodependant cancer, you have nothing to lose by incorporating these highly nutritious foods in your diet, which include tofu, tempeh, edamame and soy beverages.
As for flaxseed, it’s a locally produced food that contains, among other good things, omega-3s and soluble fibres that are heart healthy. Adding ground flaxseed to muffins, cookies, oatmeal and smoothies is beneficial, whether or not it helps reduce vasomotor symptoms.
There are effectively certain beverages and foods which, if consumed in large quantities, can actually exacerbate hot flashes. The best plan, therefore, is to proceed with moderation while listening to your body, without eliminating these items entirely.
Finally, in your fight against hot flashes, with or without hormonotherapy, the best advice is to adopt healthy lifestyle habits. Some foods can also give you a little leg up, without promising any miracles.
Every woman is unique, and different approaches will have a different effect on each of us. With a little help from your doctor, see what works best for you and your personal situation.
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