Eat Healthy and Avoid Hot Flashes

An Australian study suggests that women who eat diets full of fruit, vegetables, red wine, and pasta are less likely to experience hot flashes and night sweats during menopause. This Mediterranean diet guides women to a better night’s sleep.

The study included 6,040 women, ages 50 to55, who were followed for nine years. Those who ate pineapple, strawberries and melon were about 20% less likely to report common symptoms of menopause. Those who ate food high in sugar and fat were 23% more likely to experience night time sleep disturbances As the study is one of the first yet to tie dietary patterns to menopause-related symptoms, not all questions are answered. The study is unable to prove which specific foods benefit women undergoing menopause and which foods do not. The study suggests a broader observation, rather than an answer that is linked to specific reasons.

At the start of the study, 58% of the women reported having hot flashes and/or night sweats. Over the following nine years, those who ate fruit and the main components of a Mediterranean diet (garlic, salad greens, pasta and red wine) said to have fewer nightsweats and hot flashes when compared to their prior diet.

Since drugs that aid to symptoms of menopause have the potential to lead women to heart disease, stroke and breast cancer, alternative methods have been searched.

From this study it has been inferred that a low-fat, high-fiber diet may help stabilize one’s estrogen levels and decrease menopausal overheating  A Mediterranean diet may also keep one’s blood sugar level within a favorable range.

As women are experiencing a variety of symptoms due to menopause, it is a good idea to alter one’s diet. Eating healthy, lots of fruits and vegetables, will not only lead one to a healthier figure, but will also decrease the number of  night sweats one experiences during sleep.