Pre and post-menopausal support

Menopause

This is when a woman's ovaries stop producing hormones and the menstrual cycle stops. Natural menopause usually occurs after age 45. A woman is said to be in menopause when she has not had a period for 12 consecutive months.

Stages of menopause

• Perimenopause.

 This phase begins a few years before menopause when the ovaries produce less estrogen. This phase lasts until menopause when the ovaries stop releasing eggs.

• Menopause.

  This is a stage where the ovaries have stopped releasing eggs and producing most of their estrogen.

• Postmenopause.

This stage occurs after menopause. The health risks associated with estrogen loss increase with age.

Complication

Complications women face after menopause includes

• Bone loss (osteoporosis)

• Heart disease

• The bladder and bowels are not functioning as they should

• Increased risk of Alzheimer's disease

• No more wrinkles

• Low power and muscle tone

• Weaker vision, for example in case of cataracts (clouding of the lens) Obesity

• Hair loss

• Flushing

Nutritional needs

• Aging increases the protein requirement in the diet because skeletal muscles reduce their ability to activate protein synthesis

• Calcium: Calcium requirements increase with age due to hormonal changes during menopause which can affect bone health. And it can be difficult to get the calcium you need from your diet alone, especially if you avoid dairy. Although there are non-dairy food sources of calcium, such as green leafy vegetables and small fish such as sardines,

• Vitamin D - is needed to facilitate the absorption of calcium in the body. Since calcium needs to rise during menopause, your body will need additional vitamin D to help use the increased amount of calcium. Foods that naturally contain good amounts of vitamin D include fatty fish, beef liver, eggs, mushrooms, and cheese.

• Magnesium: ensures that your body gets the most from calcium and vitamin D

• Vitamin K helps move calcium into bones and out of soft tissue. Food sources of vitamin K include green leafy vegetables (vitamin K1), butter, meat, eggs, and cheese (vitamin K2, such as MK-4), and fermented vegetables and beans.