Menopause: The Best and Worst Foods to Eat

The best foods to tuck into during the menopause

Omega-3 foods

Fruit and vegetables

Soya foods

Soya foods and drinks – for example tofu, edamame beans and soya milk – contain plant compounds called isoflavones that mimic the effect of oestrogen in the body.⁶ While a 2013 Cochrane review found no firm evidence that soy helped menopause symptoms,⁷ other studies have reported otherwise: a 2015 review in Climacteric found that plant oestrogens, like soy, can help cut the number of hot flushes during the menopause.⁸ It’s also known that women in Asia, for whom soy is a diet staple, experience fewer negative menopause symptoms.⁹

If you’re not a fan of soya, try supplements: a 2012 Japanese review of studies concluded soy isoflavone supplements reduced the severity of hot flashes by more than 25% compared with a placebo.¹⁰

Lignans

Foods to limit during the menopause

Refined carbohydrates

Limit ‘fast release’ starchy carbs like white pasta, white bread, mashed potatoes, chips, cake and biscuits: women who eat a diet high in refined carbohydrates go through the menopause earlier.¹³ Over-doing these foods may interfere with blood-glucose control which can lead to insulin resistance and increased oestrogen production.¹⁴ Diets high in refined carbohydrates can also lead to blood sugar spikes. A 2017 study by the University of Texas reported that drops in blood sugar levels can trigger hot flushes.¹⁵ Switch to ‘slow release’ carbohydrates, such as wholegrains, root vegetables and oats, instead.¹⁶

Alcohol

Pouring yourself a large glass of wine at the end of the day could make you feel worse in the long run. A 2006 study in the Annals Of Human Biology found that daily drinking increased the chance of hot flushes and night sweats.¹⁷ One theory is that alcohol causes blood vessels in the body to dilate, which tells your brain that you’re too hot.¹⁸ Don’t drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week – one 175ml glass of 14% wine is 2.4 units – and have at least three drink-free days every week.¹⁹

Not sure what’s causing your symptoms? Try recording them and your daily diet in a diary to spot any triggers, and then you can to avoid them. Making a few simple tweaks to what you eat could turn your menopause into a piece of cake.

^{Advice is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP before trying any remedies.}