Menopause and post-menopause are important times in a woman’s health. Changes in hormone levels lead to challenges in heart health, bone health, mood and more. Here are some tips to help manage menopause and make the most of life.
Vitamin D, omega-3, hormones
Estradiol, an estrogen hormone, is essential to reproductive, bone, heart, and kidney health. In this eight-week study, 86 premenopausal women, aged 33 to 42 and deficient in vitamin D, took 50,000 IU of vitamin D per week; 1,300 mg of fish-oil omega-3 per day; these two nutrients together; or no supplements.
Women taking vitamin D alone saw a decline in estradiol, while those taking omega-3 alone saw vitamin D levels decline. But women who took vitamin D together with omega-3 maintained their estradiol and vitamin D levels, suggesting potential bone, heart, and kidney health benefits in normal, young premenopausal women deficient in vitamin D.
Reference: Clinical Pharmacy: Advances and Applications; 2019, Vol. 11, 25-37
Magnesium increased survival in postmenopause
Women in postmenopause are more susceptible than other male and female adults to heart and circulatory diseases, including sudden cardiac death. Magnesium is important for healthy heart function, and nearly half the U.S. population does not meet the dietary reference intake recommendation.
In this study, doctors measured magnesium in the diets of 153,369 women and followed up for an average of 10.5 years. Overall, women who got the least, no more than 189 mg of magnesium per day, were 19 percent more likely to have died from coronary heart disease, and 24 percent more susceptible to sudden cardiac death, compared to women who got the most magnesium.
Discussing the findings, doctors said adding magnesium to the diet, including magnesium supplementation, may be a simple, effective way to increase survival in postmenopausal women.
Reference: Journal of Women’s Health; 2020, Vol. 29, No. 1, 7775
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