Postmenopause is a time of life that occurs after the menopausal transition has passed. Despite the fact that women spend about a third, or even up to 40% of their lives in this phase, the health effects and how to deal with them don’t get enough attention, leaving many women in the dark about what to expect during this time.
Once menopause is over, the rest of your life is spent in the postmenopause phase. Understanding what this means for your health and what you can do to support yourself can help you thrive during this time. Here’s what you should know about postmenopause and the best ways to maintain your health.
What is postmenopause?
Postmenopause is the phase after menopause is reached. The transition leading up to this point, which takes 2 to 8 years or more on average, is a natural part of the lifecycle for women, though that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Fluctuating hormones cause all sorts of mischief, leading to symptoms like hot flashes, mood changes, brain fog, and insomnia.
Once hormones calm down and settle at their new, lower level and you haven’t ovulated, and consequently haven’t had a period in 12 months, you are officially in postmenopause, barring there are no other underlying physiological or pathological causes. You remain in this phase for the rest of your life.
What to expect during postmenopause
During the years following menopause, you might still have a few pesky symptoms like night sweats and mood swings, but they tend to be milder. Unfortunately, other symptoms often arise during postmenopause due to low levels of progesterone and overall estrogens, and the complete stoppage of estradiol production (E2).
After menopause, the body makes a weaker type of estrogen called estrone, which is converted to estrogen in fat tissue. This change can lead to more abdominal fat, which can cause health issues like heart disease and metabolic syndrome.
Estrogen is also closely tied to inflammation—too much or too little can cause inflammatory reactions. During perimenopause and after menopause is complete, a lack of estrogen can mean a higher risk of certain diseases and conditions.
For instance, estrogen helps protect women against cardiovascular disease. Before menopause, women have lower rates than men, but after menopause, cardiovascular disease rates are significantly higher than those in men due to estrogen no longer providing protection.
Estrogens also play a crucial role in bone, muscle, and tissue health. They help regulate bone turnover in both females and males. During puberty, help bones grow longer and wider, and they also control how bones change over time. After menopause, a lack of estrogen is a major cause of osteoporosis. Muscle loss and a slower metabolic rate occur postmenopause, since estrogen supports muscle tissue, and muscle tissue supports a healthy metabolism.
Joint and muscle aches and pains can be common, too, along with skin and hair issues. Lower estrogen affects collagen-rich tissues and estrogen receptors. Estrogen helps maintain tissue hydration, elasticity, and structure, and lower levels postmenopause can lead to dry skin, hair, eyes, and mouth, as well as hair thinning.
Another common estrogen-related symptom affecting up to 84% of postmenopausal women is Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM), which can start in perimenopause and worsen over time. GSM causes vaginal irritation, dryness, itchiness, frequent urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, and pain during sex. You might also experience less natural vaginal lubrication and lower arousal and genital sensation, along with trouble reaching orgasm.
Changes in your gut and bowel habits also happen during and after menopause, and research shows that menopause is associated with lower gut microbiome diversity. There are also changes in the amounts of different substances, including amino acids like tyrosine and tryptophan. Problems with how the body processes fats can happen too, due to changes in hormone levels, which may lead to osteoporosis.
How to support your health postmenopause
Supporting your health postmenopause means looking at your diet and lifestyle habits and making the right changes to help combat the increasing risks. Fortunately, the same strategies that will help protect your heart will also make reaching and maintaining a healthy body weight easier, warding off chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes. And the same strategies that help boost bone and muscle health will also improve memory and protect against dementia.
Postmenopause diet tips
Eat to support your heart and waistline by choosing plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins like fish, legumes, and poultry, and healthy fats. Avoid processed foods, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and sodium. Watch your portion sizes and overall calorie intake while being sure to get enough protein to preserve muscle and fiber to keep you full and support digestive health.
- Aim for 7-10 servings of fruit and vegetables each day, especially orange and dark green produce for antioxidants and filling, low-calorie options.
- Choose whole grain bread, pasta, flour, brown rice, oats, quinoa, and barley for at least half of your grain intake for fiber, B vitamins, and blood sugar and cholesterol regulation.
- Eat lean protein like poultry, beans, and tofu, as well as fatty fish (at least twice per week) like mackerel, salmon, and herring for muscle-preserving protein and omega-3s.
- Include soy-based foods as protein and produce, which contain beneficial isoflavons that can improve muscle and bone density and facilitate weight loss.
- Stick to monounsaturated fats like olive oil, peanut oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds, and polyunsaturated fats from fish, flaxseed, chia seed, and canola oil to support good cholesterol levels.
- Dairy and dairy alternatives like low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese, or soy beverages are crucial as they provide protein, calcium, and vitamin D for bone health.
- Aim for at least 30 grams of fiber daily to help lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar while keeping you full to manage weight.
- Include fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, and cultured cottage cheese, along with prebiotics like inulin to support a healthy gut microbiome.
Getting active after menopause
Exercise is a lifesaver during your postmenopause years. It helps relieve stress, preserves and builds muscle, boosts bone health, and lowers your risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Physical activity has massive beneficial effects on your hormonal system, supporting your metabolism and cells, aiding sleep and energy levels, and regulating your moods. For women, exercising in later years can reduce mortality from all causes by 24% and decrease cardiovascular risks by 36%.
- Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and two or more weekly strength training sessions.
- High-impact and high-intensity exercise is exceptionally beneficial for older adults. Just make sure you do it safely and preferably with guidance from a professional.
- Try plyometrics, which are higher-impact, power-building movements that support bone and muscle while helping you maintain a healthy weight.
Manage stress and prioritize sleep
Getting enough quality sleep helps regulate the appetite hormones ghrelin and leptin, making it easier not to reach for high-calorie snacks. Sleep is also crucial for managing stress and reducing hormones like cortisol that lead to even more weight gain and muscle loss.
- Practice mindfulness and meditation, and consider therapy to help manage stress and mood changes during postmenopause.
- Add yoga to your routine to help manage anxiety, depression, and pain, and may improve cognition.
- Create a routine and practice good sleep hygiene, with consistent sleep and wake times. bedtime
Supplements for postmenopause
Some supplements can support your health and wellbeing during postmenopause. Phytoestrogens, which are plant compounds that are similar to estrogen, might help with symptoms like hot flashes.
Supplements such as Codeage Raw Women’s Probiotic Supplement with raw fruits, vegetables, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes provides antioxidants and probiotics that can help support a healthy gut microbiome. Probiotics can also help postmenopausal women absorb vitamins and minerals like calcium to support bone health.
Codeage Liposomal DIM-E, which contains diindolylmethane (DIM), may help support hormone balance and provides antioxidants like vitamin E and pomegranate extract to support heart health.
Myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol may support a healthy metabolism in post-menopausal women, warding off insulin resistance. Codeage Liposomal Ovarian Inositol + contains these inositols along with the B vitamin folate and the heart-protective antioxidant CoQ10.
Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before trying new supplements. They can tell you whether a supplement might support your specific needs during postmenopause and can monitor you for any health changes.
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