Menopause

Menopause is the last menstrual period of a woman's life. While this definition implies an event with a date, most women experience menopause as a life stage or the change of life. Generally Australian women experience menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 years. The transition into menopause occurs gradually and takes on average 2 to 6 years.

The symptoms of natural menopause are caused by the gradual decrease in the amount of the hormone called oestrogen.

The hormone oestrogen is a hormone produced mostly in a woman's ovaries.  The symptoms of menopause frequently include changes to the menstrual cycle - irregular periods, very light bleeding or much heavier bleeding, hot flushes and night sweats.  There are many other symptoms that can be associated with menopause and experienced by some women, such as vaginal dryness, tiredness, irritability and sleeping problems.

According to the Jean Hailes Foundation

• 20% of women experience no symptoms of menopause;
• 60% of women experience mild symptoms; and
• 20% of women seek help with more severe symptoms.

Oestrogen protects women from heart disease and slows the natural thinning of the bones that occurs with age.

When oestrogen levels drop and a woman stops menstruating she has a higher risk of developing heart disease and osteoporosis. If a woman experiences an early menopause, due to natural causes or the surgical removal of her ovaries, her risk of early osteoporosis or heart disease is increased.

A healthy lifestyle which includes eating a nutritious, balanced diet and regular physical activity is recommended for menopausal and postmenopausal women. It can reduce other risk factors associated with heart disease such as obesity, high blood pressure, high blood fats and insulin resistance. As healthy lifestyle can also help women adjust to the physical and emotional changes of menopause.

There has been much research into the impact of dietary sources of phytoestrogens on menopausal symptoms. Reports of Asian women experiencing minimal symptoms of menopause because they consumed significant amounts of phytoestrogens from soybeans, caught the media's attention. As a result new product lines with added soy and linseed were introduced to appeal to Australian middle-aged women. However, at this time, the evidence does not support the claim that eating a phytoestrogen rich diet or taking phytoestrogen supplements reduces the symptoms of menopause.

The current evidence does support the claim that women whose diets contain significant levels of phytoestrogens derived from fruit and vegetables have a lower incidence of heart disease and cancer. But it is unclear if this protective effect is due to the phytoestrogens or just the general healthy diet and active lifestyle.

The National Nutrition Survey in 1995 found that Australian women between the ages of 40 and 64 years, on average, consumed less than the Recommended Daily Intake for calcium and zinc and less than the suggested daily intake of 30g of fibre. Obesity and overweight are also common health issues amongst Australian women in this age group. Adopting a healthy eating plan as recommended in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating would ensure the nutritional requirements of menopausal and postmenopausal women are met within an appropriate energy intake.


An Accredited Practising Dietitian is an expert in helping women of all ages to assess their energy and nutritional requirements and plan a healthy diet and lifestyle.