Menopause is a natural physical process in a woman's life. Periods usually stop between the ages of 45 and 55. But if both ovaries or the uterus are removed by surgery for some reason, or a disease causes premature ovarian failure, menopause can come earlier, at a younger age.

The main cause of this change is a hormone called oestrogen, which is vital to a woman's reproductive health cycle. It lies behind the egg produced each month in the ovaries and the way a woman's body prepares to bear a child. As women age, their bodies produce less oestrogen. Because this hormone controls the whole reproductive process, the number of eggs in the ovaries also falls with age, and so do periods. Menopause follows, and the process of bearing children ends.

Menopause comes at 45 to 55 as oestrogen levels fall. Until then this hormone has protected women against heart disease; after menopause that protection is gone. Women tend to put on weight, blood fat rises, and so does the risk of heart disease. Osteoporosis, or bone loss, begins at the same time, along with sudden hot flushes, sweating, palpitations and sleeplessness. So women need to take care over their lifestyle at this stage.

Bone loss starts even before menopause. At this time the daily requirement is about 1,200 milligrams of calcium and 800 units of vitamin D. So try to eat milk, dairy products, cheese, soybeans, raw nuts, walnuts and small fish eaten with their bones every day. Foods rich in magnesium also help reduce depression and restlessness.

Selenium reduces hot flushes. It is found in liver, tuna, tomatoes, onions, broccoli and garlic. Soy-rich foods and beans also help reduce hot flushes, while hot and spicy food, tea and coffee make them worse.

To reduce excessive hair loss and dull skin at this age, eat foods rich in vitamin E, such as soybeans, nuts, sprouted vegetables and eggs.

Source: Prothom Alo. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.