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A topic that doesn't get enough attention is menopause.
Half the population on the planet goes through years of physiological chaos, yet we never hear about it.
So here is my "hot take" on menopause:
1) Menopausal symptoms are due to a natural reduction in hormones, with the main culprit being estrogen.
2) Estrogen is vital for promoting energy utilisation in the brain, so brain energy levels can decrease by up to 30% as energy decreases.
3) This results in the hypothalamus, the brain's thermostat, not functioning correctly and turning your body temperature up and down randomly, causing the effect known as hot flushes.
4) As the hypothalamus is a crucial sleep regulator, many women experience trouble sleeping. Combine this with hot flushes and night sweats, and suddenly it is a wonder any women in their 40s and 50s are getting any sleep at all.
5) The drop in estrogen also affects the amygdala, which can cause emotions to go haywire. Our memory centre, the hippocampus, also takes a knock.
A study has shown that up to 72% of women going through menopause report battling to remember names, with half battling to remember where they put things or what they were doing.
So if this is you, please know you are not going crazy.
It's not all in your mind, but a lot of it is in your brain.
My advice? Make nutrition and exercise your top priority this year.
Studies have shown that foods containing phytoestrogens may improve symptoms. These are soybeans, chickpeas, peanuts and flaxseed.
Exercising at least 30 minutes daily can improve sleep, reduce stress and boost energy levels. The type of exercise isn't as important as getting your heart rate up at least 30 beats higher than your normal resting heart rate.
Let's start a conversation.
Tell your husband about your experience. Ask your wife about her experience. Post about it on social media.
If you have nobody you can speak to, you can always chat to me.
References
Woods NF, Mitchell ES. The Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study: a longitudinal prospective study of women during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause. Womens Midlife Health. 2016 Nov 9;2:6. doi: 10.1186/s40695-016-0019-x. PMID: 30766702; PMCID: PMC6299967.
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Written by Kyle van Heerden
Online Educator at Research Raconteur
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