9 Foods That Fight Hot Flashes in Menopause

You may have heard of it — and you’re probably, at this point, experiencing some symptoms. Menopause is that time in every woman’s life when her hormone levels shift, and the balance between estrogen and progesterone shifts as well, which can cause an assortment of symptoms. These include hot flashes and other unwelcome side effects.

Hot flashes are common in women going through menopause, and they can sometimes be a nuisance, but don’t let them get you down. It’s perfectly normal to experience hot flashes as a result of fluctuating estrogen levels.

There are many different methods of dealing with this, one way is to eat a diet rich in foods that have naturally occurring estrogens. In this post, we’ll be looking at 9 foods that fight hot flashes, making this phase so much bearable for those experiencing these uncomfortable episodes.

What is menopause?

Menopause is the time when a woman stops having periods. This usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55, although it can occur at any age. During this time, many women experience hot flashes, changes in mood and energy levels, vaginal dryness, and insomnia.

Menopause can be a difficult and confusing time of life. Many factors go into how you feel during this phase-your age and health, your personal feelings about aging, and the roles that menopause plays in your current lifestyle.

Why What You Eat Is Important During Menopause

Menopause is the time when your hormones begin to change, and they do so in a big way. Your ovaries stop producing eggs and you don’t get pregnant anymore. Your periods also stop.

During this time, you may experience hot flashes, which are sudden bursts of heat that cause sweating and can make you feel anxious or irritable. Hot flashes are caused by an imbalance between your body’s production of estrogen and progesterone hormones.

Estrogen helps maintain a healthy heart rate and blood pressure, while progesterone helps keep your bones strong. When there’s an imbalance, your body will try to correct it by producing more estrogen than necessary or less progesterone than necessary—and this can cause hot flashes in menopausal women.

What is the best diet for menopause?

As if it’s not already hard enough to go through menopause, there are several specific symptoms associated with this phase of life.

The following foods may not reduce your hot flashes and night sweats entirely, but they will help you handle the situation with some sense of humor. In the next part of this post, let’s see a list of foods that help with hot flashes.

9 Foods That Fight Hot Flashes

Here is a quick list of foods that help with menopause hot flashes. Make sure to take note of these for your next grocery run:

• Foods rich in vitamin B6, like egg yolks, breakfast cereals, and poultry, can help lower your levels of estrogen. This is because these foods help your body use the hormone more efficiently, which helps you maintain healthy balance levels and decrease hot flashes.

• Fiber-rich foods—like beans and whole grains—can also help you maintain healthy hormone levels during menopause. Fiber helps to keep your digestive system functioning properly, while beans are a rich source of magnesium, which plays an important role in balancing blood pressure and promoting heart health.

• Red meat may be linked with higher risk of uterine fibroids, but it also contains iron which helps to regulate the menstrual cycle; it also contains zinc that helps to regulate melatonin levels (which impacts sleep patterns). So if you’re not eating red meat often during menopause but still experiencing hot flashes, try adding more iron-rich foods like spinach or salmon into your diet!

• Asparagus and avocado are two more foods that have been found to help decrease hot flashes in menopause. Asparagus contains phytoestrogens that have been shown to help balance estrogen levels in women. The same is true for women during menopause, which means that asparagus could help with hot flashes. 

• Avocado contains monounsaturated fats and oleic acid, which helps your body absorb these fatty acids more easily, making them more readily available to your brain and other parts of your body. This could also cause a reduction in hot flashes during menopause.

• Peanuts and peanut butter contain magnesium, which helps regulate blood pressure and maintain blood sugar levels. This is especially helpful during menopause because changes in hormone levels can cause your blood pressure to rise, which can lead to dizziness and fatigue. Eating peanuts or peanut butter can help keep your blood pressure stable so you don’t get dizzy or fatigued as easily.

• Sunflower seeds contain Beta-sitosterol, which has been shown to reduce the severity of hot flashes in women who have been diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). It also helps to reduce bone loss in postmenopausal women who take it in combination with calcium and vitamin D. Sunflower oil is also great for menopause because it contains a high amount of antioxidants that can help protect against free radicals that cause damage to cells and tissues, as well as reduce inflammation in the body.

• Wheat germ and soybean oils also contain phytoestrogens, which help combat hot flashes during menopause. Phytoestrogens are plant-based compounds that are similar to human estrogen in their structure and affect the same systems in your body. Estrogen is responsible for many functions in your body including regulating your menstrual cycle and helping maintain healthy bones.

• Collard greens are packed with vitamins A, C, and E, which can help to reduce hot flashes in the first place. The vitamin A in collard greens also helps to regulate your reproductive system, so it’s not just a “health food” for women—it’s a good overall diet for anyone.

They’re also low in calories and fat, so they’re a great option when you’re looking to lose weight. The vitamin A in collard greens has been found to reduce inflammation in the body as well as help manage symptoms of depression.

Spinach is another great food choice for reducing hot flashes during menopause because it contains calcium, magnesium, and iron.

These minerals are all necessary for keeping your bones healthy and strong, which means less pain from hot flashes can be avoided! Spinach also contains carotenoids like beta-carotene, which helps fight oxidative stress on the skin (which causes hot flashes).

Foods to avoid / 4 types of foods that can make menopause worse

Here are four foods that can make transition during menopause a little harder:

• Alcohol – Alcohol is a vasodilator and can cause blood vessels in the uterus to become dilated, which can result in heavier menstrual flow and hot flashes.

• Caffeine – Caffeine causes increased heart rate and blood pressure, which may contribute to hot flashes by increasing the body’s core temperature.

• Dairy – Dairy products can increase estrogen levels, which may lead to hot flashes and night sweats during menopause.

• Fatty Foods – Eating too much fatty food can increase your risk of developing anxiety or depression during menopause by increasing levels of cortisol (an adrenal hormone).

News ‘Flash’: People Also Ask

What foods stop hot flashes?

Hot flashes are a common symptom of menopause, and can cause you to feel hot, flushed, and uncomfortable. Hot flashes are caused by hormones in your body becoming unbalanced, which causes your body temperature to rise.

While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for hot flashes, there are some foods that can help. Aside from the foods listed above, you can also add bananas, yoghurt, salmon, and dark chocolate to your grocery list.

What vitamin gets rid of hot flashes?

Vitamins A and E are two nutrients that work to reduce hot flashes by helping your body produce more heat-regulating hormones. They also support healthy collagen production and bone strength.

Vitamin B12 helps keep your nervous system functioning properly, which can help you stay alert during hot flashes so you don’t feel drowsy or sluggish after your body’s temperature has spiked. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels and reduces fatigue associated with menopause.

Vitamin C can help reduce stress by boosting immunity, which may make you less susceptible to illness during hot flashes. It also improves circulation and increases energy levels so you feel more awake during these times than usual.

What stops hot flashes naturally?

Here are some tips for treating hot flashes:

• Drink plenty of water (and/or herbal tea).
• Try eating foods high in calcium, magnesium, or vitamin B6.
• Get enough sleep (at least 7 hours per night).
• Take a mini-break every hour to give your body a break from the stressors of hot flashes.

What drinks help with hot flashes?

One thing that’s been shown to help with hot flashes is drinking water. Research has found that drinking water before bed helps regulate hormones and reduces hot flashes by up to 50%. Plus, it can help you sleep better at night. Other foods that have been linked to hot flashes include ginger root (which is often used in teas), black pepper, and green tea.

Conclusion

What’s the common theme among all of these foods? The effective nutrients found in them help to counter (or alleviate) the negative side effects that a woman may experience during menopause.

If you’re experiencing hot flashes, try eating a diet rich in foods that are high in calcium and magnesium, such as dairy products, nuts and seeds.

Magnesium is a natural relaxant, which will help to calm hot flashes. These foods also help fight osteoporosis, so if you’re dealing with menopausal symptoms, give these foods a try.