Apart from the bothersome symptoms of menopause, weight gain is very common during this time in a woman’s life. This weight gain is often unexpected, and happens even in women who haven’t made any dietary changes or reduced their activity level.
As you might imagine, there are number of menopausal weight loss products that are marketed to women as effective aids in fighting weight gain during menopause. But are these products really worth it? Before delving further into the various products and their pros and cons, let’s discuss the mechanisms of weight gain during menopause, and the associated risks of being overweight during menopause.
Gaining weight during menopause is common for several different reasons. One is sluggish and inadequate digestive function that is the result of aging. More nutrients in your body is processed when food is kept in your digestive tract longer, ensuring that you absorb more nutrients from your food, including fat and calories.
The alterations in hormones that accompany menopause, primarily lowered concentrations of estrogen, additionally lead to increased weight. This is because estrogen and fat production are linked, fat cells help regulate estrogen production. As concentrations of estrogen lessen due to menopause, the system might attempt to store the greatest amount of fat it can to counter the plunge in hormone amounts. Hormones along with fat stored in the body perform in conjunction in a complex cycle of biofeedback that impacts hunger, metabolic rate, and deposit of fat.
The risks of weight gain are amplified for menopausal women. More weight at any position of life risks, such as the increase in high-risk high blood pressure, high cholesterol, breast and reproductive system cancers, diabetes and heart disease. As estrogen is a proactive reason against the cardiovascular disease, the chances of suffering from heart disease enhances when the estrogen level goes down, even if the women going through menopause phase don’t gain extra weight. The risks of these health problems are compounded, for women who are overweight after menopause.
Can I use menopausal weight loss to prevent further weight gain during menopause? Let’s check some of these products:
Estrin-D: A number of metabolism-increasing stimulants,this product contains. These are xanthine (caffeine) derived formulations like yerba matte, caffeine, and guarana, along with some other innocuous herbal ingredients. This product does increase the metabloic rate, which makes it fall under the category of a stimulant. There are risks associated with stimulants. Tachycardia, high blood pressure, feeling of ‘edginess’ and excessive perspiration are caused due to high levels of caffeine and other stimulants in this formula. Caffeine is also thought to contribute to hot flashes during menopause. Taking these points into consideration, you will find that Edstrin-D is not a perfect weight loss choice.
Zalestra: Zalestra includes a far safer array of herbal ingredients that are designed to create a more gentle increase in metabolism, while treating some of the unpleasant symptoms of menopause. This product does not have the negative health risks of caffeine-containing products.
Estrolean: This product is similar to Zalestra, with a low amount of thermogenic ingredients. It does contain natural estrogen, which is thought to help control some of the hormonal imbalances that often accompany menopausal weight gain.
While some of these preparations may have benefit in reducing menopausal symptoms, they will not cause you to lose weight without eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise. At best, they might help a little with weight loss, and at worst they can have dangerous and unpleasant side effects.
The best approach to weight control during menopause is a healthy, high fiber, moderate fat, whole-foods diet. A healthy diet that emphasizes fruits, veggies, grains, and lean sources of protein, along with adequate amounts of vital nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and omega-3 fats. That is the best way to lose weight during, or after, menopause.
