Doing without animal products is supposed to work wonders - especially during menopause. What should women look out for if they want to eat a vegan diet during menopause?
Instead of meatballs, there are chickpea balls, soy milk is foamed for the cappuccino, and lentil paste is added to the bread instead of sausage and cheese: vegans eat a purely plant-based diet, they not only consistently eliminate meat and fish from their menu, like vegetarians, but also dairy products, eggs, and honey.
The pleasure with a clear conscience: Many women swear by it. The plant-based diet is said to keep you young, healthy and fit. Is it the ideal diet for menopause? Or does the renunciation of so many foods cause dangerous deficits in the supply of nutrients? The big plus of the vegan diet is clearly its low calorie and fat content. During menopause, when the body changes its proportions due to hormonal changes, women on a purely plant-based diet find it easier to maintain their weight plant-based based diet regulates blood cholesterol levels
Also, instead of animal fats, this form of nutrition provides a lot of fiber and healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids. The American "Adventist Health Study 2" shows, for example, that more vitamin C, E, B1, folic acid, and magnesium are also absorbed. That sounds good. The effects are clear to see: for example, the plant-based diet regulates cholesterol levels in the blood, which are altered by falling estrogen levels.
The risk of heart attacks and strokes can be reduced according to the "EPIC-Oxford Study". In this study with about 65,000 participants, including 2600 vegans, the scientists found a significantly lower risk of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer. Also, their high content of Antioxidanzien such as Vitamin E, Betacaroti,,n and secondary plant materials (Polyphenolen) speaks for vegan food. It has been proven to protect the skin from aging processes.
Due to the missing estrogen often the intestine becomes sluggish
Also, phytoestrogens from soy and legumes can weaken typical symptoms of menopause. This alleviates the symptoms, especially in women who experience strong hormonal fluctuations. The high fiber content even directly provides noticeable relief. "Due to the lack of estrogen, the intestines often become somewhat sluggish - the dietary fibers work well to counteract this," says Frankfurt-based ecotrophologist Sarah Schocke. "They also prevent blood sugar from dropping rapidly, which can trigger hot flashes." Women should therefore reach for whole grains if possible, avoid sweet drinks and eat frequent small meals.
So it's worth trying to change your diet to vegan. Especially during menopause, women can definitely benefit from this. Provided that the mix is right. Because each form of nutrition must be so balanced that it contains all important nutrients. Veganinnen should also absolutely pay attention to this. "Simply leaving out all animal products and only eating pizza without cheese, that doesn't work," says Sarah Schocke. "Instead, more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds should end up on the plate."
It's also important to get enough of much-needed nutrients such as vitamin B12, vitamin D, and calcium - especially during menopause. Vegan women often get too little of these. The downside of the plant-based diet that studies have also brought to light.
Many vegans consume extremely little calcium, which increases the risk of osteoporosis.
Calcium is needed to protect against osteoporosis. To 1000 milligrams per day advises the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) for all adults, so that the bones do not become brittle. "In fact, it is important that women also take in this amount from the onset of menopause. But it does not have to be more. Only with pronounced osteoporosis, 1500 milligrams per day are recommended," explains the specialist for gynecology and gynecological endocrinology Dr. Vanadin Seifert-Klauss, who has headed the Osteoporosis Center of the Klinikum Rechts der Isar in Munich since 2010. It's not quite easy to do this the vegan way, because after all, the main suppliers of calcium - animal dairy products, above all cheese - are eliminated. The "EPIC-Oxford Study", which has been running since 1993, even showed that many vegans take in extremely little calcium and that the risk of osteoporosis is then increased compared to vegetarians and omnivores.
The researchers found out however also that with Veganerinnen already less than the demanded 1000 Milligramm calcium daily is sufficient, to keep the bones stable: Who takes up per day at least 525 Milligramm of this mineral, has no more increased Osteoporose risk. Because by the lower protein consumption - so the experts - Veganerinnen excrete less calcium, they need therefore also only a smaller quantity. "With a good food choice, you even get vegan to 1000 milligrams of calcium daily," says Sarah Schocke. "I recommend green leafy vegetables, calcium-fortified plant milk, sesame seeds, and hazelnuts as the main sources."
To incorporate calcium into the bones, the body also needs vitamin D. Germans are basically not well supplied with this hormone, criticizes the "National Consumption Study 2". Osteoporosis expert Seifert-Klauss has also made this experience: "Women between the ages of 40 and 50, in particular, have the lowest vitamin D levels. This was shown in one of our studies with around 1000 participants. There is then already increased risk of osteoporosis."
For enough vitamin D to be formed in the skin, 30 minutes of sun on the face and arms are necessary every day in summer - without sunscreen - and even more in winter. But the sun's rays in central and northern Europe are not sufficient to produce enough of the vitamin anyway. To absorb it through food, women would have to eat 125 grams of salmon per day, for example, and vegans 640 grams of porcini mushrooms. That is hard to be created. Therefore both Expertinnen guess if necessary Vitamin D as food addition to taking.
In the same way, iron and Vitamin B12 come in purely vegetable food under circumstances too briefly. The crux: Also these two nutrients need women in menopause urgently. "Hormonal fluctuations can lead to increased bleeding and thus an increased need for iron. Vitamin B12 is also involved in the absorption of calcium, along with many other processes in the body," says Vanadin Seifert-Klauss. Good sources of iron are nuts and seeds, but so are legumes. "Vegetable iron is absorbed much better when there is a little vitamin C," explains Sarah Schocke.
Vitamin B12 is different: "It cannot be absorbed in all from a purely plant-based diet. It is often said that fermented products such as sauerkraut or certain algae contain vitamin B12. But this form of the vitamin, a so-called analog, is not usable for humans", explains the ecotrophologist and advises: "Vitamin B12 should be supplemented in a vegan diet in any case. Either in the form of fortified foods such as soy milk and juices or as a dietary supplement." Women who take this into account can enjoy their plant-based diet without any problems - especially during menopause.