Menopause & Carbs

Carbohydrates can have opposite effects when trying to control the symptoms of menopause such as depression, mood swings, night sweats and hot flashes. A decrease in carbs may alleviate hot flashes and night sweats. An increase in carbs may induce a rise in serotonin levels, which could be used to battle depression and mood swings.

What is Serotonin?

• Serotonin is a feel good hormone produced in the brain

  Serotonin is a hormone found in the brain. It influences happiness, and it gives a sense of well being. Serotonin levels can be raised by consuming foods that contain carbohydrates. Serotonin is produced to manage times of stress, excitement and anxiety.

  When a woman is going through menopause, her estrogen production is lowered. In an effort for the body to maintain proper hormonal balance, other organs in the body, such as the thyroid, kick in to produce the proper balance. Because the hormonal balance is constantly fluctuating, the body and brain are confused. Too many hormones or too few hormones are produced. This fluctuation in the hormones affects the serotonin levels, which can lead to mood swings and depression.

Bad Carbs for Depression

• Simple sugars are called bad carbs and metabolize quickly

  Simple sugars are found in foods such as chocolate, cookies and cake. These sugars metabolize quickly, and produce an immediate rise in serotonin levels. This gives the body a burst of energy, and an overall happy feeling. However, once the burst of energy has subsided, the insulin levels drop immediately. The sudden drop may cause a sense of depression, lethargy and sadness.

Good Carbs for Depression

• A bran muffin contains complex carbohydrates

  A better choice for handling mood swings and depression is to consume more complex sugars, or good carbs. Complex sugars take a longer time to metabolize and stay in the body for a longer period of time. Consuming foods that contain complex carbohydrates will assist the body in maintaining an even balance without the immediate up and down result of simple sugars.

  Foods that are considered to contain complex carbohydrates would contain minimal amounts of preservatives and are consumed in their natural state, such as oats, bran, wheat products and brown rice. Fruit, although classified as having simple sugars, actually metabolize in the complex form. Eating fruit high in fiber will metabolize slower and stay in the body longer.

Reduce Carbs, Reduce Hot Flashes

• Reducing carbohydrate and caffeine intake may reduce hot flashes

  Serotonin levels may be lowered by decreasing the consumption of food and drink that contain carbohydrates. The lowered serotonin level may lead to a reduction in hot flashes as well as the severity. Keeping a diary of the food and liquids that are consumed, and charting night sweats and hot flashes, will aid in determining which foods cause a greater influx of symptoms and thereby those foods can be reduced, or omitted from the diet.

Knowing the Cause

• Keeping a food journal and charting symptoms may help to reduce hot flashes and mood swings.

  Knowing the cause or catalyst that causes menopausal symptoms may aid in getting through the difficult times. Finding ways to reduce menopausal symptoms by lowering, or increasing carbohydrate intake, and the effects that are attained, will be achieved on a trial and error basis.