7 dietary changes to prevent hot flashes

Affecting more than 75% of American women during menopause, hot flashes are the most common symptom or sign of menopause. Sometimes referred to as a hot flush, they are a sensation of increased heat, leading to sweating and a flushed face.

The full causes are still not fully known and duration or severity changes from woman to woman. There are multiple triggers for hot flashes including smoking, tight clothing and stress but there are other options you can try to effectively help you to prevent hot flashes during menopause. Here are eight dietary changes to prevent hot flashes.

Banish caffeine

Anything from soft drinks to tea and coffee should either be cleared from the home or monitored for their caffeine level. Caffeine is a well-known trigger for many menopause symptoms, but there are some teas - such as green tea or herbal teas - that have been effective in dealing with and preventing hot flashes during menopause.

Check your alcohol intake

Often, it is suggested that one drink a day is good for the body, and maybe it is true that alcohol should not be banished - but you should keep an eye on intake. Generally speaking, alcohol and menopause don't mix. This means that hot flashes and alcohol aren't the best of friends. Whilst robbing the body of hydration, it also exaggerates the problem of hot flashes.

Maintain hydration

General guidelines for life would tell you that drinking enough water is important - however, this is especially true when looking to prevent hot flashes. Between six to eight glasses a day is usually ok for maintaining a good level. It is particularly helpful for hot flashes as water regulates your body temperature.

Reduce the use of spicy foods

During menopause your body and cooling system is in fluctuation like your hormones. With this in mind, you should be turning down your intake of spicy foods. Spicy foods are triggers, so by reducing the use or turning down the spices are great ways to prevent hot flashes.

Increase calcium and iron

Studies show that hot flashes can be alleviated by increased calcium and iron intake. Five of the best for calcium are: milk (low fat), yoghurt, broccoli, clams and sardines. For iron, five of the best include: poultry, fish, eggs, (some) breads, nuts.

Add soy to your diet

Increasing the levels of soy in your body has been known to decrease the frequency and severity of hot flashes. Anything from beans to milk to cheese, soy is found in multiple foods and is a top dietary change to prevent hot flashes.

Ensure that you have enough fruits and vegetables

Full of antioxidants, fiber and water; they have been known to help prevent hot flashes. Vegetables also help to increase iron levels in the body, which is important as we saw from number five.

Recommendations about how to prevent hot flashes

Being the most common symptom of menopause in women, treating hot flashes is a major topic, and there are multiple ways that you can try this. Here we have seen seven dietary changes to prevent hot flashes, but there are more - lifestyle changes and herbal supplements to name just two. If you do want to learn more, click on the following link for more information on how to prevent hot flashes.

To learn more about Hot Flashes