As we age, maintaining a healthy diet becomes increasingly crucial—especially when menopause comes into play. A balanced diet can help manage weight, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and improve overall well-being. Particularly during menopause, dietary choices become even more significant as the body undergoes hormonal changes that can lead to a variety of symptoms, including weight gain, joint pain, mood swings, and sleep disturbances. In addition to adding the right nutrient-rich foods to your diet, it’s also important to reduce your intake of certain harmful ingredients.
According to Sarah Law, a nutritionist specializing in helping women through menopause, certain inflammatory foods can exacerbate these symptoms. In a recent TikTok video, she highlighted three common foods to avoid to help manage menopause symptoms more effectively. Vegetable oils, packaged foods, and margarine are all laden with omega-6 fats, she warns, which can lead to chronic inflammation, weight gain, joint pain, obesity, insulin resistance, brain fog, and more. Learn more about the risks of these foods below.
1. Vegetable Oils
One major culprit in the diet of many menopausal women is vegetable oils. "The one thing you’re probably consuming far too much of is omega-6 fats," says Law. During menopause, women are more prone to inflammation due to the decline in progesterone, a natural anti-inflammatory hormone. "When we have chronic inflammation in the body, that can lead to weight gain, joint pain, obesity, insulin resistance, brain fog, and everything else in between that we experience during menopause," she explains. While some omega-6 fats are necessary and can be obtained from whole food sources like nuts and seeds, excessive consumption, especially from refined vegetable oils, can cause significant inflammation.
2. Packaged Foods
One significant source of vegetable oils and omega-6 fats is packaged foods. Law points out, "If you’re eating food from packets, most of them will contain refined vegetable oils. Sunflower oils, rapeseed oils, and all of the other inflammatory oils, and you’re eating them on a daily basis." These oils are prevalent in many processed and packaged foods, contributing to a high intake of omega-6 fats, which disrupts the balance with anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats. This imbalance can worsen menopausal symptoms and contribute to chronic inflammation.
3. Margarine
Margarine is another food item that menopausal women (and all of us, for that matter) should avoid. "If you’re someone that has swapped that lovely butter for margarine because someone has told you it’s more heart healthy, I want you to chuck the margarine in the bin," advises Law. Margarine is heavily processed and refined, loaded with inflammatory seed oils. "This is basically just pouring fuel onto your inflammation fire which you do not need to be doing when going through menopause," she warns. The high levels of omega-6 fats in margarine can exacerbate inflammation and related symptoms.
Tips for Reducing Inflammation During Menopause
To combat inflammation, Law recommends focusing on consuming anti-inflammatory healthy fats. "Omega-3s are really important to counteract omega-6, and omega-9s from things like olive oil are great as well," she says. These healthy fats can help balance the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, reducing inflammation and its associated symptoms. Law notes that the only acceptable form of vegetable oils are those in a high oleic form, which have a healthier fat profile.
By avoiding these inflammatory foods and emphasizing healthier fats, you can help manage the symptoms of menopause more effectively. Making these dietary changes is crucial for reducing inflammation and its associated symptoms, thereby improving overall health and well-being during menopause.
