Can Juicing Help Menopausal Symptoms?

Menopause – Ugh! Can Juicing Help?

Menopause can be good – or horrible.

Say goodbye to painful periods (hooray) – but say hello to hot flashes or flushes and night sweats (sigh).

Is there anything you can do?

Many doctors prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and it has helped many women. But there are side-effects, and you’re taking pills for a long, long time.

But there aren’t many other options – unless you go the natural route.

One of the best things you can do to help reduce the unpleasant effects of menopause, is to increase your intake of fresh vegetables.

But a lot of people find veggies a bit, well, boring. (Me too).

And that’s where fresh juices and smoothies come in.

Now, let me say right up front that there aren’t huge numbers of medical studies out there that prove that juicing is beneficial for menopausal women.

But there ARE plenty of anecdotal reports that show that drinking vegetable and fruit juices can help.

Here are 4 ways that juices and smoothies can help you when you have menopausal symptoms.

1. Juices and Breast Cancer

Juices, especially carrot juices, have been found to be preventative against breast cancer, which reaches its peak around menopause. Research has shown that the daily intake of carrots can reduce the risk of breast cancer.

In fact, one study found that women who ate raw carrots daily had a 5 times decreased risk of getting breast cancer, when compared to women who did not consume any carrots.

Five times less likely to get breast cancer – that’s pretty good odds, and all for just eating some carrots! (And being green and eco friendly too!).

Scientists aren’t totally sure why this is so, but it is believed that the beta-carotene in the carrots is the star ingredient.

Eating fresh carrots daily can also help reduce your chances of getting lung cancer and colon cancer.

2. Smoothies and Constipation

It’s a sad fact that our metabolisms slow down as we enter menopause. This can cause several problems, including chronic constipation.

If you use fresh vegetables in a smoothie rather than a juice, you keep all the beneficial fiber of the food. This fibre can really help reduce constipation.

It’s better to use vegetables rather than fruit as they are naturally higher in fiber. However, if you want to include some fruit in your smoothies, choose berries as they have more fiber than most fruits.

3. Juices and Heart Disease Prevention

Women who enter menopause begin to have an increased risk for cardiovascular (heart) disease because of the loss of the protective effect of estrogen (oestrogen) normally produced by the ovaries.

Many juices (especially carrot juice) are high in potassium, which lowers blood pressure and therefore puts less stress on the heart. They also help to reduce inflammation, which can help to reduce your risk of heart disease.

4. Juices and Weight Loss

Sigh. It’s a sad fact that many women gain weight during menopause.

Extra weight can lead to an increased risk of diabetes, heart attacks, and stroke.

Losing that weight naturally reduces your risk of those diseases.

Juices are great for weight loss – as long as you include mostly vegetables rather than fruit. Veggie juices are naturally low in both sugar and calories. Try to buy organic, local produce when you can, to be green and ecofriendly.

If you want to add a touch of sweetness to a vegetable juice, add carrot or apple to the juice.

Having juices and smoothies made mostly from vegetables several times a day, instead of eating a more normal meal or snack, can easily result in weight loss and thus better health with lower disease risk.

What’s not to love?

So, does juicing help menopausal symptoms?

There is no scientific certainty that juicing helps reduce menopausal symptoms, but plenty of women believe that the severity of their symptoms was greatly reduced by juices and smoothies.

Juicing provides the body with excellent nutrition that is easily absorbed, leading to better health and reduced risk of disease.

If you are in menopause and want to try juicing to reduce your menopausal symptoms, make sure to include mostly vegetables with only a little fruit in your drinks. (Fruit juices and smoothies are higher in calories and can cause fluctuations in blood sugar).

Sure, you can use chemical hormone replacement therapy – but why not use Nature’s bounty instead, and avoid the side effects of medication?

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If you’ve gone through menopause, how was it? Do you think fresh juices and smoothies made from mostly vegetables can help?  Let me know in the comments below.

Warm regards,

P.S.  Don’t forget to download your FREE juicing and smoothies recipe book here!

Related:

• 5 Healthy Habits that WILL Change Your Life!
• 5 simple ways to enjoy more healthy veggies