Postmenopausal women are urged to increase dietary calcium to prevent bone loss and Vitamin D has been shown to be protective against some cancers. But together they may have one additional health benefit. New research has shown that taking calcium in conjunction with Vitamin D supplements may slow or prevent weight gain in postmenopausal women.

During and after menopause, women face a number of new health concerns, not the least of which is bone loss. But the tendency towards weight gain is equally distressing.

The greatest benefit was to women whose calcium was low initially. By increasing their calcium and Vitamin D intakes, they were 11 percent less likely to gain weight than their counterparts who did not consume the recommended amounts of calcium.

More information on the study can be found at Medical News Today.

80 to 85% of menopausal women experience hot flashes, night sweats, irritability and anxiety. Each year about 1.5 million women reach menopause. That’s 1.2 to 1.275 million unhappy, flashing, irritable women every year. Since menopause symptoms can go on for several years, these women can reach numbers high enough to qualify for a minority group status.

But help may be as simple as regular exercise, and it doesn’t have to be heavy-duty aerobic classes or powerlifting. In a study of 164 sedentary menopausal women who did no additional exercise for four months, but began either a walking program or a yoga program, the symptoms of menopause reportedly decreased and the women reported generally better health and mood.

The bottom line is that physical activity can lessen symptoms and increase quality of life for millions of women who suffer from the symptoms of menopause.

Walking, Yoga May Enhance Quality of Life During Menopause

One in three women will suffer from osteoporosis in their lifetimes. Certain lifestyle factors such as smoking, inadequate intake of Vitamin D amd calcium, excessive alcohol consumption can increase a woman’s risk of developing osteoporosis. Age, family history of osteoporosis, menopause and low body weight can also be risk factors.

Because osteoporosis left undiagnosed and untreated can be disabling and increase your risk of fracture, the International Osteoporosis Foundation invites women to take their interactive
IOF One Minute Osteoporosis Risk Test.

For more information about osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment, visit the International Osteoporosis Foundation’s website.

Did you know that women suffer from insomnia twice as often as men? The incidence of insomnia can increase with life stressors but also increases during premenopausal years as women are often awakened by night sweats and hot flushes.

Insomnia isn’t just troubling to the sufferer at night. The inability to sleep or poor and interrupted sleep that leaves the sufferer unrefreshed can cause fatigue, drowsiness and difficulty in concentrating during the day.

Insomnia has plagued members of the human race since time immemorial and anecdotal remedies abound. We all know the one about counting sheep, but did you know that a sliced onion in a jar near your bed is supposed to induce sleep? A glass of warm milk is probably the best known “food cure” for insomnia. But be careful with food cures as superstitions blame consumption of some foods for generating nightmares.

The American Insomnia Association states that one third of all Americans suffer from occasional insomnia and one in ten suffers from chronic insomnia. Treatment options include medications as well as behavioral adjustments and relaxation therapies.

More resources for those with sleep disorders:

American Sleep Association

National Sleep Foundation

Psychology Today – A Diet for Insomniacs