Menopause Bloating
Causes and Natural Remedies
What causes menopause bloating?Hormone imbalance can cause menopause bloating. Having too much estrogen and not enough progesterone (which is common in the years before menopause) can cause bloating. If you are taking conventional HRT, a common side effect is bloating. Stress creates havoc with your digestive system. When you are under stress, your digestive system shuts down. If you eat under these conditions, your stomach will pay the price. Initial warning signs are bloating, indigestion, reflux. Bloating is also a symptom of digestive diseases, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, and Crohn's Disease. New food sensitivities can develop as you get older, and especially for women going through menopause. I developed sensitivities to wheat (or maybe I always had them, but didn't know it). I have stopped eating wheat, because the fatigue and bloating just aren't worth it, even though eating gluten-free is not easy. Fortunately, I have no problem with oatmeal and other products that people with Celiac disease cannot eat. If you are having problems with food, you probably already have some idea of which foods are problems for you. The most common foods for people to have trouble with are wheat, milk, soy, corn, sugar and eggs. If you have trouble with milk, you may be fine with raw milk or goat's milk. It is usually the way we manufacture and process our food that causes the problems with digestibility. Another problem that develops as you age is your capacity to produce enzymes. Enzymes are required for full digestion, and you only have so many. If you have to use those you produce to digest all of your food, you will probably need to supplement. Traditional peoples used ways of preparing food that reduced the amount of enzymes required by your body, but modern diets do not do that.
Menopause bloating – Natural Remedies Diet Change your diet. Eliminate problem foods. You will need to determine which those are. See the most common under causes of menopause bloating, above. Add raw fruits and vegetables to your diet. Raw fruits and vegetables have their enzymes intact, and will help with digestion. Papayas are especially good for digestion. Add enzymes and/or probiotics Enzymes to help digest proteins are protease, papain, bromelain and peptidase. Lipase is an enzyme to help digest fats. Amylase breaks down carbohydrates. Probiotics can also help with bloating. Probiotics help your digestive system re-establish healthy bacteria in your colon. My favorite is expensive, but worth it. It is made by Garden of Life. The name is Primal Defense. It costs about $44 for a one-month supply, but I have seen results with taking only one tablet per day, which makes it last about three months. Herbs If you are under acute stress, or chronic stress, there are many herbs you can take. I would recommend taking herbs for stress (see
stress and menopause
) as well as herbs for menopause and digestion.
Menopause bloating - Balance your hormones
For information about symptoms of unbalanced hormones and how to use bioidentical hormones, see
hormone imbalance
Yoga A good yoga posture for bloating is called the Wind Relieving Pose. Basically, you lie down on your back, and bring one knee toward your chest. Hold it for ten seconds or so, then do the other knee. You can google “wind relieving pose” to see a picture of what this looks like.
Return from Menopause Bloating to Menopause and Digestion
Return from Menopause Bloating to
Natural Remedies for Menopause
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