Commentary on menopausal weight gain and Chinese medicine

How long does menopausal weight last

Menopausal weight gain is a phenomenon that occurs when female hormones decrease during menopause. There are two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, and progesterone decreases first. As a result, estrogen becomes dominant, causing symptoms such as swelling and weight gain .

The amount of exercise and metabolism declines as one ages, but it is believed that the period of 60 to 65 years old, after menopause, is a guideline for weight gain due to disturbances in female hormones and the autonomic nervous system, and the time when it is easy to gain fat. .

As for when menopausal weight gain begins, it has been suggested that fluctuations in female hormones become greater in the late 30s , and the possibility of entering the so-called "pre-menopausal period" is suggested.

The relationship between menopausal weight gain and alcohol

During menopause, metabolism slows down, making it easier to gain weight. In other words, it is difficult to lose weight, and diets such as exercise and dietary restrictions are difficult to achieve.

So here, I will write about "alcohol" from the viewpoint of food.

Effects of alcohol on menopause

During menopause, metabolism slows down, and energy that cannot be consumed accumulates as subcutaneous fat.

In particular, alcohol is high in sugar, so you need to be careful because it increases fat accumulation.

Additionally, alcohol damages the liver. Since the liver has the function of metabolizing the nutrients ingested, in addition to the decline in metabolism due to menopause, the liver is damaged by alcohol, which leads to a rapid decrease in metabolism.

Menopause also increases the risk of diabetes. The female hormone estrogen has the effect of increasing the action of insulin (a hormone that lowers blood sugar) 2) . However, during menopause, the estrogen levels drop, making insulin less effective and lowering blood sugar levels .

If you have diabetes, you may experience symptoms similar to menopause, such as dizziness, hot flashes, cold sweats, palpitations, and swelling.

Precautions when drinking alcohol during menopause

Although it is menopause, it is difficult to abstain from alcohol and diet for dieting.

So, here we will look at the precautions when drinking alcohol during menopause.

• Drink moderate amounts.
• Avoid alcohol, especially those with high sugar content.
• Add moderate exercise

I will explain the reasons one by one.

drink moderately

It is considered appropriate to consume one 500ml long can of beer, half a glass of shochu, and a double glass of whiskey or less per day.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's "Healthy Japan 21" stipulates that " moderate drinking is about 20g of pure alcohol " 3) . A specific example of 20g of pure alcohol is equivalent to one long can of beer.

However, women break down alcohol at a slower rate than men, and it is feared that the effects of alcohol on health are more pronounced than men . It is important.

Avoid sugary drinks

Try to choose spirits, not brews in general.

Brewed alcoholic beverages include beer, wine, and Japanese sake, but plum wine is particularly high in sugar and should be noted.

Brewed liquor is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting the sugar contained in the raw material into alcohol using yeast. This means that it contains more or less sugar .

On the other hand, there is distilled liquor as a liquor that does not contain sugar. Distilled liquor refers to shochu, whiskey, brandy, etc.

Distilled liquor is made by further distilling brewed liquor (by raising the temperature once, only the alcohol is gasified, and by cooling, only the alcohol is taken out), so it becomes liquor that does not contain sugar.

Add moderate exercise

Not limited to menopause, “walking” and “muscle training” are said to be effective in exercise.

This means combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise. This is because the fat burning effect of aerobic exercise and the improvement of basal metabolism associated with the increase in muscle strength due to anaerobic exercise can be obtained.

Squats are also recommended for anaerobic exercise.

By doing squats, you can train the muscles of the lower body, have the effect of refreshing the waist and strengthening the muscles of the whole body, so it is also useful for improving metabolism.

Kampo is also an option for menopausal weight gain

There are various ways to improve menopausal disorders, but there is a possibility that using Chinese medicine can improve menopausal weight gain.

Herbs can be used to treat various symptoms. In addition, it is said that there is little burden on the body because it is derived from nature .

"Boi Ougito" and "Daisaikoto" are said to be particularly effective for menopausal weight gain.

Boukito has the effect of improving water metabolism and discharging excess water from the body, while Daisaikoto is expected to have the effect of improving fat metabolism. Since which one is more effective depends on the constitution of each person, it is recommended to get advice from a pharmacist or doctor when actually taking it, or to try each and adopt the one that suits your body.

In addition, herbal medicines that are effective for painful menopausal symptoms are as follows.

Kamishoyosan: Depression, irritation, hot flashes, hot flashes, etc.

Toki shakuyakusan: Tendency to coldness and anemia

Keishibukuryogan: Hot flashes, headache, lower abdominal pain, etc.

However, what you have to be careful about when doing Kampo therapy is to take it continuously. It is said that the effect of Kampo does not stabilize unless it is continued for at least 3 to 6 months. It is important to persevere in Kampo treatment.

▼ You can consult Kampo on LINE
Click here for a free consultation supervised by a doctor

Also read the following articles
About menopause and Chinese medicine｜Introduction of types of Chinese medicine

References

1) SR Davis. Understanding weight gain at menopause.2012 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22978257/

2) Tomoko Okuyama, Yasuo Terauchi : Gender difference medicine in diabetes.

3) Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare: Health Japan 21 3. Current Situation and Goals (3) Moderate and Moderate Drinking.2013 https://www.mhlw.go.jp/www1/topics/kenko21_11/b5.html#A56