Monday, February 16, 2009

Products to Lose Weight During Menopause

By Ricardo d Argence

One of the many unpleasant side-effects of menopause is weight gain during this period in a woman's life. This weight increase is not expected and may occur even in women who have not changed their diet or slowed activity.

There are number of menopausal weight loss products that are marketed to women as effective aids in fighting weight gain during menopause,as you might imagine. But are these products really worth it? Let's discuss the mechanisms of weight gain during menopause, and the associated risks of being overweight during menopause before delving further into the various products and their pros and cons.

There are number of reasons for weight gain during menopause. One is slowed and inefficient digestion that is a consequence of getting older. This keeps food in the digestive tract longer, ensuring that you absorb more nutrients, including fat and calories, from your food.

Menopause causes hormonal changes including lower estrogen levels, which can lead to weight gain. This is because estrogen and fat production are linked, fat cells help regulate estrogen production. When estrogen levels go down during menopause, a woman's body might attempt to retain as much fat as it is able in order to deal with this decrease in the amount of estrogen. Hormones and the fat of the body to work together, a complex feedback loop, affecting appetite, metabolism and fat storage.

The risks of weight gain are amplified for menopausal women. Being overweight at any stage of life carries risks, like increased risk of high blood pressure, breast and reproductive cancers, high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes. Since the hormone estrogen is important for preventing cardiovascular disease, the risk of having a heart attack goes up when levels of this hormone drop, even then the menopausal women experience no weight gain. The risk of developing health issues is greatly increased for women who become overweight after going through menopause.

Can I use menopausal weight loss to prevent further weight gain during menopause? Let's check some of these products:

Estrin-D: This product contains a number of metabolism-increasing stimulants. These are xanthine (caffeine) derived formulations like yerba matte, caffeine, and guarana, along with some other innocuous herbal ingredients. While the product does indeed rev up metabolism, there are many risks associated with stimulant-based products. Also, the high levels of caffeine and other stimulants in this formula can cause tachycardia, high blood pressure, a feeling of 'edginess', and excessive perspiration. Caffeine is also thought to contribute to hot flashes during menopause. These considerations make Estrin-D a less-than-ideal choice for menopausal weight loss.

Zalestra: Zalestra will not only relieve some of the negative menopause symptoms but it's blend of natural ingredients also workes to increase your metabolism. Unlike products that contain caffeine, this will not have any negative effects on your health.

Estrolean: The product has a minimal quantity of thermogenic components such as aspirin and caffeine. It is claimed that the natural estrogen present in this product regulates hormone fluctuations that sometimes go along with increases in weight with menopausal women.

While some of these preparations may have benefit in reducing menopausal symptoms, they will not cause you to lose weight without eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise. At best, they might help a little with weight loss, and at worst they can have dangerous and unpleasant side effects.

The best approach to weight control during menopause is a healthy, high fiber, moderate fat, whole-foods diet. A healthy diet that emphasizes fruits, veggies, grains, and lean sources of protein, along with adequate amounts of vital nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and omega-3 fats. That is the best way to lose weight during, or after, menopause. - 15634

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