Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Pros and Cons of Menopausal Weight Loss Products

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.

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

There are several reasons for weight gain when menopause. Once you get older, you will find that your digestion process is slower and not as efficient. Keeping nutrition in the digestive domain of an individual, ensures that you swallow more nutrients, with fat and calories, from your food.

The hormonal changes of menopause, principally decreased estrogen levels, also cause weight gain. This is because estrogen and fat production are linked, fat cells help regulate estrogen production. When estrogen levels decrease in menopause, the body may try to hold on to as much fat as possible to counteract this drop in hormone levels. Hormones and body fat work together in an intricate biofeedback loop that affects appetite, metabolism, and fat storage.

The risks of weight gain are amplified for menopausal women. More weight at any position of life risks, such as the increase in high-risk high blood pressure, high cholesterol, breast and reproductive system cancers, diabetes and heart disease. As estrogen is a proactive reason against the cardiovascular disease, the chances of suffering from heart disease enhances when the estrogen level goes down, even if the women going through menopause phase don't gain extra weight. The risks of these health problems are compounded, for women who are overweight after menopause.

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

Estrin-D: There are quite a few of stimulants in this product that will help increase your metabolism. These are xanthine (caffeine) derived formulations like yerba matte, caffeine, and guarana, along with some other innocuous herbal ingredients. There are many risks associated with stimulant-based products, while the product does indeed rev up metabolism. In addition, most percentage of caffeine and other stimulants in this formula may ends with rapid heart beat, elevated blood pressure, feeling 'edginess', and excessive perspiration. Caffeine is also thought to contribute to hot flashes during menopause. Because of this, Estin-D is not a good choice for losing weight.

Zalestra: While treating some of the unpleasant symptoms of menopause,Zalestra includes a far safer array of herbal ingredients that are designed to create a more gentle increase in metabolism. This item does not share the caffeine content of similar products.

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.

Eating healthy during menapause will help you from putting on the pounds. A wholesome diet includes vegetables, fruits, lean proteins in addition to rich nutrients that include vitamin D, calcium and omega-3 fats. It is the best way to lose weight during menopause. - 15634

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