Dietary Fibers are essential for Postmenopausal women
Health is an addiction, always and in all ages. As we grow old, this addiction saves us from frequent visits to health clinics, hospital stay, spending on medicines and more. We need to enjoy old age when it comes with the least chance of a very poor or disability stricken ill health condition. For that, one must consume the right things, eating the right food is very essential and for specifically old women who are vulnerable due to multiple symptoms associated with menopause.
Metabolic syndrome affects 20 or 30 percent people in the western world, whereas, in India it exists in 24.9% males and 42.3% females, a large figure indicating the cardiovascular risk burden. Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Hyperlipidemia, obesity (waist circumference above 80 cm for women of Asian origin), elevated triglycerides and high blood pressure. Its most common consequence is coronary artery disease and related complications. Other manifestations are fatty liver, digestive problems, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiovascular accident, stroke, colon cancer, breast cancer and more.
Postmenopausal women are at a higher risk of cardiovascular risk!! Men die younger due to metabolic syndrome, as compared to women according to health statistics. Among agile people, women surpass the risk more than men because of declining estradiol which has a cardio-protective effect in young women.
High fiber diet is not a fad. Dietary fiber is classified as soluble and insoluble fibers. Based on functional characteristics, insoluble doesn’t dissolve in gastric fluids and water. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and escapes enzymatic degradation in stomach and small intestines. It then reaches colon where it gets fermented by micro-organisms in the colon.High and regular total fiber intake lowers LDL-bad cholesterol considerably in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women.
Recently Mediterranean Diet has been the most sought choice for reducing weight and improve cardio-metabolic health. It has been modified by nutritionists to create personal diet plans and has tremendous scope in reducing health risk. This diet is rich in vegetable fibers.
A study named RESMENA revealed that dietary fiber intake among metabolically deranged people prescribed for six months in the form of traditional Mediterranean diet, reduced weight from 99.2 to 91.8 kilograms in average, waist circumference from 110.2 to 103.3 cm. Systolic blood pressure was reduced from 150 to 137 mm Hg, while diastolic from 85 to 78 mm Hg. Diabetics reduced from 74.4% to 65.7%. All these effects were attributed to increased consumption of fibers from 18.7 grams per 1000 kcal to 20.7 grams.
Every gram increase intake in soluble fiber, lowers LDL-bad cholesterol by about 2mg/dl. Oats meal of 3 grams per day lowers total cholesterol by 6 mg/dl. Consumption of wholegrain cereals avert chronic heart disease by 19%. Total fiber intake increase by 10 grams, reduces cardiovascular manifestations by 15%.
Minimum fiber content in foods that must be chosen for consumption, should be 3 gram/100 gram meal.
By increasing fiber intake, not only cholesterol reduces, blood glucose also decreases. There are fibers that may have high glycemic index. They may lower cholesterol but not sugars. Here of particular importance is the fruit fiber that which not only helps in metabolism, but is also good for mental health due to endorphins that it releases in the brain. At least 200 grams of fruits daily are recommended for desirable health effects. Postmenopausal women who practice chewing raw fruits, shall be maintaining jaw motion and strength, and improving oral health too. It also discourages cravings for unhealthy sugary foods. Fruit fibers also reduce the chances of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease associated with obesity, higher lipogenesis, high intake of fats and genetic predisposition.
Psyllium Husk is a very good source of fiber and if taken 2 spoon fulls with water after every meal, shall surely prevent constipation and remove bad cholesterol from getting absorbed. It also enhances satiety. If most women are not adapted to this regime, they may begin with having the same dose only once before sleep at night.
If menopausal women choose to consume the right amount of fiber, they can maintain their body weight, improve digestion, prevent or limit atherosclerotic changes in blood, prevent obesity, prevent dysbiosis (decreased good gut bacteria), control blood sugars and enhance cardiovascular health.
