Menopausal women are being told to ditch simple carbs as a study finds foods like pasta and bread spike their blood sugar more sharply, making them prone to weight gain and obesity. diabetes.
- One study found that postmenopausal women were more affected by simple carbohydrates
- They had higher increases in blood sugar, which put them at higher risk for diabetes.
- One author said it showed how the change was a “major metabolic disorder.”
- They urged women to ditch simple carbohydrates after menopause to combat the effect.
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Cutting out simple carbohydrates could help postmenopausal women avoid weight gain and reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, a study suggests.
A study of more than 1,000 women found that those who were postmenopausal experienced a greater rise in blood sugar after eating carbohydrate-rich foods like pasta and bread than premenopausal women of the same age.
Over time, high blood sugar can damage organs and lead to serious health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Postmenopausal women also had more weight around their stomachs, higher levels of inflammation, cholesterol and higher blood pressure.
The results have led nutritionists involved in the study, published as a preprint in The Lancet, to urge women to make simple changes to their diet to lower their risk.
These include ditching simple carbohydrates like white bread, rice, and pasta for complex carbohydrates like rye bread, or eating them with a source of fat or protein, like olive oil or peanut butter. that slow down the spike in blood sugar.
Nutritionists have said postmenopausal women should consider making simple food swaps to combat the “major metabolic derangement” their bodies have been through, one of which is getting rid of simple carbohydrates like bread, pasta and rice .
The study also found that postmenopausal women ate more sugar and reported less sleep compared to premenopausal women.
This further increased their risk of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease, experts said.
Menopause is when a woman stops having periods and can no longer get pregnant naturally. It usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.
In most cases, it is triggered by a change in the body’s production of sex hormones that occurs as a woman ages.
These hormonal changes can come with a number of symptoms like the infamous hot flashes and weight gain.
The study was conducted by the nutrition company ZOE in collaboration with King’s College London, Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital.
The researchers examined health data from 1,002 women of the same age who were premenopausal, going through menopause, or postmenopausal.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Sarah Berry, a nutritional sciences expert at health data company ZOE, said her research showed menopause was a time of “major metabolic upheavals” with many “unfavorable changes.” .
“Even in a similar age group, if you’re postmenopausal, you have an unfavorable rise in blood sugar after consuming a high-carbohydrate meal. It’s an effect due to menopause,’ she said..
“Therefore, women may wish to be more mindful of the type of carbohydrates they consume.
“This could mean moving away from highly refined carbohydrates and the processed foods that contain them, so think carefully about baking, some confectionery, and some staples like bread, pasta, and rice.”
She added that if women wanted to consume these carbohydrates, they should make some simple changes to reduce the impact on their blood sugar levels.
“If you eat them with a fat like olive oil or a protein, that will help lower the glycemic response,” he said.
“A change could be to choose rye bread, for example, instead of white or brown.”
Dr. Berry concluded that although the study showed some of the negative effects of menopause, it provided some potential ways to combat them.
“What this study shows is that we are not prisoners of menopause, we can do something about it,” she said.
HOW SHOULD A BALANCED DIET BE LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains, according to the NHS.
• Eat at least 5 servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables count
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains.
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 whole-grain crackers, 2 thick slices of whole-grain bread, and a large baked potato with skin.
• Drink some dairy products or dairy alternatives (such as soy beverages) choosing low-fat and low-sugar options.
• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other protein (including 2 servings of fish a week, one of which should be fatty)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small amounts.
• Drink 6 to 8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6 g of salt and 20 g of saturated fat for women or 30 g for men per day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
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