In addition to adolescence, which is a time of significant physiological change including substantial hormonal changes, there is one other time in life that all women undergo a large magnitude of hormonal changes: menopause.
We often hear horror stories from those going through menopause, or “the change of life.” From hot flashes to dryness, and mood swings to slower metabolism, the menopause years can be tough ones for many women.
You may be wondering if there are probiotics you can take at this stage in your life, which can help optimize your health and help you feel your best. In addition to probiotic recommendations for newborns, children, adults and seniors, we are happy to help you learn about the best probiotics for menopause aged women.
Slow Metabolism & Digestive Issues
One common complaint of women who are in the age range for menopause (often mid 40s to mid 50s) is that they have trouble maintaining a healthy weight. Many times these women find that even if they do not up their caloric intake, or reduce their activity levels, their weight may still increase.
There are several reasons this may happen, but an important initial consideration is the digestive tract. If your digestive system is not operating at its best, you are not able to absorb all the right nutrients and are not necessarily able to stay regular.
Healthy Trinity: Our Top Recommended Probiotics for Menopause Aged Women
What are our top recommendations of probiotics for menopause aged women who are looking to optimize their digestive health? Our first recommendation is Healthy Trinity. Healthy Trinity is a proprietary probiotic combination that many middle-aged and older women find can help optimize digestion.
The active probiotics in Healthy Trinity can support the digestion of dairy, carbohydrates, and protein. This is important because some women may know they are having trouble with digestion, but may not be able to pinpoint the cause. Health Trinity’s diversity allows for optimization of digestion of many types of food. If your digestive tract is not functioning at its most efficient, it is even more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.
Bowel Irregularity in Post-Reproductive Years
Once women reach the age of menopause, it is not uncommon for them to experience irregular bowel movements. One reason is at this age, women have less estrogen and progesterone in their bodies. While we often think of these hormones as only playing a role in reproduction, they can also affect many functions of the body including the digestive system.
Scientists believe that one reason women of this age may experience constipation is that a drop in estrogen is tied to an increase in a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol can slow down digestion making it harder for food to work its way through your digestive tract in the right amount of time. When this happens, it’s normal for constipation to occur.
The best probiotics can help menopause aged women with digestive issues because they allow the digestive process to be optimized.
This can have several benefits including:
- Maintaining regular bowel function
- Helping to avoid constipation or diarrhea
- Helping provide relief from occasional gas
When people have regular bowel function, this is not only healthier for their bodies but they also report having more energy, feeling less tired, and having an overall improved sense of well-being.
What are the best probiotics for menopause aged women who are worried about irregularity?
In addition to Healthy Trinity, we recommend Digesta-Lac. Natren’s Digesta-Lac promotes bowel regularity by providing Lactobacillus bulgaricus LB-51 super strain. This is a “good” bacteria that can travel with your food through the body, promoting a healthy digestive process.
Estrogen and Inflammation During Menopause
Remember that we addressed how a decrease in estrogen levels is tied to an increase in cortisol levels in menopause aged women? The decrease in estrogen can also be related to inflammation.
Sometimes this inflammation is felt as an increase in joint pain, which is a symptom that is commonly reported by women in their late 40s and 50s. Even if you understand the health benefits of probiotics, you may not make the connection between healthy bacteria and a frustration such as knee discomfort. The connection lies in the potential for the best probiotics to have a positive impact on inflammation. For instance, some research has shown that older people who took a trinity of probiotic strains had microbial communities that were closer to those of healthy younger people.
Bacteria is Not Only for the Gut
We most often talk about healthy bacteria residing in the gut, but it’s important to know that if you’re researching the best probiotic for menopause aged women, there are other places that good bacteria exist.
These include the oral cavity and vaginal cavity. One of the best probiotics that features a strain that lives in the oral and vaginal cavities is Megadophilus. This powerful probiotic provides at least 2 billion colony forming units (cfu) of either Lactobacillus acidophilus, DDS-1 super strain (for those choosing the dairy version) or Lactobacillus acidophilus, NAS super strain (for those who prefer our vegan dairy-free option).
High Cholesterol: A Surprising Change for Women During Menopause
Did you know that menopause aged women often see a spike in their cholesterol levels? Researchers believe that this change is not simply age related, but is tied to hormonal changes. High cholesterol is a particularly serious concern because elevated levels are linked with heart attack and stroke.
You may also be surprised to find out that the right probiotics have been shown to help some people lower their cholesterol levels, or help them maintain healthy cholesterol levels. In fact, a scientific review of thirty studies showed that probiotics have the potential to aid in reducing overall cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol levels (“bad” cholesterol).
No matter what your age, Natren has probiotics that are formulated to help you optimize your health. This can be especially important for women who are approaching that menopause age, and want to learn about ways to best support their bodies as they change. To learn more about each of Natren’s probiotic products, please visit us at natren.com.
