What Helps With Digestive Problems During Menopause?
Menopause can come with many surprising changes for women, including digestive issues that you may not have been aware were possible. From bloating to slower digestion, these menopause digestive problems can become part of your daily life seemingly overnight and may not immediately register to you as symptoms of menopause. In fact, what many women don’t realize is that menopause and digestive issues frequently go hand in hand. Hormonal shifts during this part of your life can have an impact on how your digestive system works, but it’s manageable with the right approach.
Today, we’re discussing the connection between these two conditions to help you learn what helps with digestive problems during menopause. Keep reading to find out why these issues occur, as well as practical solutions to help you feel better.
Menopause and Stomach Issues
Menopause and stomach issues are a pair you might not have known frequently go together. In fact, a reported 38% of women said they experienced altered bowel function during and after menopause as compared to before1. Much of this may be due to trapped gas or slower digestion, which can occur because of menopause. This change can leave you feeling overly full or uncomfortable even after a smaller meal.
Alongside general digestion changes, you might also find you’re experiencing increased frequencies of acid reflux in adults or heartburn when menopause begins. While these kinds of stomach issues are related to menopause, there are lifestyle adjustments you can make to help make them more manageable.
Other Menopause Digestive Issues
As you’re learning what helps with digestive problems during menopause, it’s also important to note there may be issues beyond stomach troubles. Other menopause digestive issues can affect your eating habits, energy levels, and overall comfort which leads to disruptions in your daily routine. Even smaller changes in digestive health may be signs you’re starting menopause and can be frustrating when they interfere with your typical lifestyle.
Some common menopause digestive issues you may experience include:
- Slower digestion
- Increased gas
- Constipation
- Diarrhea and other bowel issues
- Changes in appetite or food cravings
What Causes Menopause Digestive Problems?
Part of learning what helps with digestive problems during menopause is having a better understanding of the root cause. The correlation between menopause and digestive issues primarily stems from hormonal changes. The hormones estrogen and progesterone have a significant part in regulating the muscles of your digestive tract. When these hormone levels decrease during menopause, it causes your digestive system to slow down, which leads to symptoms like bloating, constipation, or other discomforts.
In addition to the biological changes happening within your body, stress and sleep disruptions that are common during menopause can also contribute to digestive problems. These affect your body’s natural rhythm and lend themselves to a self-feeding negative cycle of stress and physiological responses from your body.
How to Help Menopause and Digestive Issues
Wondering what helps with digestive problems during menopause? If menopause has thrown your digestion off balance, the good news is there are natural ways to get things back on track. Finding relief from menopause digestive issues comes down to making a few simple adjustments to your lifestyle that efficiently manage symptoms like bloating, gas, and slower digestion. From better body positioning to dietary changes, these solutions work with your needs during this period of change in your body.
To help you manage menopause digestive problems, consider these solutions:
- Changes in body positioning for better digestion
- Digestion-friendly foods in your diet
- Staying hydrated and active
- Managing stress levels to help menopause digestive issues
1. Changing Body Positioning for Better Digestion
It may surprise you, but your body positioning is one of the most effective factors that helps with digestive problems during menopause. Sitting or reclining in a position that reduces excess pressure on your abdomen helps food move through your digestive system more easily. This is why many have looked to how zero gravity chairs improve digestion during this period of change and beyond.
Zero gravity chairs recline to elevate your legs above your heart level while reducing excess pressure on your lower body. This improves circulation, reduces bloating, and minimizes the strain on your stomach muscles so your body can digest food more effectively. In addition to these benefits of the zero gravity position, the general reclining position of zero gravity chairs circumvents complications that lying flat may present after a meal. Instead of crunching up your abdomen, this positioning is ideal for aiding in digestion and helping you relax.
Additional Info: Not only are zero gravity chairs great options for what helps with digestive problems during menopause, but they can help with other menopause-related conditions, too. After this article, check out our guide for treating symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in women to see how they can help manage these symptoms that can be worsened by menopause.
2. Eating Digestion-Friendly Foods
More than just how you sit, what you eat also plays a role in menopause and digestive issues. To manage bloating and slower digestion, make sure you’re eating plenty of fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. These foods keep things moving smoothly through your system, reducing experiences of constipation and gas. You should also consider eating fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, or kimchi to help balance gut bacteria during menopause.
Another tip for managing menopause digestive issues is to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day instead of focusing on three larger ones. This approach to your diet puts less strain on your digestive system at any given time, making it easier for your body to process food.
3. Staying Hydrated and Active During Menopause
While staying hydrated and active is good advice at every stage in life, it’s particularly relevant to what helps with digestive problems during menopause. Drinking enough water keeps food moving properly through your digestive tract, preventing feelings of constipation or bloating that often happen during menopause. Try drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. To help your gut health even more, you can add lemon to your water. Other options for staying hydrated while helping gut health include drinking herbal teas like ginger or peppermint options.
Beyond staying hydrated, you should also keep active. Low impact exercises like walking, yoga, or active stretching support better digestive health. These movements help your system process food better while also alleviating stress through the natural release of feel-good hormones like endorphins.
Additional Info: Staying hydrated is also helpful to your joints. Learn how to treat menopause joint pain for relief after this article.
4. Managing Stress to Help Menopause Digestive Issues
Speaking of stress, learning how to manage stress definitely is a definite factor for what helps with digestive problems during menopause. Menopause often brings elevated stress levels that can worsen digestive symptoms. Learning how to manage stress more effectively will lead to better gut health and digestion.
To help with how to relax and recharge, consider techniques like breathing exercises, meditating, and using recovery tools like zero gravity chairs on a daily basis. As previously mentioned, zero gravity chairs help support your body against menopause digestive issues in multiple ways, making it one of the most popular and effective methods to feel better fast. You might also consider creating a relaxing night time routine to keep your body on a schedule that supports better digestive health.
Start Handling Menopause Digestive Issues Effectively
Menopause brings with it many changes to your body. While the correlation between menopause and digestive issues may be surprising to many, they don’t have to disrupt your life if you make a plan to manage it effectively. By learning about the connection between these hormonal shifts and digestion, you can take proactive steps to find what helps with digestive problems during menopause and find relief quickly during flare-ups. Even small adjustments can make a big difference in your overall well-being.
Disclaimer: This content is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare professional when considering implementing changes to your health or workout routines to ensure it’s compatible with your needs.
Additional Sources
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9796084/
