Can you prevent peri/menopause by lifestyle changes you make now?
We can’t prevent the menopause, it is something every woman goes through. There are, however lifestyle factors and medical factors that can bring about the menopause earlier. It is important to note that early menopause usually refers to onset before age 45. Premature menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency occurs before age 40.
Firstly, If there’s no obvious medical reason for early menopause, the cause is likely genetic. Your age at menopause onset is likely inherited. Knowing when your parent started menopause can provide clues about when you’ll start your own. This is, however, out of our control.
When we refer to lifestyle factors that can contribute to early menopause, there are two main ones we are referring to. The first is smoking; research suggests that long-term or regular smokers are likely to experience menopause sooner. Women who smoke may start menopause 1 to 2 years earlier than women who don’t smoke.
Being underweight is another risk. Since oestrogen is stored in fat tissue. Women who are very thin have fewer estrogen stores, which can be depleted sooner.
Making sure you don’t smoke and are a healthy weight is important to making sure we maintain our hormonal balance as best as possible for as long as naturally possible.
There is some research to suggest that a lack of exercise and lack of sun exposure throughout your life can cause an early onset of menopause as well, so it is always important to make sure our lifestyles are set up in order to support our health and our future health.
Looking to create a healthy and sustainable lifestyle? Looking to build a better nutritional habits and age proof your body? Sign up to our Female Health 101 Programme and we will give you the knowledge and tools to help you live in harmony with your female cycle.