Pre-menopausal women face health risks

MANILA, Philippines - Pre-menopausal women face various health risks that can be best addressed by choosing the food items that would help them combat such diseases as osteoporosis and anemia.

Women in the pre-menopausal stage are those who still undergo regular menstruation (which may be light or heavy) before the onset of menopause. This stage usually starts with women in their thirties.

But while this is so, the fact remains that at this stage, women need to boost their calcium and iron intake to prevent diseases like osteoporosis and anemia from occurring.

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease wherein bones become thin and brittle due to insufficient calcium intake, while anemia is a condition wherein one suffers from an inadequate amount of healthy red blood cells.

According to the US-based National Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis is more common in women than in men, while a study conducted by the Department of Digestive and Liver Disease of the University of Spaienza in Italy showed that iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) is prevalent in menopausal women.

As with any disease, osteoporosis and anemia occur when the amount of nutrient intake necessary for fighting them off are not enough.

This means that not having enough calcium (for osteoporosis) and iron (for anemia), especially on a long-term basis, can lead to the development of these diseases.

Anemia is especially common among women who are pregnant or are going through heavy periods that leave them with low levels of iron in their bodies.

This iron deficiency may then lead to feeling of dizziness, lethargy and weakness and may even result in heart palpitations and pale skin.

To help combat osteoporosis, pre-menopausal women should increase and get their adequate amounts of calcium intake every day. And what’s still the best choice for calcium? Milk.

It is not enough that one chooses just any adult milk brand. One should ask the question, “Will it give me the optimum amount of the nutrient I need?”

The same thing goes for iron, the nutrient needed to maintain healthy blood and thus help prevent anemia.

So which adult milk product is best for you? Check the label and compare the nutritional content of the available products in the market. Compare their calcium and iron levels, and choose the one that gives you the optimum amount of these nutrients per 100 grams.

Checking the label also gives information on what other vitamins and minerals these products may contain and if they are delivered in the right amounts.