Broccoli and its Benefits for Menopausal Symptoms
Broccoli helps with Menopause Relief!
Dark, cruciferous vegetables like Broccoli contain nutrients that help sustain a healthy hormone balance, reducing the severity of symptoms associated with estrogen imbalance like menopause. Estrogen levels in both women and men can fluctuate for different reasons. Both genders can experience imbalance as a result of stress, exposure to pollutants, obesity and tainted meat products. However women’s estrogen levels will also become erratic as a result of perimenopause and menopause.
Like all dark green vegetables, broccoli is full of phytochemicals. (i) Broccoli contains the compound dindolylmethane (DIM) and indole-3-carbinol. Both of these compounds affect the healthy metabolism of estrogen. Broccoli also contains sulforaphane. Sulforaphane acts as a liver detoxifier and metabolizes estrogen levels. (ii) It also decreases oxidative stress in our tissues.
Menopause occurs when the ovaries of women in their mid-forties to late fifties stop producing the reproductive hormone estrogen. It marks the end of the menstrual cycle and the process can take years, during which a range of uncomfortable symptoms are experienced. Hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings and night sweats all become part of the day to day norm. Food as medicine is a concept being newly embraced by North Americans despite its ages old role in health and wellness the world over. Broccoli is powerful superfood that can alleviate the discomfort felt during this mid-life hormonal shift.
Broccoli is an excellent source of fiber which is important for digestion and healthy bowel movements. 2 cups of cooked broccoli contains approximately 30 percent of our daily recommended fiber intake.
Menopause can often result in loss of bone density.
Broccoli is a great source of calcium, containing 20 percent of the recommended daily intake for women. Daily consumption of broccoli is a great means of strengthening bones and lessening the risk of osteoporosis for those who cannot tolerate dairy (iii). Broccoli is also a great source of potassium and a vegetable protein.
Menopause does not have to be a torturous experience. A happy, healthy life should not be put on hold for what is ultimately a process women are designed to go through. There are endless ways to incorporate broccoli into your diet and in addition getting creative in the kitchen you can also add our incredibly effective EZestro supplement. These two combined will bring the relief anyone presently suffering from menopause or perimenopause seeks.
Check out our Broccoli Super Slaw Recipe is an easy and yummy meal idea to get your daily serving of broccoli.
Also try, EZestro™ from Edica Naturals.
Endnotes:
i) https://www.phytochemicals.info/plants/broccoli.php
ii) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6275259/
iii) https://www.nof.org/patients/treatment/calciumvitamin-d/a-guide-to-calcium-rich-foods/