Menopausal and post-menopausal women who are suffering from intense sweating and flushing have new hope for natural relief, a new study says.  According to research Dr. Alison Huang from the University of California-San Francisco, women who are in their golden years can easily reduce the intensity of hot flashes by losing some weight.

The California-based researcher noted that exercising and eating a more sensible diet in the effort to lose weight can most certainly produce immediate benefits - not just long term benefits.  So if you want some quick relief from intense and very uncomfortable hot flashes, then losing a few pounds just might help you in the short term and the long term.

The study

Huang’s study, which was published in the medical journal Archives of Internal Medicine, made use of data and respondents from an existing study that focused on menopausal women who were experiences uncomfortable hot flashes as well as other problems like urinary incontinence.  About 2/3 of the total number of test respondents were asked to undergo a structured fitness regimen that aimed to reduce at least nine percent of their total body weight.

The regimen required that participants engage in regular exercise for at least 40 minutes everyday.  The daily caloric intake was also reduced to 1,500 calories (and no more than that).  After six months, the results were impressive.  Women who lost weight were 30% more likely to experience improvements in their hot flashes symptoms than women who did not undergo the structured fitness regimen for half a year.

According to Huang, this is a significant result because hot flashes can have a large bearing on the quality of life of a woman.

Controlling hot flashes - naturally

Here are some ways that you can exercise a degree of natural control over your hot flashes:

1. Quit smoking - because it has been shown that women who smoke tobacco products are more like to experience hot flashes than those who do not smoke at all.

2. Be fit - exercising and weight loss can help reduce your body mass index or BMI. A higher BMI also translates to worse cases of hot flashes for women.

3. Get moving - if you are using to sitting around for long periods of time, try walking or jogging to kick-start a more active lifestyle.  The sedentary lifestyle has also been linked to hot flashes, so counter it today by getting more exercise.

4. During a hot flash, control your breathing. Deep breathing can help shorten episodes of hot flashes.

5. A cooler environment is key to reducing the frequency of hot flashes.  Keeping the indoor temperature of your home to seventy degrees Fahrenheit is essential for controlling sudden attacks.

6. Help your body regulate its own temperature by drinking at least forty-eight ounces of water everyday.  During menopause, thermal regulation is slightly off-mark, but drinking water helps reme dy this problem.

7. Some foods can trigger hot flashes, especially in menopausal women.  If you think a certain food or beverage is responsible for the attacks, avoid the hot flash trigger.

8. A recent US study showed that consuming 40 grams of flaxseed can help reduce the frequency of hot flashes within a short period of time.

Sources:
edition.cnn.com
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
mayoclinic.com
menopause.about.com