Alcohol and Menopause: Can You Drink During Menopause?

Is it safe to drink alcohol during menopause? If you’re here, then you’re wondering about the same thing. Well, we’ve got you covered.

Alcohol and Menopause

Menopause is the end of a woman’s reproductive life. During menopause, the woman’s body and mind undergo many changes. These can be quite challenging to face. Some habits can affect the intensity and frequency of the different symptoms experienced by women during menopause.

One such habit is alcoholism.

As men and women grow old, the body’s capacity to retain water reduces. This is the reason why the effect of alcohol is more prominent as you age. Alcoholism may have a positive and negative impact on a woman’s health when she is undergoing menopause.

Here we have tried to explain how alcohol consumption can affect menopause in women. Read along to know:

Moderate Alcohol Consumption

One drink in a day is regarded as moderate alcohol consumption for women. If a woman is undergoing menopause and she has one drink per day, it may help her in some ways as is listed below:

1. Lowers a Woman’s Risk of Heart Disease

Due to the hormones in their body, women have a lower risk of heart disease compared to men in the young and middle ages. However, this equation changes after menopause.

Women undergoing menopause have lowered levels of hormones and hence their risk of developing heart-related health problems increase. However, it has been observed that women who drink in moderation during menopause have lowered the risk of heart health problems.

2. Boosts a Woman’s Bone Density

One of the major challenges women face as they grow old is the reduced bone density. This can cause their bones to break easily. This is because of lowered levels of calcium in a woman’s body.

It has been observed that moderate consumption of alcohol during menopause women helps to boost bone density slightly.

3. Lowers the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

The chances of developing Type 2 Diabetes increase as you get older. It is still not clear whether age and weight gain are the major reasons why women in the middle ages are at a higher risk of Type 2 Diabetes or whether menopause is a contributing factor.

However, research reveals that women who drink moderately have a reduced risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

4. Lowers the Chances of Becoming Obese

Excessive weight gain can make you susceptible to a wide range of health problems. Overweight and obese people are prone to several health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and even heart health problems.

Research reveals that consumption of a moderate amount of alcohol also helps to prevent obesity and weight gain issues. This means that it helps keep the bad cholesterol in check and increases your chances of being healthy.

5. Lowers the Chances of Dementia

Dementia is a term used to define memory issues that occur with age. Moderate alcohol consumption by menopausal women also reduces their chance of developing dementia.

Also Read: Lifestyle Changes To Reduce The Risk Of Dementia

6. Lowers her Chances of Getting a Stroke

Heart stroke can be a major issue that disrupts the proper functioning of the heart and the brain. Moderate alcohol consumption also reduces the chance of developing a stroke.

The above points clearly indicate that as long as you consume alcohol within the right limits, it does not harm your body in any way. Only when things go out of control are they a cause of worry.

Excessive Alcohol Consumption

Consuming alcohol beyond your capacity can be harmful to your health. This is the reason why it is said that one must regulate alcohol intake. There are many risks associated with excessive consumption of alcohol in women:

1. Increased Risk of Developing Cancer

Cancer is a very dangerous health problem that can even prove fatal. Cancer starts by developing excessive growth of cells in localized regions at the start and then spreading to the rest of the body.

Carcinogenic foodstuffs can increase the chances of developing cancer. Excess consumption of alcohol can also make menopausal women more susceptible to cancer.

The chances of breast cancer also increase with the use of alcohol.

2. Harmful Effects on Body’s Major Organs like Brain, Heart, and Liver

There are many ways in which excess consumption of alcohol can harm the vital organs of your body. Women are usually at a higher risk compared to men when it comes to liver cirrhosis. Excess consumption of alcohol elevates the risk further.

Alcohol consumption also affects the brain in many ways. It causes shrinkage of the brain and also leads to memory issues in women who consume excessive alcohol. The brain-damaging effects of alcohol are seen more commonly in women.

Even moderate drinking of alcohol can have adverse effects on heart health in women. The chances of heart muscles getting damaged due to the use of alcohol are more common in women.

3. Worsened Menopause Symptoms

Menopause if a transition stage in women from the reproductive stage to the non-reproductive stage. This stage is difficult to tackle since there are huge fluctuations in hormones.

The common symptoms women experience during menopause are as listed below:

• Skin changes
• Hot flashes
• Excessive Mood Swings
• Reduced sex drive
• Insomnia
• Painful intercourse
• Night sweats

Studies reveal that these symptoms are further elevated with excessive alcohol consumption in menopausal women.

4. Increased Chances of Having Broken Bones

As women age, their body changes drastically. The level of calcium in their body also reduces. This is the reason why the bones in a menopausal woman’s body are usually weaker than those of younger women.

In such a scenario, consuming excessive alcohol increases your chances of falling down accidentally. This means that the risk of breaking your bones at menopausal age further increases with the consumption of alcohol beyond specified limits.

Also Read: Birth Control And Alcohol

Conclusion

Alcohol, when consumed within certain limits, may not be harmful. They may also offer certain benefits as listed earlier in this article. However, anything consumed in excess affects wellbeing.

If alcohol becomes an addiction, it is sure to harm your physical and mental wellbeing. The permissible amount of alcohol for menopausal women is one drink a day.

Exceeding this limit could mean harming your health. Understand all the pros and cons and take decisions related to your life. Some lifestyle habits are known to have long-term ill effects. Excessive alcoholism is surely one of them.