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| Vol. 21, No. 21 |
| November 15, 1999 |
 Perimenopause Can Make Life Difficult For Women Perimenopause, a time between a woman's reproductive years and when her menstrual cycle stops completely, can make life difficult for many women. But, relief is available. "We can now help a perimenopausal woman better deal with physical and emotional changes by giving her new low-dose birth control pills," says Dr. Robert Zurawin, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine. "The pills help regulate her periods and supplement the estrogen she is no longer adequately producing." According to Dr. Zurawin, perimenopause usually occurs around age 45 and can last anywhere from a few days to a few years. "Eighty percent of women go through some form of perimenopause," he says. During perimenopause, a woman might experience irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, problems sleeping, changes in weight, skin and hair, depression, mood swings, and poor concentration. During estrogen withdrawal, which occurs every month before a woman's period but is more pronounced during perimenopause, many women also experience menstrual migraine headaches. "When we have given these pills to patients the headaches and the moodiness improve dramatically," Dr. Zurawin says. "This form of treatment, as well as a regular exercise program combined with a low-fat, high-fiber diet rich in calcium and vitamins, can make life more bearable for these women." - From Baylor College of Medicine Something to Think About on the Treadmill A research study of more than 5,000 middle-aged people published in the International Journal of Obesity found that each one-minute improvement in treadmill time significantly minimized weight gain by about 1.3 pounds during a follow-up period after a two-year cardiorespiratory fitness program. Further, each one-minute improvement in treadmill time reduced the chance of an 11-pound weight gain by 14 percent in men and by 9 percent in women and the chance of a 22-pound gain by 21 percent in both men and women. These and other findings suggest that increasing amounts of physical activity may be necessary to effectively maintain a constant body weight with increasing age. - From The University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center's Lifetime Health Letter How Nutritious Are Potatoes? The nutritional content of America's favorite vegetable can vary greatly depending on how it's prepared. A plain, 7-ounce baked potato eaten with the skin provides nearly 50 percent of vitamins C and B6 recommended for adults each day, as well as plenty of potassium and nearly 5 grams of fiber - all for only 220 calories and zero grams of fat. But, because fat provides 43 percent of the calories in French fries, a small, 2.5-ounce bag provides the same number of calories. If potato chips are your choice, the portion size shrinks to just 1.5 ounces. In terms of nutrient content, the baked potato wins hands-down, providing at least twice the amount of vitamin C, B6 and fiber per calorie. To help keep potato-based dishes from becoming nutritionally challenged:
- From Kids' Nutrition Q&A, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center
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