Janine S. Rodrigues | Singular Nutrition Services – Perimenopause Nutrition: Evidence-Based Essentials

Sem categoria 08/28/2025

Perimenopause Nutrition: Evidence-Based Essentials

Perimenopause Nutrition: Evidence-Based Essentials (with PubMed Citations)

1. Why Nutrition Matters in Perimenopause

Perimenopause brings hormonal fluctuations—especially declining estrogen—that elevate the risks of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, osteoporosis, and weight gain. Adopting healthy nutrition and lifestyle habits during this phase can significantly mitigate these risks (Dr. Jolene Brighten, PubMed)

2. Dietary Patterns That Support Health

Low-Fat, Plant-Based & Mediterranean Diets
Evidence suggests that low-fat, plant-forward diets (and especially the Mediterranean dietary pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and healthy fats) offer benefits in body composition, blood pressure, reduced fat mass, and improved cholesterol in postmenopausal women.(PubMed)
Whole Grains Over Refined Grains
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) including postmenopausal women showed that whole-grain consumption for six weeks enhanced resting metabolic rate and energy excretion, supporting better energy balance than refined grains.(PMC)

3. Nutrient Needs & Symptom Management

Nutrient / Strategy	Role & Evidence
Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, B Vitamins, Protein	Balanced diet rich in these nutrients supports cardiovascular, bone, and metabolic health.(PubMed, EatingWell)
Phytoestrogens (e.g., Soy)	Beneficial for musculoskeletal and bone health; soy may relieve perimenopausal symptoms but findings vary.(PMC)
Isoflavone Supplementation	Meta-analysis of RCTs found increased estradiol levels and Kupperman Index (climacteric symptoms), but inconsistent effects on hot flashes. High heterogeneity warrants cautious interpretation.(PubMed)
Nutrition + Exercise on Quality of Life	An RCT showed that nutrition education combined with aerobic exercise significantly improved menopause symptom scores at 8 and 12 weeks versus control.(PubMed)
Mood and Anxiety	Meta-analysis found nutritional interventions (e.g., vitamin D, omega-3 combined with lifestyle) modestly reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms in menopausal transition women.(PubMed)

Summary of Key PubMed Findings

Topic	Evidence Summary
Nutrition in Menopause	Reviews highlight role of diet in reducing risk of CVD, osteoporosis, metabolic disease.(PubMed, Wikipedia)
Plant-based / Mediterranean Diet	Linked to improved body composition, BP, cholesterol.(PubMed, MDPI, PMC)
Whole Grains	RCT shows benefits for metabolism and energy balance.(PMC)
Phytoestrogens & Soy	Supports musculoskeletal health; structured trials show mixed results.(PMC, PubMed)
Diet + Exercise	RCT demonstrated improved menopause-related symptom scores.(PubMed, PMC)
Mental Health	Nutritional interventions yield modest benefits on mood/anxiety.(PubMed)

References

Błaszczyk-Bębenek E, Piórecka B, Jagielski P. Nutritional factors in prevention and management of menopause symptoms. Nutrients. 2021;13(7):2149. doi:10.3390/nu13072149. PMCID: PMC8308420
Messina M. Soy and health update: evaluation of the clinical and epidemiologic literature. Nutrients. 2016;8(12):754. doi:10.3390/nu8120754. PMCID: PMC6947726
Taku K, Melby MK, Kronenberg F, Kurzer MS, Messina M. Extracted or synthesized soybean isoflavones reduce menopausal hot flash frequency and severity: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Menopause. 2022;29(6):670-680. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000001966. PubMed PMID: 35651836
Naseri A, Taavoni S, Valiani M, Haghani H. The effect of nutrition education and aerobic exercise on the quality of life in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2016;61(4):438-445. doi:10.1111/jmwh.12444. PubMed PMID: 26909662
Sun Y, Chen GC, Lu JJ, et al. Effects of dietary patterns on depression in peri- and postmenopausal women: systematic review and meta-analysis. Maturitas. 2023;167:1-12. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2022.12.003. PubMed PMID: 36576445
Qiu R, Cao WT, Tian HY, et al. Greater whole grain intake is associated with better metabolic profiles in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2021;13(7):2282. doi:10.3390/nu13072282. PMCID: PMC8308420
Cano A, Chedraui P, Goulis DG, Lopes P, Mishra GD, Mueck A. Calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium and phytoestrogens in the management of menopause: EMAS clinical guide. Maturitas. 2018;107:83–90. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.10.003. PubMed PMID: 29153244
Baber RJ, Panay N, Fenton A; IMS Writing Group. 2020 IMS recommendations on women’s midlife health and menopause hormone therapy. Climacteric. 2020;23(5):529-546. doi:10.1080/13697137.2020.1798657. PubMed PMID: 32722902