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Review
. 2021 Jun 23;13(7):2149.
doi: 10.3390/nu13072149.

Nutrition in Menopausal Women: A Narrative Review

Thais R Silva  1   2 , Karen Oppermann  3 , Fernando M Reis  4 , Poli Mara Spritzer  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Nutrition in Menopausal Women: A Narrative Review

Thais R Silva et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Among the various aspects of health promotion and lifestyle adaptation to the postmenopausal period, nutritional habits are essential because they concern all women, can be modified, and impact both longevity and quality of life. In this narrative review, we discuss the current evidence on the association between dietary patterns and clinical endpoints in postmenopausal women, such as body composition, bone mass, and risk markers for cardiovascular disease. Current evidence suggests that low-fat, plant-based diets are associated with beneficial effects on body composition, but further studies are needed to confirm these results in postmenopausal women. The Mediterranean diet pattern along with other healthy habits may help the primary prevention of bone, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases in the postmenopausal period. It consists on the use of healthy foods that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and is associated with a small but significant decrease in blood pressure, reduction of fat mass, and improvement in cholesterol levels. These effects remain to be evaluated over a longer period of time, with the assessment of hard outcomes such as bone fractures, diabetes, and coronary ischemia.

Keywords: body composition; bone; cardiovascular risk; menopause; nutrition.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflict of interest related to the present review.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Potential benefits of Mediterranean diet on body composition in postmenopausal women. Redrawn and modified from [34].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Adjusted odds ratios (with 95% confidence intervals) for central adiposity, defined as waist circumference ≥ 88 cm, in women in the menopausal transition and postmenopausal women. Adapted from [13].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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