Mediterranean Diet: What Are the Consequences for Menopause?

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Women's Health
• Menopause Studies

Background:

• Menopause is a natural life stage for women, often associated with symptoms impacting quality of life.
• Dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean Diet (MD), may influence menopausal symptom experience.
• Obesity is a common comorbidity in postmenopausal women, potentially exacerbating symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) and the severity of menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women with obesity.
• To explore the influence of specific dietary components of the MD on menopausal symptoms and sleep quality.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 100 postmenopausal women with obesity.
• Assessment of Mediterranean Diet adherence using the PREDIMED questionnaire.
• Evaluation of menopausal symptom severity (Menopausal Rating Scale, MRS) and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI).

Main Results:

• Moderate adherence to the MD was observed (mean PREDIMED score: 7.82 ± 1.66).
• Women with more severe menopausal symptoms showed significantly lower adherence to the MD (p=0.036).
• Legume intake correlated with lower symptom severity (r=-0.201, p=0.045), and extra-virgin olive oil intake correlated with fewer psychological symptoms (r=-0.230, p=0.021).
• A high prevalence of poor sleep quality was noted (79%), with worse sleep in women experiencing severe menopausal symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Postmenopausal women with obesity and marked menopausal symptoms exhibit lower adherence to the Mediterranean Diet.
• Incorporating legumes and extra-virgin olive oil into the diet may help alleviate menopausal symptom severity and psychological distress.
• Dietary interventions focusing on the Mediterranean Diet could be beneficial for managing menopausal symptoms and improving sleep quality in obese postmenopausal women.