Veganism may not be the answer to your midlife hormonal issues
How a vegan diet and menopause mix, plus how to make sure you get the nutrition you need now
By Sally Duffin
Veganism is growing in popularity across the world as more and more people turn to an animal-free diet. In the US, the number of people following a vegan diet has jumped by more than 3000% in the last fifteen years, while in the UK 2020 became the year that each one of the top ten supermarkets had their own range of vegan foods.
Fans of vegan diets talk about the myriad health benefits, but is this true for everyone who tries it? And does being vegan help with menopause? Let's unravel some of the pros and cons of being fully plant-based and talk about why veganism may not be the answer to your hormonal issues.
A healthy, well-balanced vegan diet can be appropriate for any life stage, including menopause. However, several nutritional pitfalls can cause problems if you don't have the time to prep and plan your meals.
Vegan or plant-Based: what's the difference?
The term "plant-based" has flourished alongside veganism but it doesn't mean the same thing.
A vegan diet excludes all meat and fish and any animal-derived foods like eggs, milk, cheese, honey, and beeswax. Vegetarians avoid meat and fish too, but may eat eggs, dairy, and honey.
The founding principles of veganism center around animal welfare, so many vegans will avoid wearing leather and will proactively choose cruelty-free beauty care and household products.
A plant-based diet is exactly as the name suggests — a high-fiber plant-based diet that may also include small amounts of animal products. People often choose a plant-based diet for health or environmental reasons such as needing to eat more fiber or concerns about climate change.
Is a vegan diet menopause friendly?
A recent study examining the effect of a low-fat, vegan diet on hot flashes in post-menopausal women led to a surge of interest in vegan diets and menopause. In the study, a group of 38 women were randomly assigned to either make no dietary changes at all or to follow a low-fat vegan diet that included a half cup of cooked soybeans every day. After 12 weeks, the vegan diet group had cut their total number of hot flashes by 79% compared to 49% in the control group.
But several factors besides the vegan diet may have influenced the results:
Both groups were asked to limit alcohol to 1 drink per week. Alcohol is a known trigger for hot flashes so this simple step could have made a big difference.
The vegan diet cohort received weekly group support sessions that covered meal planning, food shopping, and food preparation, helping them to make healthier choices overall.
Eating a half cup of cooked soybeans a day meant the diet group was consuming regular amounts of phytoestrogens. These plant compounds have a balancing effect on hormone levels and are known to help manage hot flashes.
Because of these variables, it is difficult to conclude that the vegan diet alone led to such good results.
A healthy, well-balanced vegan diet can be appropriate for any life stage, including menopause. However, several nutritional pitfalls can cause problems if you don't have the time to prep and plan your meals.
8 potential pitfalls of a vegan diet for menopause
Vegan junk foods: One of the most common mistakes people make when switching to a vegan diet is to rely on pre-packaged products like meat substitutes, plant-based margarine, vegan cookies and ice cream, and vegan ready meals. Like any ultra-processed food, these products are filled with chemical additives and unrecognizable ingredients and lack the nutritional value of real whole foods. Junk food is junk food, whether you're vegan or not.
Protein: During menopause our metabolism shifts and we start to lose muscle mass. It's important to include good-quality protein in each meal and snack to help counteract this effect. Plant foods do contain proteins, but very few are a 'complete protein' – a food that contains all 9 of the essential amino acids that we need to get from dietary sources. Soy, quinoa, and hempseed are good sources of complete protein for vegans, but the amounts of protein they contain per serving may be less than animal products.
Calcium: When estrogen levels fall after menopause the risk of developing osteoporosis (weak, porous bones) increases as does the risk of bone fractures. In fact, The North American Menopause Society states that 1 in 2 women over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. Dairy foods are a rich source of calcium and other bone-building nutrients like vitamins A and D3. Switching to a vegan diet requires careful focus on plant sources of calcium to protect bone health post-menopause.
Iron: There are 2 forms of dietary iron: heme and non-heme. Heme iron comes from animal products while non-heme iron is found in plant foods. Tofu, kale, dried apricots, chickpeas, and lentils are just some of the many plant sources of iron that are suitable for vegans. However, non-heme iron isn't as easy for us to absorb compared to heme iron because plant compounds like phytic acid bind to iron and other minerals limiting their absorption.
During menopause our metabolism shifts and we start to lose muscle mass. It's important to include good-quality protein in each meal and snack to help counteract this effect.
Vitamin B12: found in fish, meat, eggs, and dairy, vitamin B12 can be a problem for vegans. Some mushrooms and types of algae contain B12 but not enough for them to be a reliable source. Nutritional yeast and fortified cereals are better sources, and many vegans take a B12 supplement to maintain their levels.
Vitamin A: preformed vitamin A is only available in animal products. Fortunately, plant foods are rich in beta-carotene which the body can convert into vitamin A. For food sources think red, orange, green, and yellow fruits and vegetables like kale, arugula, peppers, squashes, apricots, and carrots.
Vitamin D3: Vitamin D is commonly deficient across the population, not just in vegans. But vegans have the additional hurdle of not eating any foods that contain vitamin D3 like butter, eggs, and oily fish. Sun-dried mushrooms supply vitamin D2 but research shows that D2 is not as good as D3 at raising circulating levels of vitamin D.
Omega 3: One of our essential fats, omega-3 plays a key role in heart health, brain health, and managing inflammation – all important considerations during menopause. The omega-3 fats EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are found in oily fish and pasture-reared meats. Vegans can find the "parent" fatty acid to EPA and DHA called ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) in nuts, seeds, and cold-pressed seed oils but this requires a complex conversion process to become EPA and DHA. A lot of omega-3 is lost during this conversion process, and vegans need to include good supplies of ALA every day to make up for these losses.
Optimizing a midlife vegan diet
If you're keen to try a vegan diet or want to optimize your vegan diet during menopause, try these suggestions to sidestep the pitfalls.
Focus on meal planning to make sure you can combine 'incomplete' protein sources together for the full balance of essential amino acids. Combine nuts and wholegrains, beans with nuts and seeds, or beans and pulses with wholegrains to meet your protein needs.
Include vitamin C-rich foods alongside non-heme iron to aid its absorption. Broccoli, citrus fruits, peppers, cauliflower, and berries pack plenty of vitamin C.
Pre-soak nuts, seeds, and whole grains before cooking and eating to reduce their content of compounds that can inhibit mineral absorption.
Use organic cold-pressed flax or hempseed oil in dressings to top up on ALA.
Include nutritional yeast and fortified cereals for vitamin B12.
Consider taking a vitamin D supplement, especially during the winter months when we are unable to make it in our skin from sunlight.
Vegan or flexitarian?
If you're keen to be more plant-based but concerned about the possible pitfalls, why not think about being a "flexitarian"? This is someone who enjoys a mostly plant-based diet, with occasional meat, fish, dairy, and egg. Eating fewer animal products often means people have the money available to buy organic and ethically reared animal produce rather than factory-farmed options, and you still get to enjoy plenty of plant-based meals.
Sally’s book, Natural Nutrition for Perimenopause: What to eat to feel good and stay sane, contains more nutrition tips to help manage perimenopause and menopause symptoms.
You might also enjoy this on The Midst:
How do I know if I'm perimenopausal?
Perimenopausal brain fog: a nutritionist's guide to thinking clearly
Natural Nutrition for Perimenopause: What to eat to feel good and stay sane
Sally Duffin is a UK-based health writer, registered nutritionist/nutritional therapist, and author of Natural Nutrition for Perimenopause: What to Eat to Feel Good and Stay Sane. She has worked in the natural health industry for over 20 years as a nutrition practitioner, writer, and educator, and loves nothing more than empowering people to take charge of their own health. Outside of the nutrition world, Sally enjoys creative writing, making things, and buying more books than she has time to read.
Find her at www.nutritioninyork.co.uk and on Twitter and Instagram @nutritioninyork
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