A study that followed nearly 2,000 women from different countries for 20 years revealed that something as simple as living in residential complexes with a wide expanse of surrounding green spaces could delay the arrival of menopause.
It’s hard to believe, but every aspect of our lifestyle, even those that seem most trivial, can have a major influence on our mental and physical health. Now new research has found evidence that diet can also have positive effects in this regard.
The study, published in the journal Menopause, reveals that simply maintaining a balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, can decrease the symptoms of menopause.
Fruits and vegetables can help menopause
A team of researchers from Tehran University in Iran set out to determine whether the diet provided any benefit in managing menopausal symptoms. For this reason, they took a variety of sociodemographic data, dietary intakes, anthropometric measurements and, of course, records of menopausal symptoms in 393 women who had already entered this stage of their life.
And after adjusting for other factors that could skew the results, the team found that there was an inverse relationship between total fruit and vegetable intake and total score on the menopause rating scale and somatic score.
In particular, fruit consumption had a strong influence on somatic score, and the researchers highlighted beneficial effects especially on the intake of citrus, as well as green leafy vegetables and dark yellow vegetables, among others.
And although it is a poorly addressed topic, many women experience intense symptoms during menopause that can affect their quality of life and relationships. This finding represents a new approach for possible interventions to prevent or treat these symptoms.
Reference:
Higher intakes of fruits and vegetables are related to fewer menopausal symptoms. https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/Abstract/publishahead/Higher_intakes_of_fruits_and_vegetables_are.97222.aspx
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