Researchers studied 149 women past menopause to see if eating a Mediterranean-style diet could help with uncomfortable symptoms like hot flashes and mood changes. Women who followed this diet most closely had significantly fewer severe hot flashes and sexual discomfort compared to those who ate it least. The Mediterranean diet focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, and olive oil while limiting red meat. While these results are encouraging, scientists say more research is needed to fully understand how diet affects menopause symptoms and to create specific eating guidelines for women going through this life stage.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether eating a Mediterranean-style diet (lots of vegetables, fruits, fish, and olive oil) helps reduce uncomfortable menopause symptoms like hot flashes, mood problems, and sexual discomfort.
  • Who participated: 149 women who had gone through menopause (no period for at least 12 months), all age 40 and older, visiting healthcare clinics in Lar.
  • Key finding: Women who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely were about 5 times less likely to have severe hot flashes and sexual discomfort compared to women who followed it least. The diet showed strong ability to identify which women would have serious quality-of-life problems from menopause symptoms.
  • What it means for you: If you’re going through menopause, eating more Mediterranean-style foods may help reduce hot flashes and improve your overall comfort. However, this is one study, so talk to your doctor before making major diet changes. Results suggest promise but aren’t definitive proof yet.

The Research Details

This was a cross-sectional study, which means researchers looked at a group of women at one point in time rather than following them over months or years. Researchers asked 149 postmenopausal women about everything they ate over the past year using a detailed food questionnaire with 117 different food items. They also asked women about their menopause symptoms and how these symptoms affected their daily life, mood, physical activities, and sexual function.

The Mediterranean diet score measured how closely each woman’s eating habits matched the traditional Mediterranean diet pattern—high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, fish, and olive oil, with limited red meat and dairy. Researchers then compared women with the highest diet scores to those with the lowest scores to see if diet differences related to symptom severity.

This research approach is important because menopause affects millions of women and can cause uncomfortable symptoms that impact daily life. Understanding which foods might help is valuable because it offers a natural approach women can try. Cross-sectional studies are quick and affordable, making them good for initial exploration, though they can’t prove cause-and-effect like longer studies can.

This study has some strengths: it used a detailed food questionnaire to measure diet accurately, and it measured multiple menopause symptoms comprehensively. However, because it’s a snapshot in time rather than following women over years, we can’t be completely sure the diet caused the symptom improvements. The study was also relatively small (149 women) and conducted in one location, so results may not apply to all women everywhere. Additionally, the study relied on women remembering what they ate, which can be imperfect.

What the Results Show

Women who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely (the top third) had dramatically fewer severe hot flashes and sexual discomfort compared to women who followed it least (the bottom third). Specifically, women in the top diet group were about 83% less likely to have severe hot flashes and 83% less likely to have severe sexual symptoms.

The diet score was also very good at predicting which women would have serious quality-of-life problems from menopause. It could identify women with poor overall quality of life with 99.7% accuracy, women with psychological symptoms with 86.7% accuracy, and women with physical symptoms with 93.4% accuracy.

These numbers suggest that following a Mediterranean diet pattern may be connected to experiencing fewer and less severe menopause symptoms. The stronger someone followed the diet, the better their outcomes tended to be.

Beyond hot flashes and sexual symptoms, the Mediterranean diet score also showed promise for reducing psychological symptoms (like mood changes and anxiety) and physical symptoms (like joint pain and fatigue). The diet’s ability to predict these different symptom categories suggests it may help with menopause’s effects on multiple body systems, not just one specific symptom.

Previous research has suggested that diet affects menopause symptoms, but results have been mixed and sometimes unclear. This study adds to that evidence by showing the Mediterranean diet specifically may help with several types of menopause symptoms at once. However, scientists note that existing research on this topic is still limited and sometimes contradictory, so this study is an important but not final piece of the puzzle.

This study has several important limitations. First, it only looked at women at one moment in time, so we can’t prove the diet actually caused the symptom improvements—women with fewer symptoms might simply choose to eat healthier. Second, the study was relatively small with only 149 women from one location, so results might not apply to all women everywhere. Third, women had to remember everything they ate over a year, which can be inaccurate. Finally, the study didn’t account for other factors that might affect symptoms, like exercise, stress, sleep, or medications women were taking.

The Bottom Line

If you’re experiencing menopause symptoms, consider increasing Mediterranean diet foods: eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and fish; use olive oil for cooking; and eat less red meat. This approach appears promising based on this research (moderate confidence level), but it’s not a guaranteed fix. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before making major diet changes, especially if you’re taking medications. This is best used as one tool alongside other symptom management strategies your doctor recommends.

This research is most relevant for women currently experiencing menopause symptoms who are looking for natural approaches to feel better. It may also interest women approaching menopause who want to prevent severe symptoms. Women with specific health conditions or dietary restrictions should discuss Mediterranean diet modifications with their healthcare provider. This research doesn’t apply to men or to women not experiencing menopause symptoms.

Diet changes typically take 4-8 weeks to show noticeable effects on how you feel. Some people notice improvements in hot flashes within 2-3 weeks, while mood and energy changes may take longer. Consistency matters—the benefits appear strongest in people who stick with the diet pattern over time.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track daily Mediterranean diet adherence by logging servings of vegetables (goal: 3+), fruits (goal: 2+), whole grains (goal: 3+), fish (goal: 2-3 times weekly), and olive oil use. Also track menopause symptoms daily (hot flashes, mood, sleep quality) on a 1-10 scale to see if patterns emerge over 4-8 weeks.
  • Start by adding one Mediterranean element daily: swap one snack for fruit, use olive oil instead of butter, or add one fish meal weekly. Once comfortable, gradually increase vegetables and whole grains while reducing red meat. Use the app to set weekly goals like ’eat fish 2 times this week’ or ’eat 3 vegetables daily.’
  • Create a 12-week tracking plan: log diet adherence and symptoms weekly, review patterns monthly, and adjust goals based on what helps most. Track which specific foods seem to help your symptoms most (some women notice fish helps more than others, for example). Share monthly summaries with your healthcare provider to discuss progress.

This research suggests a potential connection between Mediterranean diet patterns and reduced menopause symptoms, but it is not medical advice. Results are based on one cross-sectional study and should not replace guidance from your doctor or healthcare provider. Menopause symptoms vary greatly between individuals, and what helps one person may not help another. Before making significant dietary changes, especially if you take medications or have health conditions, consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian. This study provides promising preliminary evidence but more research is needed before definitive dietary recommendations can be made for menopause symptom management.