How menopause friendly is a vegan diet?
Tips and advice if you’re considering switching to a plant-based diet
- A vegan diet can have an influence on your health, and menopausal symptoms
- How to ensure you get the nutrients you need from a vegan diet
- A greater understanding of plant-based sources of nutrients and variety are key
A new year can prompt a re-think about many aspects of your life, including what you eat. If you’re considering switching to a vegan diet – whether just for the month of January as part of the Veganuary movement, or on a long-term basis – then you aren’t alone. An estimated 25 million people worldwide took part in Veganuary in 2024, according to Veganuary.
What is a vegan diet?
A vegan diet contains plant-based foods, and avoids meat and offal, seafood, dairy products, and eggs.
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What are the health benefits of a vegan diet?
A vegan diet can reduce obesity, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes [1]. Eating plenty of vegetables can increase the number of friendly bacteria in your gut, which in turn leads to many other health benefits [2].
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Which nutrients may be missing from a vegan diet?
It can be a challenge moving to a vegan diet, especially if you enjoy eating meat, seafood and dairy. On top of this, your diet may not be as nutritionally balanced.
It is really important to eat enough foods that are rich in calcium, iron, iodine, zinc, protein and omega-3 as these are the nutrients that vegans can sometimes lack [3].
Protein and amino acids: Amino acids are long chains of molecules that make up proteins – key nutrients that give you energy, help to maintain muscle strength, and support your cells.
You should look for a variety of proteins to ensure you gain ‘complete proteins’ – proteins that contain all the essential amino acids your body needs.
Although there is protein in nuts and seeds, eating some brown rice or lentils can be beneficial. Also, quinoa, soy, pistachios, chia and buckwheat contain some protein.
Calcium helps keeps your bones strong, reducing the risk of osteoporosis. This is crucial as during perimenopause and menopause, hormone levels fall, which can lead to a decrease in bone density.
Good sources of calcium are found in most nuts, seeds and legumes. Find out more about eating for healthy bones.
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Vitamin D: The so-called sunshine vitamin helps your body absorb calcium. You can obtain vitamin D in three ways – via your diet, through exposure to the sun and by taking a supplement.
However, it is difficult to get all your daily vitamin D requirement from diet alone. Government recommendations are for everyone to take a vitamin D supplement, especially during the winter months when it is darker outside.
Iron is essential for the production of red blood cells. Iron from plant-based food isn’t absorbed by your body as well as iron from meat. Good sources of iron for vegans are pulses, wholemeal bread and flour, dark green leafy vegetables, nuts and dried fruits.
Zinc helps maintain a healthy immune system. Beans, nuts and soy products are all good sources of zinc in a vegan diet.
Omega-3 oil is important for brain health and helps with cognition. Omega-3 is present in seafoods, but the best vegan sources are chia and flax seeds and walnuts.
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Spotlight on Vitamin B12
One nutrient that is hard to gain through eating a vegan diet alone is vitamin B12, which is essential for forming red blood cells [4]. This can be taken as a supplement.
RELATED: Podcast: gut matters – Emma Ellice-Flint and Dr Louise Newson
Are processed vegan foods good for you?
Due to the increasing popularity of vegan diets, fast food outlets and supermarket suppliers have introduced new plant-based products. However, many of these products are highly processed and have had the most beneficial nutrients removed.
There is also a drive to engineer laboratory-grown meat products to meet demand for healthier and more environmentally friendly ‘meat’ options. These contain less saturated fat and are higher in Omega-3 fats. While potentially satisfying those who eat vegan due to health, animal cruelty, or environmental reasons, the health outcomes of eating lab-grown meat products are not yet known.
The bottom line?
It is important to ensure you are eating a balanced and nutritious diet, especially if you are vegan.
Resources
References
- Marrone G. et al (2021), ‘Vegan diet health benefits in metabolic syndrome’, Nutrients, 13 (3) 817. doi: 10.3390/nu13030817
- Prochazkova, M. et al. (2022), ‘Vegan diet is associated with favorable effects on the metabolic performance of intestinal microbiota: a cross-sectional multi-omics study’, Frontiers in Nutrition, doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.783302
- Rogerson D. (2017), ‘Vegan diets: practical advice for athletes and exercisers’, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14:36. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0192-9
- Gilsing A.M., Crowe F.L., Lloyd-Wright Z., Sanders T.A., Appleby P.N., Allen N.E., Key T.J. (2010), ‘Serum concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate in British male omnivores, vegetarians and vegans: results from a cross-sectional analysis of the EPIC-Oxford cohort study’, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 64 (9), pp.933-9. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.142
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