CAN THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET HELP BALANCE PERIMENOPAUSE HORMONES?

We know that eating healthy, whole foods is better, like, duh.  We also know that the mega-healthful Mediterranean Diet is backed by studies and doctors. But what we did not know is that this diet has actual specific benefits during peri. It’s also great for long-term heart and cognitive health, but let’s discuss how it might help what’s going on with peri women now.

In brief, a Mediterranean diet is a whole-foods-based approach to eating, with a focus on plant foods that are generally consumed in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea, like Italy and Greece. People in the region have historically largely consumed whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts. They also eat fish, poultry, eggs, and, yes, even sweet things, but red meat is consumed far less often. They enjoy red wine in moderation and are good at choosing healthy fats (avocados, olive oil) over unhealthy fats like say…butter. Overall, they get lots of fiber, plant-based protein, omega-3, polyphenols, and prebiotic foods that help gut microbiome diversity. 

However, the Mediterranean Diet is about more than just food. The good health of the people who eat this way isn’t just because they go easy on the butter. They move more. (Anyone who’s walked up a set of stairs in a town on the Amalfi Coast understands the kind of daily workout it takes to live there.) They eat seasonally and locally. They enjoy long, leisurely dinners with family and friends. They probably don’t dive into a ginormous bag of chips every evening in front of Netflix.

Since the 1990s, many studies have shown that those who eat the Mediterranean diet have reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and cancer, so the long-term benefits are immense. 

In perimenopause, healthy food can really support your physical and mental health, so if you’re trying to figure out how to balance perimenopause symptoms without turning to medical help for your hormones just yet, the Mediterranean diet is a fabulous place to start.

Let’s start with The Dreaded Night Sweats. These are such a drag. They’re actually hot flashes that occur in your sleep! Some might wake you, but some might not. Apart from being awoken mid-sleep, which is annoying in itself, if the sweats are sweaty enough, you may need to get out of bed and change the bedding, your clothing, the whole nine yards. At 2 AM this is the fucking worst and if you share a bed with someone, it sucks for them, too.

A study of over 6,000 women showed that those following a Mediterranean diet were less likely to report incidents of hot flashes and those women following a high-fat, high-sugar diet were more likely to report flashing. Basically, Med diet = less hot. Crappy diet = more hot. 

Even if you’re not waking up with the sweats, you might find that your moods are getting more than a little erratic in peri. Rage, anxiety, irritability, and depression are all hallmarks of hormonal fluctuations and we can endure these long before it occurs to us that they could be connected to erratic estrogen levels and in turn, inflammation.

One of estrogen’s key functions is to act as an anti-inflammatory, so when it declines, the body can experience inflammation. Given that there are estrogen receptors all over the body, nothing is spared. In fact, a 2020 study in the Journal of Neuroinflammation concluded that the decline of estrogen in peri “drives a systemic inflammatory state”.  

When treating mood disorders in her patient, New York City psychiatrist Dr. Judith Joseph always looks at nutrition to nourish the mind and recommends much of the anti-inflammatory food that’s in line with the Mediterranean Diet.

“Make sure what you're eating is feeding your brain,” she says. “Eat fish and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. All those things support brain health and neuronal health and the way that your brain cells communicate with each other. Eat foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients, vegetables and fresh fruit that are rich in antioxidants, and green leafy vegetables that are rich in B12 folate. Those are foods that really nourish the brain. And they're in line, with the Mediterranean diet, which is the only diet that's backed by doctors.”

When it comes to the gut, inflammation can cause the lining to become permeable. “Estrogen protects the composition of the gut, and is also related to the integrity of the gut lining, as is progesterone,” says Elizabeth Ward, a dietician and author of The Menopause Diet plan. “So, when estrogen starts to go down, you get a permeable barrier (better known as leaky gut).” 

Joint pain and increased histamine response—such as new allergy-esque responses, like itching and swelling, and skin issues like rosacea—are other inflammation-related issues that occur in peri, too. 

Given the Mediterranean diet has been proven to have antioxidative and anti-inflammatory benefits, it seems like a no-brainer that we should be leaning towards these foods in peri. There’s such a long list of options. It’s not hard to identify at least some foods that are easy for you to incorporate into your day. 

If you’re into recipes, this website has a ton. If you just want to know what’s healthy to eat and incorporate some into your way of eating, here’s a list:

Greens & Vegetables

• Artichokes

• Arugula

• Beets

• Broccoli

• Cabbage

• Carrots

• Cauliflower

• Celery

• Collard greens

• Cucumbers

• Eggplant

• Fennel

• Garlic

• Kale

• Leeks

• Lettuce

• Mushrooms

• Mustard greens

• Onions

• Peppers

• Potatoes

• Spinach

• Squash

• Zucchini
  

Nuts and Seeds

• Almonds

• Chestnuts

• Pine nuts

• Pumpkin seeds

• Sesame seeds

• Sunflower seeds

• Tahini

• Walnuts

Fats, Oils & Vinegar

• Balsamic vinegar

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Olives

• Red Wine vinegar

Herbs & Spices

• Basil

• Bay leaves

• Cinnamon

• Cloves

• Cumin

• Dill

• Ginger

• Mint

• Oregano

• Paprika

• Parsley

• Pepper

• Red pepper flakes

• Rosemary

• Saffron

• Sage

• Salt

• Thyme

• Turmeric

Beans & Legumes

• Black beans

• Black-eyed beans

• Broad beans

• Chickpeas

• Green beans

• Kidney beans

• Lentils

• Split peas

Dairy

• Feta 

• Mozzarella

• Parmesan

• Ricotta

• Yogurt

Whole Grains 

• Barley

• Bulgur wheat

• Oats

• Orzo

• Pasta

• Quinoa

• Rice

• Whole wheat

Fruits

• Apples

• Apricots

• Avocado

• Blueberries

• Cherries

• Figs

• Grapefruit

• Grapes

• Kiwi

• Lemons

• Oranges

• Peaches

• Pears

• Pomegranate

• Strawberries

• Tomatoes

• Watermelon

Fish, seafood, poultry & eggs (in moderation)

• Chicken

• Cod

• Eggs

• Halibut

• Mussels and Clams

• Salmon

• Sardines and anchovies

• Sea Bass

• Shrimps and prawns

Red Meat – only occasionally 

Drinks

• Water 

• Coffee & tea (caffeine in moderation)

• Red wine in moderation 

• Fresh juice without added sugars 

The Perisphere is not medical advice. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider.