Complaints from several women researchers have prompted the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) to review its recent report on diet and healthy habits during the menopause, after scientists questioned the fact that some of its recommendations on nutrients and women’s nutritional needs were based on studies carried out exclusively on men.
Euronews reports that the controversy also highlights a long-standing problem in medical research: for decades, men have been over-represented in clinical trials and other scientific studies, while women have been excluded or under-represented.
For the menopause report, the agency had asked its scientific committee to carry out the review on the document – published in March using values from research by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) – without explicitly warning that the reference studies were conducted on men.
AESAN has acknowledged there was an “omission of a warning” and has argued for the need to expand research specifically focused on women during the menopause.
The report sets out a series of recommendations designed to reduce the risks associated with this stage, like loss of bone and muscle mass or cardiovascular problems. These include a diet rich in protein, omega-3, fibre, calcium, iron and vitamins, as well as regular exercise, with particular emphasis on strength training.
The Spanish Minister for Equality, Ana Redondo, has called for the document to be reviewed urgently.
“It’s about time women were present in health agendas and studies, and the male body stopped being the universal reference point for everything, even for issues related to menopause,” she said.
Report of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) on nutritional risks for women during menopause, perimenopause and postmenopause
Irene Bretón Lesmes, Concepción María Aguilera García, Araceli Díaz Perales et al.
Published on 1 April 2026
Abstract
Menopause is the time when a woman transitions from the reproductive stage of life to the non-reproductive state. It is characterised by significant hormonal changes, which can affect a woman's physical, emotional, mental and social well-being. This transition also includes peri-menopause (the stage before menopause) and post-menopause (the phase after the menopause).
According to the most recent data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), in Spain women aged 50 or over (which is the usual age of onset of natural menopause) account for approximately half the female population. The World Health Organisation (WHO) believes that support for women's social, psychological and physical health during the menopausal transition and after menopause, should be an integral part of health care, to promote women's healthy ageing and a good quality of life before, during and after menopause.
The Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) has studied the factors that influence the age of onset and symptomatology of the menopause and has evaluated the nutritional risks that women present during the menopausal and post-menopausal transition, including obesity and its associated complications, vascular risk, osteoporosis and sarcopenia. The Committee has concluded that adopting a healthy diet, in which certain nutrients acquire special relevance at this stage of life, avoiding toxins such as tobacco and alcohol and performing physical activity on a regular basis, can influence these factors and help mitigate these risks and improve quality of life.
Food Risk Assess Europe report (Open access)
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