Female Vegans Report Lower Severity of Menopausal Symptoms than Omnivores

The onset of menopause is linked to a number of unpleasant symptoms that reduce the quality of life for many older women, and hormonal therapies are not without risks. Recent studies have found that high intake of plant-based foods was associated with fewer and less severe menopausal symptoms. Since the vegan diet is highest in plant-based foods, our objective was to investigate menopausal symptom severity and dietary pattern in a large online community sample of older females. Peri- and postmenopausal vegans (Vg: n=123), vegetarians (Veg: n=74), and omnivores (Omn: n=248), ages 45 to 80, completed a survey which included questions about symptom severity from the Menopause-specific Quality of Life questionnaire and a range of questions about habitual diet and lifestyle relevant to hormone health. Principal components factor analysis of the symptoms supported the use of two components, physical and mental. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to develop a model for predicting these symptom categori...