Menopausal women should follow a protein-rich diet akin to a weightlifter’s to help ease hot flushes and reduce symptoms, a study has found.

Hot flushes and weight gain are often the first signs of menopause, data show, but a healthy diet can alleviate discomfort.

Scientists from Semmelweis University in Hungary analysed 134 different studies on the effect of diet on women going through menopause and found certain eating habits offset the changes caused by hormonal alterations.

One of the recommendations was to consume 1–1.2g of protein per kilogram of body mass, a rule of thumb used by gym-goers to help them maintain and build muscle.

For a woman who weighs nine stone, for example, this would be 57kg and therefore 57g of protein a day.

An egg contains about 13g of protein, a chicken breast about 31g and a portion of salmon about 20g.

But the scientists say half of the protein should come from non-animal sources, such as soybeans, lentils, beans, chickpeas, or nuts.

The scientists found that during menopause women are more at risk of health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer caused by a drop in oestrogen production.

Data from the study, published in the journal Nutrients, found weight gain and hot flushes are the first menopausal symptoms to emerge, with the average woman gaining about 6.8 kilograms each year between ages 50 and 60.

The sex hormone oestrogen made by women is key in ovulation and menstruation, but it also plays a role in regulating metabolism and fat distribution, which leads to weight gain in up to 70 per cent of menopausal women, the scientists say.

“With age, metabolism naturally slows down, the body burning fewer calories at rest,” said study author Dr Erzsébet Pálfi at Semmelweis University.

“The decline in oestrogen during menopause can further contribute to a decrease in metabolic rate, making it easier to gain weight.”

Diet key to reducing symptoms

A healthy diet is key to offset the hormonal shift , she said, but so is ensuring a calorie deficit to prevent weight gain.

“The recommended weight loss rate is about 0.5–1kg/week, primarily from fat while preserving muscle mass.

“This typically translates to reducing daily calorie intake by 15–30 per cent and consuming around 25 kcal/kg of body weight per day.”

Losing 5kg of body weight can make hot flushes 30 per cent more bearable, data show.

Eating plenty of protein is a good way to preserve muscle mass while also allowing a person to eat the right amount of calories to lose weight.

Other dietary recommendations for a menopausal woman include eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, drinking plenty of water (33ml per kilogram of body weight), having one meat-free meal a week, drinking half a litre of milk a day, and consuming no more than 500 grams of red meat a week.

The study also found that women should aim for at least seven hours of sleep during menopause to reduce the risk of health conditions.

Foods high in tryptophan – a chemical that becomes melatonin, which helps sleep – are recommended, such as cherries, cheese, fish and sesame seeds.

Sleep pattern and water consumption also important 

The scientists also say women should have dinner at least two hours before bedtime and avoid drinking too much water at this time as it can lead to disturbed sleep.

“Regular exercise also supports metabolic health and can lessen the severity of hot flushes,” added Alíz Erdélyi, study first author from Semmelweis and also secretary general of the Hungarian Dietetic Association.

“During the transformational years, several changes can occur in the female body – of which weight gain and hot flushes might be the most apparent ones, but they can bring more risks if not kept under control.”

Writing in the study, the scientists say that menopause has an increased risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and osteoporosis.

“These diseases, which are characteristic of this period in women, can be significantly improved by eliminating and reducing dietary risk factors,” they say.

“In summary, during the period of perimenopause and menopause, many lifestyle factors can reduce the risk of developing all the diseases (cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, and tumours) and symptoms characteristic of this period.”