Spain releases menopause nutrition guidelines based on data from men

Some people took the first few letters of menopause too literally.The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) published nutritional guidelines for women throughout perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause this past March.The problem? The guidelines were based on research carried out exclusively on men.The document used studies from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to offer recommendations that would reduce risks associated with this stage of life, such as loss of bone density and muscle mass.Much of the information focused on consuming a diet rich in protein, iron, calcium, omega-3 and vitamins, while engaging in regular strength training.However, the AESAN didn’t explicitly warn consumers that the reference studies were conducted only on male populations, an oversight several female scientists pointed out.After several members of the Spanish Association of Women Researchers and Technologists (AMIT) criticized the report, the agency acknowledged the “omission of a warning” and has ordered a formal review by its scientific committee.The Spanish Minister for Equality, Ana Redondo, even weighed in, calling for a review of the document and for an incident like this to not be repeated.“It is 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 the menopause,” the minister wrote in a post on X.The controversy highlights a longstanding problem in medical research that women are often under-represented or entirely left out of crucial studies and clinical trials, while men are over-represented.Women account for around 40% of participants in clinical trials for three of the diseases that most affect women — cancer, cardiovascular disease and psychiatric disorders, according to a 2022 study.Additionally, using male bodies as the standard in medical research ignores critical female biological and hormonal processes.The hormonal fl...