Spain's AESAN Orders Review of Menopause Nutrition Guidelines Built on Male-Only Data
核心洞察
Spain's food safety agency AESAN has ordered its scientific committee to formally review menopause (搜索) nutrition guidance after scientists flagged reliance on male-only studies.
The March report drew nutrient reference values from European Food Safety Authority (搜索) research without warning that the underlying studies enrolled only men.
AESAN acknowledged an 'omission of a warning' and called for expanded research focused specifically on women during menopause (搜索).
The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (搜索) (AESAN) has asked its scientific committee to formally review its report on diet and healthy habits during menopause (搜索) after scientists questioned why some of its nutrient recommendations were based on studies conducted exclusively in men.
The document, published last March, sets out recommendations intended to reduce risks associated with the menopausal transition, including loss of bone and muscle mass and cardiovascular problems. It advises a diet rich in protein, omega-3, fibre, calcium, iron and vitamins, alongside regular exercise with particular emphasis on strength training.
The controversy centres on the report's use of reference values from research by the European Food Safety Authority (搜索) (EFSA) without explicitly warning that the underlying studies were carried out in male populations. AESAN has acknowledged an "omission of a warning" and argued for the need to expand research specifically focused on women during menopause (搜索).
Scientists and Government Officials Push Back
Criticism came from members of the Spanish Association of Women Researchers and Technologists (搜索) (AMIT), who challenged the report's reliance on male-derived data for guidance aimed at women. The Spanish Minister for Equality, Ana Redondo, also called for the document to be reviewed in a post on X and urged that situations like this "do not happen again."
"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 (搜索)," Redondo said.
A Longstanding Gap in Clinical Research
The episode highlights a broader 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. According to a 2022 study cited in coverage of the controversy, women account for around 40% of participants in clinical trials for three of the diseases that most affect women — cancer (搜索), cardiovascular disease (搜索) and psychiatric disorders.
That imbalance means part of the existing knowledge base on diseases, symptoms, treatments and doses has been built around the male body as the standard, even though biological differences can influence both the onset of certain conditions and the response to medicines. The consequences can include less accurate diagnosis, prevention and healthcare for women.
Using male bodies as the reference standard also ignores female biological and hormonal processes. The hormonal fluctuations menopausal women experience affect bone health and body composition as well as cognition and cardiovascular risk.
Nutrient Requirements Differ by Sex and Life Stage
Nutritional needs diverge between men and women, and particularly for menopausal women. While 1,000 milligrams of calcium is recommended for men aged 19 to 70 and for women up to age 50, women should increase their intake to 1,200 milligrams after age 51.
Differences also exist before menopause (搜索). Notable examples include vitamin A (900 micrograms for men versus 700 for women), iron (8 milligrams for men versus 18 milligrams for women) and potassium (3,400 milligrams recommended for men versus 2,600 milligrams for women).
"Nutrient absorption can change with age … so monitoring and targeted supplementation or smart food choices become more important," registered dietitian and nutritionist Amy Shapiro previously told The Post.
Beyond adequate protein, calcium and vitamin D, experts have found that eating a mostly plant-based diet, or one that avoids spikes in blood sugar, can help manage the hormones that drive hunger and appetite, potentially staving off menopausal weight gain.