Date of Award

Summer 7-26-2024

Degree Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Nutrition

First Advisor

Jessica Todd

Second Advisor

Margot Witteveen

Abstract

All women will experience perimenopause and menopause in their lifetime. The transition into perimenopause is associated with intense reproductive and hormonal changes and has been described as the “second puberty.” It is a process and sequence of hormonal events, not a single event, accompanied by a range of symptoms that contribute to morbidity and decreased quality of life. Symptoms related to this stage of life include physiological (depressive mood, anxiety, tiredness), somatovegetative (hot flashes, sleep disturbances, muscle, and joint pain), and urogenital (vaginal dryness, sexual problems, bladder issues) disorders. Changes in ovarian hormones are associated with reduced bone density, increased insulin resistance, and adverse changes in blood lipid parameters. The result can be an increased risk of developing obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Diet appears to be a modifiable risk factor for reducing and managing symptoms and risk factors associated with perimenopause and menopause, but no specific dietary guidelines currently exist. This project reviews the existing research on how whole diets and dietary interventions can influence symptoms and modulate health complications associated with perimenopause and menopause in the development of an online course targeted to women in this life transition. The course guides women in this season of life through science-based nutrition interventions that they can utilize to prevent and reduce the severity of these symptoms while building long-term, sustainable health-forward practices.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57709/37394025

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