Perimenopause & Beyond
Why do women need more protein during menopause? How much more protein do women need during menopause?
There’s much hype around protein intakes across the country for men and women alike. However, discussions around why women need more protein during menopause are gaining some traction along with the research on this topic. This blog looks at why women need more protein as we age and how much more protein we may need to support our menopause journey’s.
Muscle and metabolism
As oestrogen declines, increasing protein may have some benefits. Reducing muscle mass as we age and the acceleration of this during oestrogen decline can lead to sarcopenia. Adding more protein into your diet can help reduce this risk. Metabolic rate is increased when muscle mass increases too.
Having protein with each meal will also help to manage blood sugar balance – the holy grail for the perimenopause years and beyond. Read more about this topic in my article here. Satiety is also a factor that most of us aim for and adding protein is a great way to feel fuller for longer.
Immunity
Immunity is also dependant on protein intake. The building blocks of protein are amino acids. Amino acids create and repair immune cells, without sufficient intakes of amino acids our immune function is not optimised.
Skin and mucous membranes like those of the gut lining are rich in amino acids. They create structure to walls of the intestinal tract that create a barrier to prevent pathogens from entering.
Bone structure relies on protein intake to support the collagen matrix within it. As we are more susceptible to bone loss with declining oestrogen, increases in protein will help support bone density.
Protein intake for females in the UK
The British Nutrition Foundation recommends that the average woman following a 2000 Kcal dietary intake needs around 45 g of protein per day. This is around 0.75 g of protein per Kg of body weight per day. Women who are 65+ are advised to consume up to 1.2 g of protein per Kg of body weight. (1)
Protein in menopause
Whilst protein intakes for menopausal women are not universally agreed upon, increasing protein intakes from 0.75g per Kg of body weight t to 1.2g per Kg of body weight before reaching 65 years maybe a beneficial and achievable goal. Some studies have shown that increases in protein intakes significantly improve muscle mass and strength, as well as bone density, especially when paired with resistance training in menopausal women. (2, 3)
For clarity those additional protein grams are around 20 to 35 g extra per day for the average woman.
This table shows how much protein we typically get from a serving of popular foods.
Animal Based Food | Serving Size | Protein (grams) |
Chicken breast (cooked) | 100 g (3.5 oz) | 31 g |
Lean beef (cooked) | 100 g (3.5 oz) | 26 g |
Salmon (cooked) | 100 g (3.5 oz) | 25 g |
Eggs | 1 large (50 g) | 6 g |
Greek yoghurt | 170 g (6 oz) | 15–20 g |
Milk (whole or skim) | 1 cup (240 ml) | 8 g |
Cottage cheese | 100 g | 11–12 g |
Plant Based Food | Serving Size | Protein (grams) |
Lentils (cooked) | 1 cup (198 g) | 18 g |
Chickpeas (cooked) | 1 cup (164 g) | 15 g |
Black beans (cooked) | 1 cup (172 g) | 15 g |
Quinoa (cooked) | 1 cup (185 g) | 8 g |
Tofu (firm) | 100 g | 8–10 g |
Tempeh | 100 g | 19 g |
Almonds | 28 g (1 oz) | 6 g |
Chia seeds | 28 g (1 oz) | 4.7 g |
Peanut butter | 2 tbsp (32 g) | 8 g |
Edamame (cooked) | 1 cup (155 g) | 17 g |
A note on protein powders
Protein powders often provide 20g or more protein per serving. These can be a convenient way to add more protein to your daily routine for some women. However, do be mindful of additives like sugars, fillers and preservatives and even artificial sweeteners as they all can trigger gastric discomfort for those who are sensitive and over time for some. And do be careful with becoming overly reliant on these types of food conveniences as many will be lacking essential micronutrients and in themselves are not a replacement for whole foods. Safety is also a concern for those with kidney or other health conditions as well as some medications as protein intakes can be detrimental or need to be monitored in some instances.
If you do want to use a protein powder and its safe for you to do so, look for 100% plant based, with complete amino acid profiles. Plant based or isolate versions of protein powders may be gentler on the stomach if you need to consider this. Add protein powders to foods like coconut oil, seeds, nuts, green leafy veg and berries for of a complete meal option.
Final thoughts
Increasing protein ratios within your daily diet can make for a healthy choice as hormone balance shifts, during middle age. Food first is always a nutritionist’s mantra when comparing to powders and meal replacements, for many reasons. Essential micronutrients, fibre and a healthy relationship with food being the primary ones.
If changing food habits is a challenge for you, booking a consultation may be helpful.
References
1 Nutrition recommendations for women
2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18467544/
3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31301138/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
