The Best Anti-Inflammatory Diet to Consider for Perimenopause: Foods to Eat & Avoid

When I was in my forties, I wasn’t paying attention to perimenopause. To be honest, I didn’t know that much (if anything) about it—no one talked about it, there were no companies or organizations devoted to mid-life women’s health at the time, and typical symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, depression, weight gain, and irregular periods could be chalked up to being way too busy and stressed out. I was working full-time as the editor in chief of a national magazine, raising three kids (and a dog), commuting nearly 3 hours round-trip a day, trying to carve out time for my husband, friends, aging parents, myself… you know the drill.

Thankfully perimenopause is now recognized as a midlife transition with real symptoms that have real medical causes – many of which may be linked to hormonal shifts. According to Harvard Health, “Because virtually every organ contains estrogen receptors, hormone fluctuations affect all parts of our bodies. But the decline in estrogen—which has powerful anti-inflammatory effects—also triggers a cascade of low-grade inflammation that can reach every cell.¹ A 2020 study in the Journal of Neuroinflammation describes the menopausal transition as an ‘inflammatory event’ for this reason.”²

Since estrogen acts as an anti-inflammatory, a decline in the estrogen hormone naturally leads to an increase in inflammation. Chronic inflammation can lead to serious illnesses including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, obesity, and COPD, but it can also be linked to fatigue and insomnia, depression and anxiety, gastrointestinal problems like constipation, diarrhea, and acid reflux, and weight gain.³

Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Perimenopause

In addition to staying active and getting enough sleep, an important way to combat perimenopause induced inflammation is by following an anti-inflammatory diet⁴ and prioritizing anti-inflammatory foods. According to The National Institutes of Health, a diet “rich in saturated fat, trans-fats, or refined sugar is associated with higher production of pro-inflammatory molecules, especially in individuals with diabetes or overweight individuals.”⁵

Translation: Consume sweets, soda and alcohol in limited quantities and do your best to avoid refined carbs (like bread, crackers, and pasta), processed oils (like seed and vegetable oils) and fatty or fried foods. Focus on whole, unprocessed (or minimally processed) and hormone balancing foods, instead. Following the Mediterranean diet is a good place to start when making lifestyle changes and considering an anti-inflammatory diet for menopause.

Hormone Balancing Foods for Perimenopause Symptoms

The best anti-inflammatory foods for perimenopause symptoms include green, leafy vegetables, berries, apples, and citrus, foods high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, walnuts and almonds, tomatoes, green tea, and extra-virgin olive oil.

A sample anti-inflammatory menopause nutrition plan for the day could include:

• Breakfast: Plain yogurt (choose Greek-style for added protein) topped with blueberries and nuts (be mindful if you’re allergic or have reactions to cow’s milk – you may want to consider alternatives.
• Lunch: A salad composed of a variety of greens (such as arugula, romaine, and spinach) topped with canned tuna (look for a brand labeled sustainably caught or pole caught), chopped tomato, chickpeas, and a homemade extra-virgin olive oil and lemon dressing.
• Dinner: Wild salmon with roasted veggies and quinoa salad.

To learn more about anti-inflammatory diets for women’s health, along with the best ways to cope with perimenopause, menopause, and women’s health issues in general, I recommend the following experts: nurse practitioner Cynthia Thurlow especially her podcast Everyday Wellness; Gabrielle Lyon, M.D.—her new book Forever Strong will teach you the importance of a protein-packed diet for overall health and longevity; and Sara Gottfried, M.D., her books The Hormone Cure, The Hormone Reset Diet, and Women, Food, and Hormones are must-reads.

Resources

1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/beyond-hot-flashes
2. https://jneuroinflammation.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12974-020-01998-9
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493173/
4. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/anti-inflammatory-diet
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493173/