Is a Vegan Diet Good for Menopause?

Have you been wondering whether a vegan diet is the right thing for you during menopause and beyond?

With so many popular books, experts, podcasts, and even doctors insisting that women need animal protein to thrive in midlife, you might feel uncertain about whether your food choices are going to keep you healthy during menopause. The message that you should eat more meat to get stronger, leaner, healthier during menopause is everywhere. And when you're doing your best to take care of yourself, it's natural to question whether you’re sacrificing your health to stay vegan.

You want to do what’s right for your body and the animals. You might also want to lose a few pounds, feel more energy, less fatigue, and to feel strong, toned, and confident again.  Eating animals doesn’t feel aligned with who you are.

That inner conflict of “should I give up being vegan to feel better?” can lead to confusion, stress, and guilt. It makes it harder to fully commit to a plan or take consistent action. And when you're constantly questioning whether your food choices are the problem, you are not sure if you are doing the right thing.

But you absolutely can thrive through menopause on a vegan diet, without compromising your values or your health. In fact, a well-balanced plant-based approach can support your hormones, heart, and long-term well-being.

Criticisms of the Vegan Diet for Menopause

1. Leucine

One of the main criticisms of vegan diets, especially during midlife and beyond, centers around the amino acid leucine. Leucine is an essential amino acid that plays a key role in muscle protein synthesis.  Basically, it signals your body to build and maintain muscle. As we get older, maintaining muscle mass becomes more difficult due to a natural process called anabolic resistance, which is why leucine becomes even more important. Critics often argue that plant-based diets fall short in this area, since many plant proteins are lower in leucine compared to animal proteins. But the important thing isn’t that you can’t get enough, it’s that you need to be intentional about it. By including a variety of protein-rich plant foods like tofu, tempeh, legumes, lentils, quinoa, and if necessary, essential amino acids and plant-based protein powders, it’s entirely possible to meet your leucine needs and support strong, healthy muscles throughout menopause and beyond.

2. Calcium

Another common concern about vegan diets during menopause is whether they provide enough calcium, especially since bone health becomes a bigger priority as estrogen levels decline. While dairy is often promoted as the go-to source, there are plenty of calcium-rich plant foods like fortified plant milks, tofu set with calcium, leafy greens (like bok choy and kale), almonds, and tahini. A supplement can help fill in any gaps.  With proper planning, a vegan diet can definitely support strong bones through midlife and beyond.

3. Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is essential for nerve health, energy, brain function, and something many people don’t realize: heart health. One of B12’s main roles is helping to regulate homocysteine, an amino acid that, when elevated, is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and cognitive decline. This matters even more during and after menopause, when cardiovascular and brain health become top priorities. Since B12 is not found naturally in plant foods, vegan women who don’t supplement are at risk for deficiency and higher homocysteine levels. The good news is this is completely preventable. A high-quality B12 supplement is simple, affordable, and highly effective. When paired with a diet rich in folate from leafy greens, legumes, and other plant foods, it’s easy to keep homocysteine levels in a healthy range and continue thriving on a vegan diet at every stage of life.

4. Essential Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA and EPA, are important for brain health, heart health, and managing inflammation, which is crucial during menopause. While plant sources like flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and hemp seeds provide ALA (a precursor to EPA and DHA), the conversion in the body can be limited. This is why many plant-based women benefit from an algae-based omega-3 supplement, which provides the same DHA and EPA found in fish—just sourced directly from where the fish get it. It’s a simple, sustainable way to make sure your brain and body are fully supported.

5. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is another nutrient that often gets flagged as a concern on a vegan diet.  But most people, regardless of whether they eat animal products or not, aren’t getting enough. Vitamin D isn’t naturally abundant in many foods, and even omnivorous diets often don’t get enough, especially for those who spend most of their time indoors, live in northern climates, or have darker skin.  While some animal products contain small amounts of vitamin D, they’re not typically enough to meet daily needs. As we get older, we also lose our ability to synthesize vitamin D from the sun.  The most reliable way to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D is through supplementation and, when possible, sun exposure. For vegan women in menopause, keeping vitamin D in a healthy range is especially important for bone health, mood, and immune function, and that is easy to do with a simple daily supplement.

Once you know which nutrients need extra attention for a vegan diet, it’s easy to plan your meals or supplement wisely. A well-planned vegan diet during menopause can be just as complete and supportive as any other.

How A Vegan Diet Is Supportive During Menopause

Now let's talk about the powerful health benefits through menopause and beyond!

First of all, let’s acknowledge that you can have a junk food diet or eat a vegan version of the Standard American Diet, but that’s not what I’m talking about here.  I’m talking about a whole foods plant based diet high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats, and low in processed foods.

1. Reducing Inflammation

One major benefit of a whole foods plant based diet is that it’s anti-inflammatory.  Vegan eating is known for its ability to reduce inflammation in the body.  That’s important because chronic inflammation is at the root of nearly every major disease, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. In one study, 53 participants followed a diet either high in meat or strictly vegan.  After four weeks, those following the vegan diet experienced a significant reduction in immune and inflammatory markers.¹  This is important because menopause is associated with an increase in inflammation due to reduced estrogen production.  The inflammatory markers that tend to increase during menopause are connected to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

2. Cardiovascular Health

As long as you are getting vitamin B12, as mentioned above, vegan diets support your cardiovascular system in a big way. They’ve been shown to improve cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, something every woman should be thinking about in midlife, as heart disease becomes an even greater concern after menopause. With consistent choices, a plant-based lifestyle can protect your heart for years to come.  In one umbrella review, apparently healthy individuals consuming a vegan diet was associated with a 34% lower risk of developing coronary heart disease within the next 10 years.²

3. Improved Blood Sugar and Insulin Resistance

Many women are also surprised to learn how well a fiber-rich, plant-forward way of eating can help stabilize blood sugar. Stable blood sugar not only helps you avoid energy crashes and sweet cravings, but is also important for reducing insulin resistance, supporting a healthy metabolism, and preventing weight gain over time. Several randomized controlled trials have shown that a vegan diet can significantly improve insulin resistance in overweight adults.^{3, 4, 5}  In one study, 62 overweight adults consumed either a low-fat vegan or a Mediterranean diet for 16 weeks. Those following the vegan diet improved body weight, lipids, and insulin sensitivity, both from baseline and compared with a Mediterranean diet.⁶

4. Weight Loss

A whole-food, plant-based diet tends to be lower in calories but higher in volume and fiber, which helps with satiety and sustainable weight loss. The energy it takes for your body to digest, absorb, and metabolize food (known as the Thermic Effect of Food) is higher for plant foods than for animal products.  Studies have shown that people on vegan diets tend to have lower body mass indexes (BMIs), even without restrictive eating.  One study found that in a general healthy population, a vegan diet was effective for reducing body weight by 5.56 pounds and lowered risk of all-cause mortality.⁷  The same study did find that vegans have a 46% higher risk of fracture; however, we can work to prevent that by consuming more calcium, doing weight-bearing exercise, and working on fall prevention through balance exercises like tai chi.

5. Gut Health

Fiber-rich plant foods feed beneficial gut bacteria, which play a big role in digestion, mood, immune function.  Fiber is essential for elimination, and reducing colon cancer risk.⁸  Vegans were found to be higher in certain types of gut bacteria that metabolize fiber, and contribute to a healthy microbiome (the trillions of bacteria in your gut).  There is also a subset of gut bacteria known as the estrobolome that influence estrogen metabolism in the body.⁹  Women eating high levels of plant foods have the healthiest estrogen levels, estrogen excretion, healthiest proportion of estrogen metabolites and reabsorption of estrogen metabolites.  

6. Cognitive Health

Research also shows that plant-based diets are linked to lower rates of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.  Animal foods can contain compounds that negatively affect brain health, like saturated fat, excessive iron, and mercury in fish.  The antioxidants and phytochemicals in plant foods offer protection for your brain, not just your body.

7. Hormone Health

Most plants contain some phytoestrogens, naturally occurring compounds that mimic the effects of estrogen in the body.  They are meant for the plant but when we ingest the plant, we ingest the phytoestrogens.  Phytoestrogens are particularly high in legumes (lentils, chickpeas, soy), flax, and dark leafy greens.  These foods are health protective, gut healthy, and cardio protective.  Legumes, leafy greens, and seeds should be a significant part of our diet.  In one study, 34 women with a waist measurement of greater than 35 inches consumed legumes three times per week without making other changes in their diet or exercise, improving weight loss, cholesterol, and cardiovascular health.¹⁰  I believe all women should increase legumes in their diet. 

Phytoestrogens have also been shown to help reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes.  A study of 4,813 perimenopausal or postmenopausal women found that isoflavones, soy, and herbal products improved the frequency of hot flashes.¹¹  

8. Cancer Risk

Phytoestrogens may also play a role in reducing breast cancer risk.  A 2022 meta‑analysis found that soy isoflavone consumption was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in both pre‑menopausal and post‑menopausal women.  Higher intake was linked to lower incidence of breast cancer, compared with lower intake.¹²  A vegan diet is naturally high in phytoestrogens, as we typically consume more legumes as a major protein source.

9. Longevity

Although more research is needed, there is some evidence to suggest that vegans can extend longevity. In the Adventists Health Study 2, researchers found that a vegan diet was associated with a 15% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to omnivores.¹³ Vegans may live longer due to reduced caloric intake, healthier gut microbiome, and reduced risk of other cancers and other diseases.  They also eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

From my experience as a vegan nutritionist, health coach, and meditation instructor, I’ve seen how shifting just a few habits within a plant-based framework can completely change the game, boosting energy, reducing cravings, and making weight loss feel possible again.

You definitely don’t have to give up your values to support your hormones and feel better in your body during menopause.

What You Can Do Differently for Menopause (Without Abandoning Your Vegan Lifestyle)

Now that you know all these benefits of the vegan diet, you can let go of the pressure to start eating animal products again. Instead, focus on optimizing your plant-based diet for this season of life.

Here’s what I recommend:

• Make sure you’re getting enough high-quality plant protein every day

• Focus on balancing your blood sugar to reduce energy crashes and cravings

• Support your nervous system with stress-reducing practices (like meditation)

• Get clear on your supplement needs for menopause

• Build a realistic and consistent meal rhythm that fits your busy life

Inside my coaching programs, we do all of this together. I help you build a solid foundation with food, without overwhelm or restriction. You’ll get personalized nutrition guidance, easy-to-follow recipes, and support with weekly goals that feel doable for your life, even with a packed schedule.

And because menopause isn’t just about food, we also work on mindset, movement, and stress reduction.

When you start taking these new actions, you can expect more energy during your day, more confidence in your body, easier weight loss, stronger bones and muscles, fewer cravings, and better sleep!

Most importantly, you’ll feel proud of your choices, not conflicted about them.

“But What If I Don’t Want to Follow a Meal Plan?”

If meal plans aren’t your thing, no worries.  Everything I recommend is customized to your preferences, your lifestyle, and your goals.

You can work from recipe bundles, build your own meals using my simple healthy plate method, or focus on just one small change at a time. This is your journey, and I’m here to support you in a way that works for you.

So, is a Vegan Diet Good for Menopause? Absolutely!

We've covered the belief that you have to eat animal products during menopause simply isn’t true. A vegan diet can fully support your body, mind, and values throughout this transition, when it’s thoughtfully put together. You don’t need to feel torn or uncertain about your choices. What you do need is a clear, personalized plan that works for your lifestyle. And when you begin making intentional changes that truly support your body, it becomes so much easier to feel stronger, more energized, and more confident through menopause.

Ready for Your First Step?

Start by grabbing my free vegan meal plan, created specifically with menopausal women in mind. It’s packed with delicious, nourishing recipes that support hormone health.

References:

1. Ann-Kathrin Lederer, Andrea Maul-Pavicic, Luciana Hannibal, Manuel Hettich, Carmen Steinborn, Carsten Gründemann, Amy Marisa Zimmermann-Klemd, Alexander Müller, Bettina Sehnert, Ulrich Salzer, Reinhild Klein, Reinhard E Voll, Yvonne Samstag, Roman HuberVegan diet reduces neutrophils, monocytes and platelets related to branched-chain amino acids - A randomized, controlled trialClin Nutr.(2020 Feb 24)

2. Selinger E, Neuenschwander M, Koller A, Gojda J, Kühn T, Schwingshackl L, Barbaresko J, Schlesinger SEvidence of a vegan diet for health benefits and risks - an umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational and clinical studies.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr.(2023)

3. Kahleova H, Petersen KF, Shulman GI, Alwarith J, Rembert E, Tura A, Hill M, Holubkov R, Barnard ND. Effect of a Low-Fat Vegan Diet on Body Weight, Insulin Sensitivity, Postprandial Metabolism, and Intramyocellular and Hepatocellular Lipid Levels in Overweight Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Nov 2;3(11):e2025454.

4. Kahleova H, Tura A, Hill M, Holubkov R, Barnard ND. A Plant-Based Dietary Intervention Improves Beta-Cell Function and Insulin Resistance in Overweight Adults: A 16-Week Randomized Clinical Trial. Nutrients. 2018 Feb 9;10(2):189. doi: 10.3390/nu10020189. PMID: 29425120; PMCID: PMC5852765.

5. Kahleova H, McCann J, Alwarith J, Rembert E, Tura A, Holubkov R, Barnard ND. A plant-based diet in overweight adults in a 16-week randomized clinical trial: The role of dietary acid load. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2021 Aug;44:150-158. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2021.05.015. Epub 2021 May 29. PMID: 34330460.

6. Barnard ND, Alwarith J, Rembert E, Brandon L, Nguyen M, Goergen A, Horne T, do Nascimento GF, Lakkadi K, Tura A, Holubkov R, Kahleova H. A Mediterranean Diet and Low-Fat Vegan Diet to Improve Body Weight and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Randomized, Cross-over Trial. J Am Nutr Assoc. 2022 Feb;41(2):127-139. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2020.1869625. Epub 2021 Feb 5. PMID: 33544066.

7. Selinger E, Neuenschwander M, Koller A, Gojda J, Kühn T, Schwingshackl L, Barbaresko J, Schlesinger SEvidence of a vegan diet for health benefits and risks - an umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational and clinical studies.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr.(2023)

8. Arayici ME, Mert-Ozupek N, Yalcin F, Basbinar Y, Ellidokuz H. Soluble and Insoluble Dietary Fiber Consumption and Colorectal Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutr Cancer. 2022;74(7):2412-2425. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2021.2008990. Epub 2021 Dec 2. PMID: 34854791.

9. Wang H, Shi F, Zheng L, Zhou W, Mi B, Wu S, Feng X. Gut microbiota has the potential to improve health of menopausal women by regulating estrogen. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2025 Jun 9;16:1562332. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1562332. PMID: 40551890; PMCID: PMC12183514.

10. Safaeiyan A, Pourghassem-Gargari B, Zarrin R, Fereidooni J, Alizadeh M. Randomized controlled trial on the effects of legumes on cardiovascular risk factors in women with abdominal obesity. ARYA Atheroscler. 2015 Mar;11(2):117-25. PMID: 26405440; PMCID: PMC4568196.

11. Oh MR, Park JH, Park SK, Park SH,Efficacy of plant-derived dietary supplements in improving overall menopausal symptoms in women: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.Phytother Res.(2024 Mar)

12. Boutas I, Kontogeorgi A, Dimitrakakis C, Kalantaridou SN. Soy Isoflavones and Breast Cancer Risk: A Meta-analysis. In Vivo. 2022 Mar-Apr;36(2):556-562. doi: 10.21873/invivo.12737. PMID: 35241506; PMCID: PMC8931889.

13. Segovia-Siapco G, Sabaté J. Health and sustainability outcomes of vegetarian dietary patterns: a revisit of the EPIC-Oxford and the Adventist Health Study-2 cohorts. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2019 Jul;72(Suppl 1):60-70. doi: 10.1038/s41430-018-0310-z. Erratum in: Eur J Clin Nutr. 2019 Jun;73(6):968. doi: 10.1038/s41430-019-0427-8. PMID: 30487555.