Harvard/JAMA Network Open: Best Diets Around Menopause (Aug 2026)

Tier 1: Established: peer-reviewed research or government health authority
Publisher: JAMA Network Open / Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health · Published: August 13, 2026 · Accessed: August 23, 2026

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Claims this source supports

• The study, led by Tong Xia (postdoctoral fellow, epidemiology and nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health), analyzed the diets of 38,283 women from the Nurses' Health Study II (nurses aged 25-42 at enrollment in 1989), using dietary questionnaires collected every four years, with dietary and weight records examined across the six years before and after menopause.
• It is the first study to directly compare 11 major dietary patterns, plus ultra-processed food intake, in the same group of women around menopause.
• The Planetary Health Diet and a low-insulinemic diet were associated with the lowest weight gain and the lowest risk of obesity during the menopause transition.
• Both winning patterns are low in red and processed meats, potatoes, french fries, and sodium, and high in nuts, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• The Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet were included and are distinct patterns, but they were not the top performers for weight management in this cohort.
• The Planetary Health Diet was developed by the EAT-Lancet Commission and has been shown to be both healthy and lower in environmental impact than other diets.
• A surprise finding: one unhealthy pattern (an 'unhealthy plant diet' emphasizing less-healthy plant foods such as french fries) showed a slight association with weight loss; the authors interpret this cautiously, likely because it is low in protein at a life stage (menopause) already associated with muscle loss. Quote from Xia: 'Women already lose more muscle, and the low protein intake may make this process quicker.'
• Lead researcher direct quote: 'not all healthy diets are equal - a low-insulinemic diet and the Planetary Health Diet stood out as most effective for managing weight during this transition.'
• The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Julie Wilcox Women's Health and Nutrition Novel Research Fund.