AESAN reviews menopause nutrition report over use of male-only data

The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) has requested its scientific committee to review a report regarding nutritional risks for women during menopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause. The review follows complaints from the Spanish Association of Women Researchers and Technologists (AMIT) regarding the scientific rigor of the document.

Critics, including researchers from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), pointed out that recommendations for iron and vitamin C intake were based on studies conducted exclusively on men. While the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) explicitly warns that it extrapolates data from male studies due to a lack of female-specific research, the AESAN report failed to include this crucial disclaimer.

AESAN sources acknowledged the omission of the warning regarding the EFSA data and emphasized the ongoing need for additional research to establish specific recommendations for women in menopausal transitions.