Abstract:

Postmenopausal women face a significant increase in health risks such as cardiovascular diseases,osteoporotic fractures, and obesity due to decline in estrogen level. As a healthy dietary pattern, the Mediterranean diet can improve these adverse outcomes through multiple mechanisms. The polyphenols and monounsaturated fatty acids rich in it can improve lipid metabolism, reduce oxidative stress and chronic inflammation to protect the cardiovascular system. The high dietary fiber and specific bioactive components help enhance satiety, promote fat metabolism, and improve insulin sensitivity for weight management. It can also protect bone health by regulating the "gut-bone axis", providing sufficient calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, and through the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of polyphenols. However, the promotion of this dietary pattern in non-Mediterranean regions faces challenges in cultural adaptation, mainly due to the differences in the usage habits of extra virgin olive oil. It is necessary to explore local alternative solutions based on local oils with similar nutritional characteristics and develop individualized strategies combined with behavioral interventions to provide effective and feasible nutritional intervention approaches for the health management of postmenopausal women in China.

Key words: Diet, mediterranean, Postmenopause, Cardiovascular diseases, Obesity, Fractures, bone, Osteoporosis