Madrid — Spain's food safety authority has agreed to revisit its official guidance on nutrition during the menopause after several researchers pointed out that some of the recommendations were drawn from studies that included only men. The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) said it has asked its scientific committee to conduct a full review of the document, which was published in March.
The controversy centres on the agency's use of reference values from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) without explicitly noting that the underlying studies were performed on male populations. In a statement, AESAN acknowledged an "omission of a warning" and stressed the need to expand research that focuses specifically on women going through the menopause.
Guidance aimed at reducing long-term risks
The guide offers advice intended to lower the risks associated with the menopausal transition, including loss of bone and muscle mass and a higher likelihood of cardiovascular problems. It recommends a diet rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, calcium, iron and vitamins, alongside regular physical activity, with particular emphasis on strength training.
Critics argue that while such general advice may be sound, the specific nutrient recommendations—especially for iron and vitamin C—should be based on evidence that reflects women's physiology. The reliance on male-only data, they say, undermines the credibility of the guidance and perpetuates a broader problem in medical research.
"It is about time women were present in health agendas and studies, and the male body stopped being the universal reference point for everything, even for issues related to the menopause."
Redondo made the remarks in a post on X, calling for the document to be reviewed and urging that such oversights "do not happen again." Her intervention highlights a growing political awareness of gender biases in healthcare.
A long-standing research gap
The episode underscores a well-documented imbalance in medical science: for decades, clinical trials and other studies have disproportionately enrolled men, while women have been excluded or underrepresented. This has shaped much of what we know about diseases, symptoms, treatments and dosages around a male norm, even though biological differences can influence how conditions develop and how patients respond to therapies.
The consequences can be significant—less accurate diagnosis, prevention and care for women. The menopause, a natural stage affecting half the population, has been particularly neglected, with many of its symptoms and treatments historically under-researched.
AESAN's decision to review its report is a step toward correcting that imbalance, but researchers say more systemic change is needed. They call for funding agencies, scientific journals and regulators to require sex-disaggregated data and to ensure that women are adequately represented in studies that inform public health guidance.
The Spanish agency's move also resonates beyond the Iberian Peninsula. Across Europe, health authorities are grappling with similar questions about how to make nutritional advice more inclusive. The European Food Safety Authority, which provided the reference values used by AESAN, has itself been urged to consider sex-specific differences in its assessments.
For now, Spanish women seeking guidance on managing the menopause will have to wait for the revised document. In the meantime, the controversy has reignited a necessary conversation about who gets to be the standard in medical research—and why that standard has so often been male.
