Nutritional Intake and Anthropometric Changes during the Menstrual Cycle in Women of Childbearing Age

INTRODUCTION: The impact of the menstrual cycle on mood, appetite, dietary intake, and body composition remains a topic of debate in scientific literature. This study aims to evaluate nutritional behavior and body changes across the menstrual cycle by comparing dietary records and anthropometric measurements during the three distinct phases: the secretory phase, menstruation, and the proliferative phase.
METHODS: This prospective study involved 34 healthy, regularly menstruating women aged 20–39 years. The phases of the menstrual cycle – secretory, menstruation, and proliferative – were determined by an obstetrician. The data collection form included sociodemographic questions (age, marital status, income, and education level) and a section on nutritional behaviors across the three menstrual cycle phases. Anthropometric measurements were obtained using bioelectrical impedance analysis during each phase of the menstrual cycle. In addition, 3-day food records were collected for each phase to assess dietary intake.
RESULTS: Women experienced significant changes in anxiety, tiredness, irritability, depressive thinking, pain, swelling, edema, sweet cravings, and appetite across menstrual cycle phases (p<0.05). The body water and weight were highest during the secretory phase, while body fat percentage peaked during menstruation, and body muscle percentage was greatest in the proliferative phase. However, these differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). During the menstruation phase, there was a notable increase in the intake of fiber, vitamin B1, vitamin B9, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc compared to the secretory phase. While energy, carbohydrate, and protein intakes increased during menstruation and fat intake was higher in the proliferative phase, these differences were not statistically significant.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Women experienced changes in mood and appetite throughout the menstrual cycle, but no significant alterations were observed in anthropometric measurements. Understanding these variations is crucial for addressing women’s health and menstrual well-being.