Is Intermittent Fasting Healthy For Women Over 50? Your Research-Backed Answer

Women over 50 often experience unwanted changes in blood sugar, body fat, and blood lipid levels that intermittent fasting (IF) might be able to help with. However, some women may be hesitant to try intermittent fasting and wonder if it's safe and appropriate for their age group.

Menopause is a term used to describe the time in a woman's life when her menstrual periods stop permanently1.

After you go through menopause, your ovaries produce very little of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. The natural decline in hormone production that occurs during this time can cause a range of unpleasant symptoms including hot flashes, weight gain, high blood lipid levels, mood swings, vaginal dryness, sleep problems, and irritability. 

Perimenopause, or the time leading up to menopause, generally begins in a woman's late 40s. Most women experience menopause around the age of 511. 

Certain lifestyle and dietary changes, like intermittent fasting (IF) may be effective for women who are perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal. Unfortunately, although there's plenty of research on the potential benefits of IF for premenopausal women, research investigating its effects in older women is limited2. 

However, the little research we do have suggests that IF may have some health benefits for women over 50, like promoting weight loss3 and improving blood sugar regulation.

Overall, research findings4 suggest that IF affects older women in the same way it does younger women in terms of weight loss and metabolic benefits, but larger studies are needed to understand how IF impacts women during perimenopause and menopause, as well as postmenopause. 

Research on the effects of IF on women over 50 is currently limited. That said, there's plenty of evidence that IF is effective for reducing blood pressure levels5, markers of inflammation6, and levels of visceral fat7 in general. Hopefully, future research will reveal more information so we can better understand how IF affects women over 50, specifically. 

Menopause increases the risk8 for Type 2 diabetes due to its effects on estrogen levels, body fat, and insulin resistance.

Because IF may help reduce body fat and improve insulin levels9, it could help reduce the risk of diabetes development in older women.

As women age, blood lipids tend to increase, which can increase heart disease risk. "If you're struggling with your lipids and particularly your triglyceride levels, then fasting may be the tool that can assist you in reducing that number into optimal ranges," board-certified OB/GYN and functional medicine specialist Kyrin Dunston, M.D., FACOG, tells mindbodygreen.

IF has been shown to promote weight loss in many populations, including older women.

A 2020 study12 published in the International Journal of Environmental and Public Health that included 45 women over the age of 60 found that the women randomized to six weeks of 16:8 IF lost 4.5 more pounds than a control group.

A 2021 study4 published in Experimental Gerontology that included 13 premenopausal and 19 postmenopausal women found that eight weeks of IF that involved an 18- to 20-hour fasting window led to a similar weight loss of 7.27 pounds in both groups.

During menopause, shifts in body fat and hormonal changes contribute to the development of insulin resistance, a condition where cells don't respond well to insulin, a hormone that helps shuttle blood sugar into cells.

"IF improves insulin sensitivity, which can be helpful for women around menopause as insulin resistance is common and can interfere with healthy energy management in the body," Dunston says. In the 2021 study4 mentioned above, the researchers found that the eight-week IF program led to similar reductions in insulin levels and insulin resistance in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Another way IF may benefit older women is by naturally boosting something called human growth hormone (HGH), a hormone that plays important roles in metabolism, body composition, and insulin regulation.

"Human growth hormone is important because it's a key hormone in promoting youth and longevity and may help improve insulin sensitivity13," Dunston says. As we age, levels of HGH decline.

There are many different types of intermittent fasting that range from fasting for 12 hours to multiple days at a time.

"The nice thing about intermittent fasting is that it's flexible," board-certified physician Taz Bhatia, M.D., previously told mindbodygreen. "Many people start with shorter fasts and gradually increase their fast length."

The studies that have investigated the effects of IF in older adults, including women over 50, have found that short-term fasts seem to be safe and effective and aren't associated with as many adverse side effects as longer fasts like 24-hour fasts. 

Most of the studies mentioned above used IF programs that involved fasting windows of 16 to 20 hours and eating windows of four to eight hours.  

Even though the IF methods listed above may be effective for women over 50, it's important to have a conversation with a trusted health care provider before trying out IF.

Fasting or not, it's important for women over 50 to focus on the overall quality of their diet. Dunston notes that fasting is most beneficial when paired with a diet rich in lean proteins, vegetables, legumes, and fruits, and low in ultra-processed foods

It's also important to note that older women are more likely to be low or deficient in several nutrients17, including magnesium, vitamin D, B12, and B6, so it's important to fuel your body with nutritious foods and take dietary supplements if necessary. 

Intermittent fasting has been linked to downsides that may compromise the health of some older women.

First, fasting has been shown to affect women's hormone levels, sometimes in a negative way. The 2022 study published in Obesity found that postmenopausal women who followed eight weeks of an IF program that included a four- to six-hour fasting window experienced significant drops in the steroid hormone DHEA of around 14%.

DHEA is the primary precursor of estrogen in postmenopausal women, so the researchers were concerned that a decrease in DHEA may lead to side effects like sexual dysfunction, skin issues, and vaginal dryness. Even though the DHEA values remained within the normal range during the study and weren't associated with negative side effects, the researchers called for more research in this area in order to understand how IF affects hormone levels in postmenopausal women. 

Another downside of IF for women over 50 is that it may worsen hot flashes. Older research suggests that hot flash symptoms worsen when blood sugar is low18. A 2009 study19 published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing also found that menopausal women experienced more hot flashes as the time between their meals increased.

Another 2021 study20 published in the British Journal of Nutrition that included 3,273 men and women aged 64 years or older found that prolonged nightly fasting of 12 or more hours seemed to worsen balance and lower extremity function and made it more difficult for participants to get up from a chair. This association was strongest in older adults with low levels of physical activity.

As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass. If you're undereating and underexercising, it can speed up your rate of muscle loss, causing a loss of strength. If IF is used inappropriately or if you're not giving your body enough calories and protein, it could lead to increased muscle loss. Following a low-protein, insufficient-calorie diet could also harm bone health by decreasing bone density21. 

In order to avoid muscle loss and keep their bones healthy, women over 50 should follow a higher-protein diet and incorporate resistance training into their routines. Experts suggest22 that older adults should consume between 0.54 and 0.68 gram of protein per pound per day, which is much higher than the current recommended dietary allowance (RDA)23.