Why Whey May Not Be the Answer for Women in Menopause

Lauren Dyer
Jul 15
2 min read

Whey protein is often seen as a go-to option for building or maintaining muscle. It’s used in fitness, clinical nutrition, and wellness routines alike. But for women navigating perimenopause and menopause, it may not always be the best fit.

Midlife comes with real biological changes. As oestrogen declines, so does insulin sensitivity. Blood sugar control becomes more fragile, cortisol patterns shift, and fat starts to redistribute around the middle. Many women also experience reactive hypoglycaemia or feel wiped out after eating something that didn’t bother them years ago.

While whey is known for its high leucine content and muscle-supporting benefits, it also causes a strong insulin response. That might not be helpful for someone already struggling with blood sugar swings or stubborn metabolic symptoms. For some women, it can even make things worse.

Another issue is histamine. Whey can act as a histamine liberator, which can aggravate symptoms like bloating, headaches, fatigue, or skin issues - especially in women with underlying gut or immune issues. If someone is dealing with mast cell activation or histamine intolerance (which can become more pronounced during hormone shifts), whey may be part of the problem if it’s being regularly consumed.

There’s also the immune side. I see women with autoimmunity or gut permeability react to whey even when it’s marketed as clean or high quality. Add in the fact that non-organic whey may contain hormone residues or IGF-1, and you have a potentially unhelpful product for someone already in a hormonally vulnerable state.

That doesn’t mean whey is bad across the board. Some women tolerate it well and benefit from it. But in clinical practice, I often find that symptoms improve when it’s swapped for something else like collagen, beef isolate, or another hypoallergenic protein source.

Context is everything. What works at 30 may not work at 40 or 50 as a woman moves through perimenopause. The right protein should support energy - not leave her more inflamed or fatigued.

I work one-to-one with women to assess metabolic health, hormone balance, and immune function in a way that reflects what’s actually going on in the body.

Lauren Dyer

References:

– Nilsson et al., AJCN, 2004: Whey triggers a stronger insulin response than other proteins

– Carr, JCEM, 2003: Menopause linked to reduced insulin sensitivity

– Maintz & Novak, AJCN, 2007: Oestrogen can amplify histamine reactivity

– Fasano, Clin Rev Allergy Immunol, 2012: Leaky gut increases immune responses to food proteins

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