A new study published in the Food and Function Journal has found that strawberries could increase insulin-growth factor-1 (a hormone involved in bone formation) as well as boost osteocalcin (a marker of bone health). Both insulin-growth factor-1 and osteocalcin are important during the perimenopause when bone loss can speed up due to declining oestrogen levels.
The finding adds to existing research, including a study by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition of 6040 menopausal women, which found the consumption of fruit, and strawberries in particular, significantly lessened vasomotor menopausal symptoms by reducing night sweats and hot flushes.