Date of Graduation

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Biology

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Biological Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Baum, Jamie

Committee Member

Poe, Amy

Second Committee Member

Zhuang, Xuan

Third Committee Member

Dowdle, Andrew

Abstract

Postmenopausal women commonly experience declines in sleep quality, mood, and overall wellbeing, with limited non-pharmacological options available to address these concerns. This randomized controlled trial investigated whether daily beef consumption as part of a higher-protein diet could improve sleep, mood, and quality of life over four weeks. Participants were randomized to either a standard protein intake control group or a treatment group consuming a high-protein diet with daily lean beef.

The treatment group showed modest improvements in subjective sleep quality and perceived health compared to controls, although these changes were not statistically significant. Fatigue, however, significantly decreased in the treatment group, suggesting a meaningful boost in daily energy levels. Objective sleep measurements via wrist actigraphy did not reveal significant changes, reflecting a known discrepancy between subjective perceptions and physiological data in postmenopausal women.

These early findings suggest that increasing high-quality dietary protein may have beneficial effects on fatigue and self-perceived wellbeing, even over a short timeframe. While larger, longer-term studies are needed, the results support the potential role of targeted nutrition strategies to improve quality of life in postmenopausal women.

Keywords

postmenopause; dietary protein; sleep quality; mood disturbance; beef supplementation; quality of life

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