Nutritional medicine plays a vital role in maintaining female reproductive health and women’s well-being. Research in this important area is continuously evolving. Here are a few of the research highlights from the previous 12 months in the realm of women’s health and nutrition.

The effect of zinc supplementation on the improvement of premenstrual symptoms in female university students: a randomized clinical trial study

A triple-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 69 female students (mean age 24 years) with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). One of the two groups received 220 mg of zinc (n=33) and the other group received placebo (n=36) daily for 24 weeks. Physical and psychological PMS symptoms such as anger, anxiety, depressed mood, overeating, breast tenderness, headaches, muscle pain, bloating, and weight gain significantly improved in the zinc group compared to the placebo group (p<0.001).¹

The effects of N-acetylcysteine on ovulation and sex hormones profile in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

A meta-analysis evaluated the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementation on ovulation and sex hormone profiles in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Eighteen studies were included (n=2185). NAC significantly reduced total testosterone levels (standardised mean difference [SMD] -0.25 ng/mL; p<0.001) and increased follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels (SMD 0.39 mg/mL; p=0.01). Oestrogen levels also increased (after correcting for publication bias).²

Efficacy of resveratrol in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

The efficacy of resveratrol in treating women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) was assessed in a meta-analysis. Four trials with 218 women were included. Resveratrol (800 to 1500 mg/day taken for 40 or 90 days) significantly reduced testosterone (SMD -0.40; p=0.009), Luteinizing hormone (LH) (SMD -0.32 mIU/mL; p=0.04) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) (mean difference [MD] -0.85; p<0.0001) compared to placebo.³

Vitamin D and calcium supplement use and high-risk breast cancer: a case-control study among BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers

The association between vitamin D and/or calcium supplement use and breast cancer among women with a pathogenic variant in BRCA1 or BRCA2 was studied. Cases included women with a diagnosis of invasive breast cancer (n=134) while controls had no history of breast cancer (n=276). Women who used vitamin D-containing supplements had 46% lower odds of having breast cancer compared to those who never used supplements (odds ratio [OR] 0.54; p=0.02). Increasing vitamin D and calcium supplement intake was also inversely associated with the odds of having breast cancer (p-trend=0.04). Findings appeared stronger among BRCA1 mutation carriers, however, the number of women in the BRCA2 subgroup was few.⁴

The efficacy of magnesium supplementation for gestational diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Five studies (n=266) were included in a meta-analysis examining the efficacy of magnesium supplementation (250 mg/day for six weeks) in gestation diabetes. Overall, compared with the control intervention, magnesium supplementation was able to significantly decrease fasting plasma glucose (MD -7.33 mg/dL [-0.41 mmol/L]; p<0.00001) and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) [MD -0.99; p=0.01). A trend towards lower serum insulin levels was also reported (MD -4.17 μIU/mL [-28.96 pmol/L]; p=0.06).⁵

Early and late preterm birth rates in participants adherent to randomly assigned high dose docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation in pregnancy

A study examined the association between preterm birth in participants who adhered to high-dose DHA (1000 mg/day), compared to participants who took low-dose DHA (200 mg/day). A total of 1100 women with a singleton pregnancy were enrolled before 20-weeks’ gestation and randomly assigned to either group. Adherence to high-dose DHA reduced early preterm birth (<34 weeks gestation) and preterm birth (<37 weeks gestation) compared to low-dose DHA. The largest effect on reducing early preterm birth was observed in women with low baseline DHA status.⁶

References

1. Ahmadi M, Khansary S, Parsapour H, Alizamir A, Pirdehghan A. The effect of zinc supplementation on the improvement of premenstrual symptoms in female university students: a randomized clinical trial study. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2023 Feb;201(2):559-566. DOI: 10.1007/s12011-022-03175-w

2. Shahveghar Asl Z, Parastouei K, Eskandari E. The effects of N-acetylcysteine on ovulation and sex hormones profile in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Nutr. 2023 Jul;130(2):202-210. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114522003270

3. Ali Fadlalmola H, Elhusein AM, Al-Sayaghi KM, Albadrani MS, Swamy DV, Mamanao DM, et al. Efficacy of resveratrol in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Pan Afr Med J. 2023;44:134. DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2023.44.134.32404

4. Guyonnet E, Kim SJ, Pullella K, Zhang CXW, McCuaig JM, Armel S, et al. Vitamin D and calcium supplement use and high-risk breast cancer: a case-control study among BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. Cancers (Basel). 2023 May;15(10):2790. DOI: 10.3390/cancers15102790

5. Luo L, Zhang Y, Wang HM, Chen D, Li L. The efficacy of magnesium supplementation for gestational diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2024 Feb;293:84-90. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2023.12.014

6. Carlson SE, Gajewski BJ, Valentine CJ, Sands SA, Brown AR, Kerling EH, et al. Early and late preterm birth rates in participants adherent to randomly assigned high dose docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation in pregnancy. Clin Nutr. 2023 Feb;42(2):235-243. DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2023.01.009