Department of Nutritional Science and Food Management, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea.
Graduate Program in System Health Science and Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea.
Nutrients. 2023 Apr 27;15(9):2108. doi: 10.3390/nu15092108.
Middle-aged women belong to a risk group for metabolic dysregulation and menopausal symptoms, mainly due to a dramatic hormonal shift. Supplementation with functional compounds or a single nutrient has been dominantly explored as a nutritional approach for improving aging-related health parameters. However, a meal-based approach might be another strategy for promoting the overall health of the target population. This pilot study aimed to develop a meal-based intervention for middle-aged women and to evaluate its potential health benefits. Considering the nutrient intake status of Korean middle-aged women, diets enriched with four major nutrients (isoflavone, omega-3, fiber, and calcium) were designed and provided to forty-nine women aged 50 to 65 with mild levels of menopausal symptoms for 8 weeks. In the post-intervention phase, they showed reduced body weight and body fat, and improved biochemical metabolic parameters with decreased levels of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, ApoB, and fasting insulin. Moreover, bone resorption markers and menopause symptoms were lower in the post-intervention phase. In conclusion, the meal-based intervention might be a prominent strategy for overall health promotion in relatively healthy middle-aged women and further investigation is needed to test its efficacy with a randomized controlled study.
中年女性属于代谢失调和更年期症状的高危人群，主要是由于激素水平的急剧变化。补充功能性化合物或单一营养素一直是作为改善与衰老相关的健康参数的营养方法的主要探索方向。然而，基于膳食的方法可能是促进目标人群整体健康的另一种策略。本初步研究旨在为中年女性开发一种基于膳食的干预措施，并评估其潜在的健康益处。考虑到韩国中年女性的营养素摄入状况，设计并提供了富含四种主要营养素（异黄酮、欧米伽 3、纤维和钙）的饮食，供 49 名 50 至 65 岁有轻度更年期症状的女性食用 8 周。在干预后阶段，她们的体重和体脂肪减少，胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、ApoB 和空腹胰岛素等生化代谢参数得到改善。此外，在干预后阶段，骨吸收标志物和更年期症状也有所降低。总之，基于膳食的干预措施可能是促进相对健康的中年女性整体健康的突出策略，需要进一步进行随机对照研究来测试其疗效。
