EFFECTIVENESS OF MIXED SEEDS IN ALLEVIATING MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2025v18i8.55964Keywords:
Menopausal symptoms, Mixed seeds, Flaxseed, Pumpkin seed, Sesame, Sunflower seedAbstract
Objectives: Menopausal symptoms significantly impact the quality of life in middle-aged women, including those in peri- and post-menopausal stages. Natural interventions such as dietary supplements have gained attention due to their safety profile. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of daily mixed raw seed supplementation comprising flax, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds in alleviating menopausal symptoms.
Methods: A true experimental study was conducted over 12 months from November 2021 to October 2022 at the Department of Gynecology, Mamata Academy of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Hyderabad. A total of 220 middle-aged women, including peri- and post-menopausal participants, were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=100), receiving daily supplementation with mixed raw seeds, composed of 5 g each of flaxseed, pumpkin seed, sesame seed, and sunflower seedor the control group (n=100), which did not receive any placebo or dietary intervention. The primary outcome was the change in Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) scores across vasomotor, psychological, and somatic symptom domains. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests with significance set at p<0.05.
Results: The intervention group showed significant improvement in all symptom domains compared to the control group. The mean reduction in vasomotor, psychological, and somatic symptoms in the mixed seed group was 3.2±1.1, 2.8±1.0, and 3.5±1.3, respectively, versus 1.1±0.9, 1.2±0.8, and 1.5±1.1 in the control group (p<0.001). A total of 85% of participants in the intervention group experienced more than 30% improvement in symptoms. No serious adverse events were reported.
Conclusion: Daily supplementation with mixed raw seeds significantly alleviated menopausal symptoms in middle-aged women and was well tolerated. It may serve as an effective, natural, and safe alternative for symptom management during the menopausal transition.
Downloads
References
1. Wu WH, Kang YP, Wang NH, Jou HJ, Wang TA. Sesame ingestion affects sex hormones, antioxidant status, and blood lipids in postmenopausal women. J Nutr. 2006 May;136(5):1270-5. doi: 10.1093/jn/136.5.1270, PMID 16614415
2. Jafari A, Parsi Nezhad B, Rasaei N, Aleebrahim-Dehkordi E, Rajabi A, Alaghi A. Clinical evidence of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) products and its bioactive compounds on anthropometric measures, blood pressure, glycemic control, inflammatory biomarkers, lipid profile, and oxidative stress parameters in humans: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2025;22(1):22. doi: 10.1186/s12986-025-00910-7, PMID 40069782
3. Agarwal D, Chaudhary P. Effect of turmeric-Boswellia-sesame formulation in menstrual cramp pain associated with primary dysmenorrhea-a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. J Clin Med. 2023;12(12):3968. doi: 10.3390/jcm12123968, PMID 37373663
4. Rasheed N, Ahmed A, Nosheen F, Imran A, Islam F, Noreen R, etal. Effectiveness of combined seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flaxseed): As adjacent therapy to treat polycystic ovary syndrome in females. Food Sci Nutr. 2023 Mar 25;11(6):3385-93. doi: 10.1002/ fsn3.3328, PMID 37324929, PMCID PMC10261760
5. De Silva SF, Alcorn J. Flaxseed lignans as important dietary polyphenols for cancer prevention and treatment: Chemistry, pharmacokinetics, and molecular targets. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2019 May 5;12(2):68. doi: 10.3390/ph12020068, PMID 31060335, PMCID PMC6630319
6. Bairy L, Adiga S, Bhat P, Bhat R. Prevalence of menopausal symptoms and quality of life after menopause in women from South India. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2009 Feb;49(1):106-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1479- 828x.2009.00955.x, PMID 19281589
7. Sharma S, Tandon VR, Mahajan A. Menopausal symptoms in urban women. JK Sci. 2007;9(1):13-7.
8. Parkavy P, Sangeetha K. A study to assess the effectiveness of sesame seeds in improving symptoms of post-menopausal women. An overview of true experimental study. Int J Food Nutr Sci. 2024;13(1):234-44.
9. Hsu CC, Ko PY, Kwan TH, Liu MY, Jou IM, Lin CW, et al. Daily supplement of sesame oil prevents postmenopausal osteoporosis via maintaining serum estrogen and aromatase levels in rats. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):321. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-50453-1, PMID 38172141
10. Mostashari P, Mousavi Khaneghah A. Sesame seeds: A nutrient-rich superfood. Foods. 2024 Apr 10;13(8):1153. doi: 10.3390/ foods13081153, PMID 38672826, PMCID PMC11049391
11. Sravanthi D, Kayalvizhi E, Niren S, Arun Kumar M, Rahman NH. Hormonal and biochemical changes in peri- and post-menopausal women with dietary seeds supplementation. Rom J Med Pract. 2025;20(1):29-35. doi: 10.37897/rjmp.2025.1.4
12. Sravanthi D, Kayalvizhi E, Niren S, Arun Kumar M, Rahman NH. Hormonal changes and cancer risk in post-menopausal women: HRT vs. Seed supplementation. Rom Med J. 2025;72(2):170-6. doi: 10.37897/ rmj.2025.2.2
13. Fouad S, El Shebini SM, Ahmed NH, Hussein AM, Essa HA, Abdel- Moaty M, et al. The effects of life style modification versus food supplementation on menopausal symptoms. Bull Natl Res Cent. 2021;45(1):59. doi: 10.1186/s42269-021-00520-2
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2025 Sravanthi Desaboina
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The publication is licensed under CC By and is open access. Copyright is with author and allowed to retain publishing rights without restrictions.
