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Nutrients
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Nutritional Effects on Women’s Reproductive Health and Disease
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Nutritional Effects on Women’s Reproductive Health and Disease

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition in Women".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 3316

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Fabio Parazzini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Clinical Science and Community Medicine, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
Interests: reproduction; gynecological disease; diet; epidemiology; risk factors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giovanna Esposito

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Clinical Science and Community Medicine, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
Interests: reproduction; pregnancy outcomes; perinatal care; epidemiology; risk factors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Balanced nutrition is paramount for a number of health conditions affecting women throughout life, from puberty to menopause, and which can also be related to their reproductive well-being. For example, in polycystic ovary syndrome, reducing refined sugar intake with a low-carbohydrate diet can help improve insulin sensitivity and regulate the menstrual cycle. Similarly, in endometriosis, an anti-inflammatory diet rich in fruit, vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce chronic inflammation and relieve symptoms.

Interest in the relationship between diet and fertility has also increased greatly over the past decade, but a full understanding of the role of diet on fertility and pregnancy outcomes is far from complete. Further, dietary factors have been also associated with the outcome of assisted reproductive technologies.

This Special Issue aims to delve deeper into the aspects that link diet with fertility and human reproduction from epidemiological, biological and clinical points of view. Both original data and specific meta-analyses or systematic reviews that may offer new insights into the study of this relationship will be considered.

Prof. Dr. Fabio Parazzini
Dr. Giovanna Esposito
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • diet
  • dietary supplements
  • dietary patterns
  • macronutrients
  • micronutrients
  • infertility
  • pregnancy outcomes
  • endometriosis
  • polycystic ovary syndrome
  • reproductive health
  • assisted reproductive technology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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15 pages, 321 KiB  
Communication
The Camden Study—A Pregnancy Cohort Study of Pregnancy Complications and Birth Outcomes in Camden, New Jersey, USA
by Stephanie Shiau, Xinhua Chen, Ayana April-Sanders, Ellen C. Francis, Shristi Rawal, Megan Hansel, Kehinde Adeyemi, Zorimar Rivera-Núñez and Emily S. Barrett
Nutrients 2024, 16(24), 4372; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16244372 - 19 Dec 2024
Viewed by 767
Abstract
Background: Pregnancy is a unique stage of the life course characterized by trade-offs between the nutritional, immune, and metabolic needs of the mother and fetus. The Camden Study was originally initiated to examine nutritional status, growth, and birth outcomes in adolescent pregnancies and [...] Read more.
Background: Pregnancy is a unique stage of the life course characterized by trade-offs between the nutritional, immune, and metabolic needs of the mother and fetus. The Camden Study was originally initiated to examine nutritional status, growth, and birth outcomes in adolescent pregnancies and expanded to study dietary and molecular predictors of pregnancy complications and birth outcomes in young women. Methods: From 1985–2006, 4765 pregnant participants aged 12 years and older were recruited from Camden, NJ, one of the poorest cities in the US. The cohort reflects a population under-represented in perinatal cohort studies (45% Hispanic, 38% non-Hispanic Black, 17% White participants; 98% using Medicaid in pregnancy). Study visits, including questionnaires, dietary assessments, and biospecimen collection, occurred in early and late pregnancy as well as at delivery. Medical records were abstracted, and a subset of mothers and infants participated in a six-week postpartum visit. Results: Findings from the Camden Study have added to the understanding of adolescent and young adult maternal health and perinatal outcomes. These include associations of adolescent linear growth while pregnant with smaller neonatal birth size, low dietary zinc intake in early pregnancy with increased risk of delivery <33 gestational weeks, and higher circulating fatty acid levels with greater insulin resistance. More recent analyses have begun to unpack the biochemical pathways in pregnancy that may be shaped by race as an indicator of systemic racism. Conclusions: The Camden Study data and biorepositories are well-positioned to support future research aimed at better understanding perinatal health in under-represented women and infants. Linkages to subsequent health and administrative records and the potential for recontacting participants over 18–39 years after initial participation may provide key insights into the trajectories of maternal and child health across the life course. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Effects on Women’s Reproductive Health and Disease)

Other

Jump to: Research

16 pages, 2884 KiB  
Systematic Review
Efficacy of Zinc Supplementation in the Management of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Ting-Jui Hsu, Rong-Hong Hsieh, Chin-Huan Huang, Chih-Shou Chen, Wei-Yu Lin, Yun-Ching Huang, Jian-Hui Lin, Kuo-Tsai Huang, Yu-Liang Liu, Hui-Ming Tsai and Dong-Ru Ho
Nutrients 2024, 16(23), 4116; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16234116 - 28 Nov 2024
Viewed by 2242
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is a common condition affecting up to 90% of menstruating women, which often results in significant pain without an underlying pathology. Zinc, recognized for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects through inhibiting prostaglandin production and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) upregulation, [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is a common condition affecting up to 90% of menstruating women, which often results in significant pain without an underlying pathology. Zinc, recognized for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects through inhibiting prostaglandin production and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) upregulation, alleviates menstrual pain by preventing uterine spasms and enhancing microcirculation in the endometrium, suggesting its potential as an alternative treatment for primary dysmenorrhea. The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy and safety of zinc supplementation in reducing pain severity among women with PD and to explore the influence of dosage and treatment duration. Methods: Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we conducted an extensive search across databases such as PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, up to May 2024. Randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of zinc supplementation on pain severity in women with PD were included. Pain severity was evaluated with established tools, such as the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB2) tool. Two reviewers independently performed the data extraction, and a random-effects model was used for meta-analysis. Meta-regressions were conducted to examine the influence of zinc dosage and treatment duration on pain reduction. Adverse events were also analyzed. Results: Six RCTs involving 739 participants met the inclusion criteria. Zinc supplementation significantly reduced pain severity compared to placebo (Hedges’s g = −1.541; 95% CI: −2.268 to −0.814; p < 0.001), representing a clinically meaningful reduction in pain. Meta-regression indicated that longer treatment durations (≥8 weeks) were associated with greater pain reduction (p = 0.003). While higher zinc doses provided additional pain relief, the incremental benefit per additional milligram was modest (regression coefficient = −0.02 per mg; p = 0.005). Adverse event rates did not differ significantly between the zinc and placebo groups (odds ratio = 2.54; 95% CI: 0.78 to 8.26; p = 0.122), suggesting good tolerability. Conclusions: Zinc supplementation is an effective and well-tolerated option for reducing pain severity in women with primary dysmenorrhea. Doses as low as 7 mg/day of elemental zinc are sufficient to achieve significant pain relief, with longer durations (≥8 weeks) enhancing efficacy. The favorable safety profile and ease of use support the consideration of zinc supplementation as a practical approach to managing primary dysmenorrhea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Effects on Women’s Reproductive Health and Disease)
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