Healthy aging in midlife and menopausal transition in Asia: nutrient synergy with dietary supplements

Journal

Climacteric

Year

2025

Materials & Methods

This article is based on a narrative review of existing literature, complemented by expert consensus. In April 2024, a panel from eight countries/regions in the Asia-Pacific – representing endocrinology, gynecology, nutrition, psychiatry, orthopedics, lifestyle medicine and primary care – convened to deliberate key health issues affecting women in early midlife and during the menopausal transition. The panel was deliberately composed to include a broad range of clinical specialties and geographic representation across Asia, ensuring a comprehensive discussion that reflected the region’s cultural and healthcare diversity. The expert panel discussions were informed by a non-systematic review of literatures, including randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRMAs), observational studies and relevant public health reports published over the past two decades. Literature was identified through targeted searches of PubMed and Google Scholar using relevant keywords (e.g. ‘menopause’, ‘midlife women’, ‘micronutrient deficiencies’, ‘dietary supplements’, ‘Asia’ and ‘complementary medicine’). The panel also reviewed representative studies of multi-nutrient dietary supplementation combinations that met basic criteria: evaluated combinations of two or more vitamins/minerals, nutrient components or phytonutrients; included ≥30 participants; minimum study duration of 1 month; focused on women in perimenopause as the primary or key cohort; and outcomes relevant to menopausal symptoms, inflammation, mobility, metabolic health or cognition. The search and selection process was not systematic, as the aim was to reflect the breadth of current knowledge and to identify practical implications for health promotion, public health policy and future research priorities. It is hoped that the findings will provide a basis for identifying key topics, such as specific health domains or supplement combinations, that may form the foundation for more focused and methodologically rigorous systematic reviews in the future.

Conclusion

The menopausal transition is a crucial phase in women’s health that necessitates a holistic and integrated approach to addressing the specific challenges associated with hormonal fluctuations, SCI, mobility issues, mental health, MetS and micronutrient deficiencies. In Asia, cultural practices, dietary habits and access to healthcare vary widely across the region and can significantly influence health outcomes. Evidence-based multi-nutrient dietary supplementation approaches with suitable combinations that harness nutrient synergy may serve as a practical strategy for optimizing health during this period. Further research is required to assess the efficacy of multi-nutrient dietary supplementation combinations for preventive health and to ascertain the overall advantage of such interventions across diverse populations. By advancing research in these areas, we can better support women in navigating this transformative stage and empower them to embrace healthy aging with vitality and resilience.

Resources and Links

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https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13697137.2025.2567689#d1e1978

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