BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Clinical Nutrition
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1645102
Synergistic Effects of Mediterranean Diet Combined with Phytosterol-Based Supplements and Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Lipid Profiles: a pilot study in Menopausal Women
Provisionally accepted
Fabiana Cannella1
Elisa Assunta Algaria1Kashi Brunetti1,2Simona Del Quondam1Diego Bottan2
Davide Cervia1
Elisabetta Catalani1*- 1University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
- 2Aziende Socio Sanitarie Territoriale Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Milan, Italy
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Objectives: Menopause marks the cessation of ovarian function, preceded by perimenopause, a transitional phase characterized by hormonal fluctuations and metabolic changes, including dyslipidemia. Therefore, a targeted nutritional approach is essential. In this retrospective, observational, pilot study, we evaluated the impact of a Mediterranean-based dietary regimen supplemented with specific natural compounds on lipid profiles and body composition in perimenopausal and menopausal women with hypercholesterolemia. Methods: An individual dietary plan based on the Mediterranean diet, supplemented with a phytosterol-based formula containing bergamot, prickly pear extract, and vitamin B1, was recommended for each study participant. Additionally, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation was recommended due to its well-documented benefits in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors, including elevated lipid levels. Lipid profile, body composition, and anthropometric values were recorded and carefully analyzed. Results: Our findings indicated that this combined dietary approach significantly improved lipid profiles, as evidenced by reductions in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides and by an increment in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol values. Furthermore, the dietary plan positively impacted overall body composition and morphometric parameters. Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest that a personalized, nutritionally targeted approach may be an effective non-pharmacological strategy for managing cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors during the menopausal transition and postmenopausal period. Further large-scale, controlled studies are warranted to confirm these results and explore long-term outcomes.
Keywords: Menopause, Dyslipidemia, Cholesterol, mediterranean diet, Supplement
Received: 11 Jun 2025; Accepted: 01 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Cannella, Algaria, Brunetti, Del Quondam, Bottan, Cervia and Catalani. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Elisabetta Catalani, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
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