Volume 14, Issue 4 (Fall 2025)
aumj 2025, 14(4): 0-0 |
Back to browse issues page
Research code: 3383627
Ethics code: Abzums.Rec.1396.162
Clinical trials code: IRCT20170227032795N4
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Emaminia F, Mohammadbeigi M, Mohammadyari A, Qorbani M, Seiedabadi M, Badehnoosh B, et al . Concentration rate and serum levels of vitamin D in post-menopausal women consuming Elaeagnus angustifolia L.: a double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled study. aumj 2025; 14 (4) : 1
URL: http://aums.abzums.ac.ir/article-1-1921-en.html
URL: http://aums.abzums.ac.ir/article-1-1921-en.html
Farzaneh Emaminia1 
, Maryam Mohammadbeigi2 , Alireza Mohammadyari3 , Mostafa Qorbani4 , Mahdi Seiedabadi5 , Bita Badehnoosh6 , Mahnoush Jamshidi7 , Arezou Rezaei *8
, Maryam Mohammadbeigi2 , Alireza Mohammadyari3 , Mostafa Qorbani4 , Mahdi Seiedabadi5 , Bita Badehnoosh6 , Mahnoush Jamshidi7 , Arezou Rezaei *8
1- School of Biology, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran
2- Medical Microbiology Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
3- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Hamedan branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran
4- Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran & Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5- Kamkar Arabnia Educational and Medical Center, Qom University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Qom, Iran
6- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Dietary Supplements and Probiotic Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Science, Karaj, Iran
7- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
8- School of Biology, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran & Institute of Biological Sciences, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran ,arezaei@du.ac.ir
2- Medical Microbiology Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
3- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Hamedan branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran
4- Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran & Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5- Kamkar Arabnia Educational and Medical Center, Qom University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Qom, Iran
6- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Dietary Supplements and Probiotic Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Science, Karaj, Iran
7- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
8- School of Biology, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran & Institute of Biological Sciences, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran ,
Abstract: (53 Views)
Introduction: Menopause, characterized by reduced ovarian-derived hormones, is a natural part of aging. Sex hormones, particularly estradiol, influence brain function, and its decline is associated with depression and dementia. Vitamin D supports brain activity, and postmenopausal women are often advised to supplement it. Elaeagnus angustifolia L., rich in phytochemicals, is known for its medicinal properties.
Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on postmenopausal women to assess the effects of E. angustifolia (15 g) versus placebo (7.5 g cornstarch + 7.5 g isomalt) on vitamin D levels and cognitive function. Participants (n=60) were evaluated using MMSE and WAIS-R before and after 10 weeks of treatment. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Alborz University of Medical Sciences (IRCT20170227032795N4), and informed consent was obtained.
Results: No significant changes in vitamin D levels were observed in either group. However, the placebo group showed significant improvements in MMSE and WAIS-R scores, while the E. angustifolia did not.
Conclusion: The placebo group exhibited significant cognitive improvements, whereas the herbal group did not show statistically significant changes, suggesting that the observed effects may be due to placebo rather than the herbal intervention.
Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on postmenopausal women to assess the effects of E. angustifolia (15 g) versus placebo (7.5 g cornstarch + 7.5 g isomalt) on vitamin D levels and cognitive function. Participants (n=60) were evaluated using MMSE and WAIS-R before and after 10 weeks of treatment. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Alborz University of Medical Sciences (IRCT20170227032795N4), and informed consent was obtained.
Results: No significant changes in vitamin D levels were observed in either group. However, the placebo group showed significant improvements in MMSE and WAIS-R scores, while the E. angustifolia did not.
Conclusion: The placebo group exhibited significant cognitive improvements, whereas the herbal group did not show statistically significant changes, suggesting that the observed effects may be due to placebo rather than the herbal intervention.
Article number: 1
Type of Study: Original |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/05/30 | Accepted: 2025/09/10 | Published: 2025/10/27
Received: 2025/05/30 | Accepted: 2025/09/10 | Published: 2025/10/27
References
1. North American Menopause S. The North American Menopause Society Statement on Continuing Use of Systemic Hormone Therapy After Age 65. Menopause. 2015;22(7):693. [DOI:10.1097/GME.0000000000000492]
2. Koebele SV, Bimonte-Nelson HA. The endocrine-brain-aging triad where many paths meet: female reproductive hormone changes at midlife and their influence on circuits important for learning and memory. Exp Gerontol. 2017;94:14-23. [DOI:10.1016/j.exger.2016.12.011]
3. Prakapenka AV, Bimonte-Nelson HA. Memory and menopause: an unsolved puzzle. Aging (Albany NY). 2018;10(10):2541-3. [DOI:10.18632/aging.101596]
4. Schlinger BA, Remage-Healey L, Rensel M. Establishing regional specificity of neuroestrogen action. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2014;205:235-41. [DOI:10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.03.043]
5. Maki PM, Henderson VW. Hormone therapy, dementia, and cognition: the Women's Health Initiative 10 years on. Climacteric. 2012;15(3):256-62. [DOI:10.3109/13697137.2012.660613]
6. Rettberg JR, Dang H, Hodis HN, Henderson VW, St John JA, Mack WJ, et al. Identifying postmenopausal women at risk for cognitive decline within a healthy cohort using a panel of clinical metabolic indicators: potential for detecting an at-Alzheimer's risk metabolic phenotype. Neurobiol Aging. 2016;40:155-63. [DOI:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.01.011]
7. Kandasamy M, Radhakrishnan RK, Poornimai Abirami GP, Roshan SA, Yesudhas A, Balamuthu K, et al. Possible Existence of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Hippocampal (HPH) Axis: A Reciprocal Relationship Between Hippocampal Specific Neuroestradiol Synthesis and Neuroblastosis in Ageing Brains with Special Reference to Menopause and Neurocognitive Disorders. Neurochem Res. 2019;44(8):1781-95. [DOI:10.1007/s11064-019-02833-1]
8. Greendale GA, Derby CA, Maki PM. Perimenopause and cognition. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2011;38(3):519-35. [DOI:10.1016/j.ogc.2011.05.007]
9. Kandasamy M, Aigner L. Neuroplasticity, limbic neuroblastosis and neuro-regenerative disorders. Neural Regen Res. 2018;13(8):1322-6. [DOI:10.4103/1673-5374.235214]
10. Rocca WA, Grossardt BR, Shuster LT. Oophorectomy, estrogen, and dementia: a 2014 update. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2014;389(1-2):7-12. [DOI:10.1016/j.mce.2014.01.020]
11. Gutierrez P, & Beer, C., inventor; Braingear Enterprises Inc, assignee, assignee. Dietary supplement for improving brain health. United States2019
12. Perez-Lopez FR, Chedraui P, Fernandez-Alonso AM. Vitamin D and aging: beyond calcium and bone metabolism. Maturitas. 2011;69(1):27-36. [DOI:10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.02.014]
13. Perez-Lopez FR, Chedraui P, Pilz S. Vitamin D supplementation after the menopause. Ther Adv Endocrinol Metab. 2020;11:2042018820931291. [DOI:10.1177/2042018820931291]
14. Kumar H, More SV, Han SD, Choi JY, Choi DK. Promising therapeutics with natural bioactive compounds for improving learning and memory--a review of randomized trials. Molecules. 2012;17(9):10503-39. [DOI:10.3390/molecules170910503]
15. Ghasemi Pirbalouti A, Momeni M, Bahmani M. Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Kurd tribe in Dehloran and Abdanan Districts, Ilam Province, Iran. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2013;10(2):368-85. [DOI:10.4314/ajtcam.v10i2.24]
16. Emaminia F, Rezaei A, Badehnoosh B, Ramezani R, Shabani M. The effects of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. whole fruit on the sex hormone profile in menopausal women: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020;246:112229. [DOI:10.1016/j.jep.2019.112229]
17. Jalalvand F, Rezaei A, Badehnoosh B, Yaseri M, Qorbani M, Emaminia F, et al. The Effects of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. on the Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone, Dehydroepiandrosterone-Sulfate, Prolactin and Cortisol Levels in Post-Menopausal Women: A Double-Blind, Randomized, and Placebo-Controlled Study. Frontiers in pharmacology. 2021;12:654459. [DOI:10.3389/fphar.2021.654459]
18. Ebrahimi AA, Nikniaz, Z., Ostadrahimi, A., Mahdavi, R., & Nikniaz, L. The effect of Elaeagnus Angustifolia L. whole fruit and medulla powder on women with osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomised controlled clinical trial. European Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2014;6(6):672-9. [DOI:10.1016/j.eujim.2014.07.016]
19. Rezaei A, Badehnoosh, B., Mohammadbeigi, M., Qorbani, M., Emaminia, F., Mohammadyari, A., & Jalalvand, F. Effects of Oral Use of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. on the Genitourinary Laboratory Findings in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial. . Women's Health Bulletin. 2023;10(1):1-12.
20. Farzaei MH, Bahramsoltani R, Abbasabadi Z, Rahimi R. A comprehensive review on phytochemical and pharmacological aspects of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2015;67(11):1467-80. [DOI:10.1111/jphp.12442]
21. Nikniaz Z, Ostadrahimi A, Mahdavi R, Ebrahimi AA, Nikniaz L. Effects of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. supplementation on serum levels of inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases in females with knee osteoarthritis. Complement Ther Med. 2014;22(5):864-9. [DOI:10.1016/j.ctim.2014.07.004]
22. Nikniaz Z, Mahdavi R, Nikniaz L, Ebrahimi A, Ostadrahimi A. Effects of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. on Lipid Profile and Atherogenic Indices in Obese Females: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. J Diet Suppl. 2016;13(6):595-606. [DOI:10.3109/19390211.2016.1150933]
23. Shabani M, Rezaei A, Badehnoosh B, Qorbani M, Yaseri M, Ramezani R, et al. The effects of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. on lipid and glycaemic profiles and cardiovascular function in menopausal women: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Int J Clin Pract. 2021;75(4):e13812. [DOI:10.1111/ijcp.13812]
24. Schulz KF, Altman DG, Moher D. CONSORT 2010 statement: Updated guidelines for reporting parallel group randomised trials. J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2010;1(2):100-7. [DOI:10.4103/0976-500X.72352]
25. Kwak SG, Kim JH. Central limit theorem: the cornerstone of modern statistics. Korean J Anesthesiol. 2017;70(2):144-56. [DOI:10.4097/kjae.2017.70.2.144]
26. Drozdick LW, Raiford SE, Wahlstrom D, Weiss LG. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition. 2018.
27. Weber MT, Maki PM, McDermott MP. Cognition and mood in perimenopause: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2014;142:90-8. [DOI:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.06.001]
28. Elsabagh S, Hartley DE, File SE. Limited cognitive benefits in Stage+ 2 postmenopausal women after 6 weeks of treatment with Ginkgo biloba. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2005;19(2):173-81. [DOI:10.1177/0269881105049038]
29. Maki PM, Rubin LH, Fornelli D, Drogos L, Banuvar S, Shulman LP, et al. Effects of botanicals and combined hormone therapy on cognition in postmenopausal women. Menopause. 2009;16(6):1167-77. [DOI:10.1097/gme.0b013e3181ace484]
30. Wu M, Li M, Yuan J, Liang S, Chen Z, Ye M, et al. Postmenopausal hormone therapy and Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and time-response meta-analysis. Pharmacological Research. 2020;155:104693. [DOI:10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104693]
31. Lerchbaum E. Vitamin D and menopause-A narrative review. Maturitas. 2014;79(1):3-7. [DOI:10.1016/j.maturitas.2014.06.003]
32. Resnick SM, Cokerb LH, Makia PM, Rapp SR, Espeland MA, Shumakerb SA. The Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA): a randomized clinical trial of the effects of hormone therapy on age-associated cognitive decline. Clinical Trials. 2004;1(5):440-50. [DOI:10.1191/1740774504cn040oa]
33. Cui J, Shen Y, Li R. Estrogen synthesis and signaling pathways during aging: from periphery to brain. Trends in molecular medicine. 2013;19(3):197-209. [DOI:10.1016/j.molmed.2012.12.007]
34. Siitonen H, Joensuu J, Savolainen-Peltonen H, Gissler M, Ylikorkala O, Mikkola TS. Update of the impact of menopausal hormone therapy on breast cancer risk. European Journal of Cancer. 2025;220:115340. [DOI:10.1016/j.ejca.2025.115340]
35. NICE Evidence Reviews Collection. Ovarian cancer: Menopause: identification and management: Evidence review F. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
36. Copyright © NICE 2024.; 2024.
37. Brinton RD. Estrogen-induced plasticity from cells to circuits: predictions for cognitive function. Trends in pharmacological sciences. 2009;30(4):212-22. [DOI:10.1016/j.tips.2008.12.006]
38. Vieira ADC, Medeiros EB, Zabot GC, de Souza Pereira N, do Nascimento NB, Lidio AV, et al. Neuroprotective effects of combined therapy with memantine, donepezil, and vitamin D in ovariectomized female mice subjected to dementia model. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. 2023;122:110653. [DOI:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110653]
39. Luine V, Serrano P, Frankfurt M. Rapid effects on memory consolidation and spine morphology by estradiol in female and male rodents. Hormones and behavior. 2018;104:111-8. [DOI:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.04.007]
40. Wu W, Qiao A, Du T. Tissue-specific mechanism of estrogen in osteoporosis and vascular calcification. European Journal of Pharmacology. 2025:177783. [DOI:10.1016/j.ejphar.2025.177783]
41. Goodwill AM, Campbell S, Simpson S, Jr., Bisignano M, Chiang C, Dennerstein L, et al. Vitamin D status is associated with executive function a decade later: Data from the Women's Healthy Ageing Project. Maturitas. 2018;107:56-62. [DOI:10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.10.005]
42. Palmisano BT, Zhu L, Stafford JM. Role of Estrogens in the Regulation of Liver Lipid Metabolism. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2017;1043:227-56. [DOI:10.1007/978-3-319-70178-3_12]
43. Phan BAP, Toth PP. Dyslipidemia in women: etiology and management. International journal of women's health. 2014:185-94. [DOI:10.2147/IJWH.S38133]
44. Miller WL, Bose HS. Early steps in steroidogenesis: intracellular cholesterol trafficking: thematic review series: genetics of human lipid diseases. Journal of lipid research. 2011;52(12):2111-35. [DOI:10.1194/jlr.R016675]
45. Moroney JT, Tang M-X, Berglund L, Small S, Merchant C, Bell K, et al. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the risk of dementia with stroke. Jama. 1999;282(3):254-60. [DOI:10.1001/jama.282.3.254]
46. Hua R, Ma Y, Li C, Zhong B, Xie W. Low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and cognitive decline. Science Bulletin. 2021;66(16):1684-90. [DOI:10.1016/j.scib.2021.02.018]
47. Labrie F. All sex steroids are made intracellularly in peripheral tissues by the mechanisms of intracrinology after menopause. The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology. 2015;145:133-8. [DOI:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2014.06.001]
48. Ku Y-C, Liu M-E, Ku C-S, Liu T-Y, Lin S-L. Relationship between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular disease. World journal of cardiology. 2013;5(9):337. [DOI:10.4330/wjc.v5.i9.337]
49. Kuźma E, Soni M, Littlejohns TJ, Ranson JM, Van Schoor NM, Deeg DJ, et al. Vitamin D and memory decline: two population-based prospective studies. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 2016;50(4):1099-108. [DOI:10.3233/JAD-150811]
50. Lam V, Albrecht MA, Takechi R, Prasopsang P, Lee YP, Foster JK, et al. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is associated with reduced verbal episodic memory in healthy, middle-aged and older adults. European journal of nutrition. 2016;55:1503-13. [DOI:10.1007/s00394-015-0968-0]
51. Castle M, Fiedler N, Pop LC, Schneider SJ, Schlussel Y, Sukumar D, et al. Three doses of vitamin D and cognitive outcomes in older women: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A. 2020;75(5):835-42. [DOI:10.1093/gerona/glz041]
52. Miller JW, Harvey DJ, Beckett LA, Green R, Farias ST, Reed BR, et al. Vitamin D status and rates of cognitive decline in a multiethnic cohort of older adults. JAMA neurology. 2015;72(11):1295-303. [DOI:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.2115]
53. Buell JS, Scott TM, Dawson-Hughes B, Dallal GE, Rosenberg IH, Folstein MF, et al. Vitamin D is associated with cognitive function in elders receiving home health services. Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biomedical Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2009;64(8):888-95. [DOI:10.1093/gerona/glp032]
54. Lee DM, Tajar A, Ulubaev A, Pendleton N, O'neill TW, O'connor DB, et al. Association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and cognitive performance in middle-aged and older European men. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 2009;80(7):722-9.
https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.2008.165720 [DOI:10.1136/jnnp-2015-312037]
55. Balion C, Griffith LE, Strifler L, Henderson M, Patterson C, Heckman G, et al. Vitamin D, cognition, and dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurology. 2012;79(13):1397-405. [DOI:10.1212/WNL.0b013e31826c197f]
56. Buell J, Dawson-Hughes B, Scott T, Weiner D, Dallal G, Qui W, et al. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, dementia, and cerebrovascular pathology in elders receiving home services. Neurology. 2010;74(1):18-26. [DOI:10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181beecb7]
57. Rossom RC, Espeland MA, Manson JE, Dysken MW, Johnson KC, Lane DS, et al. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation and cognitive impairment in the women's health initiative. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2012;60(12):2197-205. [DOI:10.1111/jgs.12032]
58. Pettersen JA. Does high dose vitamin D supplementation enhance cognition?: A randomized trial in healthy adults. Experimental gerontology. 2017;90:90-7. [DOI:10.1016/j.exger.2017.01.019]
59. Lebrun CE, Van Der Schouw YT, De Jong FH, Pols HA, Grobbee DE, Lamberts SW. Endogenous oestrogens are related to cognition in healthy elderly women. Clinical Endocrinology. 2005;63(1):50-5. [DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2265.2005.02297.x]
60. Hestad K, Engedal K, Schirmer H, Strand BH. The effect of blood pressure on cognitive performance. An 8-year follow-up of the Tromsø Study, comprising people aged 45-74 Years. Frontiers in Psychology. 2020;11:607. [DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00607]
61. Suresh K, Chandrashekara S. Sample size estimation and power analysis for clinical research studies. Journal of human reproductive sciences. 2012;5(1):7-13. [DOI:10.4103/0974-1208.97779]
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
