Maria Karolina Szmidt

Background/Objectives: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and dysmenorrhea can impair training performance in female athletes. Botanical ingredients are commonly used to manage these conditions in the general population, but it is unknown whether elite female athletes do so. This study aimed to identify botanical ingredients evaluated in studies for PMS and dysmenorrhea and determine whether elite female athletes declared them on Doping Control Forms (DCFs). Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted to identify botanical ingredients evaluated in studies for PMS and dysmenorrhea. Then, DCFs completed during routine anti-doping testing among elite athletes in Poland (2018–2023) were analyzed for declarations of these ingredients, both directly and as components of multi-ingredient products. The proportion of DCFs containing these ingredients was compared between female (n = 4451 DCFs) and male athletes (n = 9068 DCFs; reference) using chi-squared tests. Results: The review identified 8 and 21 botanical ingredients with evidence for PMS and dysmenorrhea, respectively; of which 9 were detected in DCFs. The most commonly declared ingredients among female athletes were ginger and turmeric/curcuminoid (1.75% and 1.26%, respectively, both studied for PMS and dysmenorrhea). Chasteberry, on the other hand, with the most extensive, albeit low-confidence evidence, for PMS, was rarely declared (0.22%). Direct declaration of ginkgo, valerian, evening primrose oil, and chasteberry was significantly more common among female than male athletes (0.22% vs. 0.02%, 0.36% vs. 0.03%, 0.47% vs. 0.03%, 0.22% vs. 0.02%; adjusted p < 0.05). Conclusions: Declarations of botanical ingredients studied for PMS and dysmenorrhea were infrequent on DCFs completed by female athletes. Because DCFs do not record the reason for use, these data cannot establish whether declarations reflected treatment of menstrual symptoms; studies assessing indication, symptom status and motivation are needed.

Background: Voluntary food fortification is a common market-driven practice to improve nutritional value, but consumption of such products may also be associated with less healthy dietary patterns. This study aimed to identify socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, including diet quality, associated with the intentional use of voluntarily fortified foods (Intentional-VFFs) among university students. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 2123 university students in Warsaw. Data were collected through a self-administered health and lifestyle questionnaire and a 5-day food record. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to identify factors associated with Intentional-VFF use. Diet quality was assessed using a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score. Results: Intentional-VFF use was reported by 44.3% of respondents and was significantly associated with age (each 1-year increment was associated with a 6% lower use), sex (male vs. female; OR: 0.63, 95%CI: 0.49–0.81), BMI (2; OR: 0.63, 95%CI: 0.43–0.92), self-assessed nutritional knowledge (high vs. low; OR: 1.70, 95%CI: 1.20–2.42), excluding/including some products (yes vs. no; OR: 2.09, 95%CI: 1.55–2.83), and use of dietary supplements (OR: 1.62, 95%CI: 1.30–2.01). However, significant effect modification was observed; high nutritional knowledge was associated with Intentional-VFF use among men but not among women, whereas age was inversely associated with VFF use only among dietary supplement non-users. Intentional-VFF use was not significantly associated with the DASH score; however, each 50 g increment in vegetable consumption was associated with a 4% lower odds of VFF use (p = 0.013). Conclusions: Various factors, including sex, dietary supplement use, and nutritional knowledge, may be associated with Intentional-VFF use across different adult subgroups; however, establishing a link between their use and diet quality warrants further investigation.

Introduction and objective: Well-being in physically active adults is shaped by multiple interacting lifestyle factors. The aim of the study is to examine associations between nutrient density, energy availability (EA), and stress levels with well-being in adults meeting the World Health...

To date, only a few studies have examined the relationship between dietary patterns and premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and these have been limited to Asian populations with inconclusive results, while studies in European populations are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the associations between dietary patterns and the severity of PMS in young women from a European population. This cross-sectional study included 609 women aged 18-35 years. Premenstrual symptoms and their severity were assessed using the validated Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool, dietary intake data were collected using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, and dietary patterns were determined via K-means clustering of 13 food groups. Three dietary patterns (DPs) were identified: Healthy-DP, Western-DP, and Low-food-DP (characterized by low consumption of all food groups). In the multivariable-adjusted logistic regression model, compared with the Healthy-DP, women adhering to the Western-DP had significantly higher odds of being classified into the Severe-PMS group (OR:2.35, 95%CI:1.02-5.44). Similarly, those following the Low-food-DP had higher odds of both Moderate-PMS (OR:2.92, 95%CI:1.09-7.84) and Severe-PMS (OR:3.01, 95% CI:1.14-7.92). These findings highlight potential associations between dietary patterns and PMS severity; however, due to the cross-sectional design of the study, no causal conclusions can be drawn.

Evidence on the association between the Mediterranean diet and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) remains inconclusive; therefore, this study examined the relationship between adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet and overall PMS severity and specific psychological and physical symptoms. This cross-sectional study included 606 women aged 18–35 years. Premenstrual symptoms and their severity were assessed using the validated Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool and the Calendar of Premenstrual Experiences. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed using a modified Mediterranean diet score (mMDS; range 0–9 points), derived from a validated 138-item semi-quantitative FFQ. Logistic regression was used to estimate OR with 95 % CI to examine the association between adherence to the Mediterranean-style diet and PMS severity. Three overall PMS severity groups were identified: No-PMS (21·8 %), Mild-PMS (50·2 %) and Moderate/Severe-PMS (28·0 %). No association was observed between adherence to the Mediterranean-style diet and overall PMS severity. Compared with women with Low mMDS (0–3 points), women with Moderate mMDS (4–5 points) had an OR of 1·11 (95 % CI 0·63, 1·94) for Moderate/Severe-PMS. Among women with High mMDS (6–9 points), the corresponding OR was 1·37 (95 % CI 0·75, 2·53). Of the thirty-two specific premenstrual symptoms, only headache was inversely associated with Mediterranean-style diet adherence in the Moderate v . Low mMDS group (OR = 0·75, 95 % CI 0·59, 0·95), but not in the High v . Low mMDS group (OR = 0·80, 95 % CI 0·63, 1·03). Given the lack of a significant association, further prospective and intervention studies are needed.

Background: Despite the growing interest in the relationship of diet and women’s health conditions, a limited number of Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) have been specifically developed and/or validated for use among women, and those that exist have been primarily developed and validated in non-European countries. This study aimed to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of the FFQ-NutriForHer among young and older Polish women. Methods: The reproducibility and validity of the 138-item FFQ-NutriForHer were evaluated in 121 young (18–30 years) and 88 older women (70–90 years). Reproducibility was assessed using energy-adjusted Pearson and intraclass correlation coefficients (PCCs, ICCs) from two FFQ administrations. Validity was evaluated by comparing energy-adjusted and de-attenuated PCCs between FFQ-mean and 3-day dietary records. The Bland–Altman method estimated mean differences and limits of agreement. Results: The mean PCCs and ICCs for macronutrient reproducibility were 0.69 ± 0.12 and 0.69 ± 0.11 among young women and 0.67 ± 0.06 and 0.65 ± 0.11 among older women, respectively, indicating moderate correlation and reliability in both groups. For micronutrients, the mean PCCs were 0.72 ± 0.05 among young women and 0.69 ± 0.05 among older women, while ICCs were 0.71 ± 0.05 and 0.69 ± 0.09, respectively, indicating a good and moderate correlation and moderate reliability. Mean PCCs for macronutrient validity indicated good concordance with values of 0.51 ± 0.25 among young women and 0.46 ± 0.13 among older women. For micronutrients, the mean PCC for validity was 0.63 ± 0.13 among young women and 0.44 ± 0.14 among older women. Bland–Altman analysis indicated good overall agreement between methods in both groups. Conclusions: Given its high reproducibility and satisfactory validity in both age groups, the FFQ-NutriForHer is a reliable tool for assessing dietary intake and exploring its links to women’s health across different ages.

Menstruation is a natural physiological process in healthy women of reproductive age, often accompanied by physical and psychological symptoms that can impair daily functioning and quality of life. Given the established role of oxidative imbalance in menstrual discomfort, dietary products rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds may offer a non-pharmacological approach to symptom management. However, to date, this area remains insufficiently explored in the literature. The aim of this narrative review was to assess the relationship between the consumption of foods with anti-inflammatory potential and the severity of menstrual pain. PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science were searched from inception to May 2025 using following keywords: “anti-inflammatory products”, “whole grains”, “fish”, “seafood”, “vegetables”, “fruits”, “legumes”, “nuts”, “seeds”, “olive oil”, “fats”, “menstruation”, “primary dysmenorrhea”. Reference lists of included studies were also reviewed manually. Nine relevant studies were identified in the literature review (1 meta-analysis, 2 case-control, and 6 cross-sectional studies). The results showed that whole grains and fish consumption may be inversely associated with menstrual pain, though findings were inconsistent. While one meta-analysis on fruit and vegetable consumption and severity of menstrual pain found no significant association, several other studies reported a protective association with higher/more frequent intake. Evidence on legumes was inconclusive. No studies to date assessed the association between olive oil, nuts, and seeds and menstrual symptoms. Interpretation of findings was limited by methodological heterogeneity, including differences in dietary assessment, symptom measurement tools, and participant characteristics. Preliminary evidence suggests that the anti-inflammatory foods, such as whole grain, vegetables, and fish may help alleviate the severity of menstrual pain, but the current evidence is inconsistent. However, the number of studies published in this area to date is limited and generally of low quality. Therefore, further high-quality research is needed to clarify these associations.

This systematic review aims to summarise the results of controlled trials on dietary supplements (DS) usage and inflammation, oxidative stress, antioxidant status, and thyroid parameter improvement in hypothyroidism (HT)/Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (AIT) patients. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (no. CRD42022365149). A comprehensive search of the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases resulted in the identification of nineteen randomised controlled trials and three non-randomised studies for the review; three studies examined the effect of supplementation with vitamin D, twelve studies—with selenium, and seven studies—with other DS. Based on very limited evidence, the lack of influence of vitamin D supplementation on inflammatory parameters was found, while no studies have examined oxidative stress and antioxidant status parameters, and only one provided results for a single thyroid parameter after an intervention. Some evidence was found proving that selenium supplementation may decrease inflammation and improve thyroid parameters, but reaching a conclusion about its influence on oxidative stress and antioxidant status is not possible because of the insufficient number of studies. Additionally, due to examining other DS (e.g., multicomponent, Nigella sativa, and genistein) only in single studies, conclusions cannot be drawn. Further long-term, high-quality randomised controlled trials are necessary to better understand the influence of DS on inflammation, oxidative stress, and antioxidant status, as well as their potential to improve thyroid gland function in HT/AIT patients.