ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT07615777Updated Oct 21, 2026

Nutritional Supplementation on Physiological and Metabolic Markers in Females

An interventional study of Nutritional Supplement and Placebo in Perimenopausal Women and Body Composition Changes, sponsored by University of Southampton. Recruiting at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to female participants aged 38 Years to 55 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-21.

Sponsored by University of Southampton · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Jul 2026; still recruiting 4 months later.
Updated Oct 21, 2026Primary completion movedStudy completion movedGo to Updates ↓
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
80
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
38 Years to 55 Years
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a 12-week nutritional supplement can result in significant changes in the body composition of 38-55-year-old females. The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Does a 12-week nutritional supplementation with myo-inositol, berberine, cinnamon, and chromium lead to significant changes in body composition (e.g. body mass index, body fat composition) in females aged 38-55 compared to placebo?
  • Does a 12-week nutritional supplementation with myo-inositol, berberine, cinnamon, and chromium lead to significant changes in small molecules (metabolites) in plasma and urine, menopause-related symptoms, and physical performance (e.g. grip strength) in females aged 38-55 compared to placebo? Researchers will compare the nutritional supplement to a placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no nutritional supplement) to see if the intervention works to change body composition in females aged 38-55.

Participants will:

  • Sign a consent form before any procedures begin
  • Attend two visits to the clinical research facility at Southampton General Hospital over 12 weeks.
  • Fast before visit's and provide blood and urine samples at each visit
  • Undergo measurements at each visit, including waist and hip circumferences, grip and leg strength, and body composition.
  • Complete questionnaires about general health, menopause-related changes, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and diet.
  • Take 1 capsule 3 times a day at the onset of a meal (once in the morning, once at midday, and once in the evening) for the first 10 days.
  • Take 3 capsules 3 times a day at the onset of a meal (once in the morning, once at midday, and once in the evening) from day 11 to day 84.
  • Record supplement intake in a daily compliance diary during the study
Read the detailed description

Menopause is defined as the reproductive condition of amenorrhea for 12 months, as a result of reduced activity of ovarian follicles and hormonal changes, including oestrogen, androgens, and progesterone. Globally, approximately 47 million females transition into menopause annually. Hormonal decline can reflect in several physical, mental, and genitourinary symptoms. Common physical manifestations include sleep disturbance, hot flushes, mood changes, night sweats, and fatigue.

The current average age at menopause in the United Kingdom is 51 years, typically occurring between 45 and 55; however, a significant number of females experience menopause earlier than expected. When menopause occurs before the normal age, it may be classified as premature (before 40 years), early (between 40-45 years), or induced menopause (result of bilateral oophorectomy with or without hysterectomy, removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes, or ovarian ablation through radiation therapy).

Menopause-related physical and metabolic changes are mainly a consequence of oestrogen deficiency, affecting lipid metabolism, insulin resistance, energy consumption, and body fat composition. Changes in body composition during menopause often lead to an increase in body mass index (BMI), particularly due to higher fat accumulation and reduced lean muscle mass. During perimenopause, females experience progressive weight gain at an estimated rate of 1.5 kg per year, resulting in an average increase of approximately 10 kg by the time menopause is reached. Higher BMI during menopause has been linked with an elevated risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

To address these menopause-associated changes, several therapeutic approaches are utilised, including both hormonal and non-hormonal strategies. Natural nutritional supplements have emerged as promising options because of their potential benefits. Among these, cinnamon extracts have gained attention due to their anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular, and immunomodulatory properties, which may alleviate postmenopausal symptoms. Alongside cinnamon, myo-inositol has been shown to alleviate vasomotor symptoms, improving lipid and glucose metabolism and reducing cardiovascular risk factors. By targeting changes in body composition during menopause, nutritional supplements represent a strategic approach to improving quality of life for menopausal females.

02

Conditions studied

  • Perimenopausal Women
  • Body Composition Changes

Keywords

  • Perimenopause
  • menopause
  • metabolism
  • metabolomics
03

In context

Lead sponsor

University of Southampton is the lead sponsor of 122 studies on the registry; 18 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
38 Years to 55 Years
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Assigned sex at birth is female
  • Aged 38-55 years
  • Experiencing irregular menstrual cycles but not amenorrheic for more than 12 months or have at least one of the following recent symptoms (i.e., from 38 years onwards): (1) hot flushes, (2) sleep disturbances, (3) mood swings, (4) concentration difficulties, (5) bloating or (6) weight gain.

    • Willing to avoid taking other food supplements during the study period
    • Able to provide written

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diabetes
  • \<18.5 kg/m2
  • Pregnant or trying to get pregnant
  • No active cancer or cancer within last 5 years
  • Total Hysterectomy
  • Known allergies to cinnamon extract, chromium, berberine, myo-inositol
  • Currently taking part in research, or have done within the last 3 months
  • Diagnosed diseases
  • Diagnosed hypoglycemia
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(3)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
80 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Nutritional supplement

    Nutritional supplement: * Take 1 capsule 3 times a day at the onset of a meal (once in the morning, once at midday, and once in the evening) for the first 10 days. * Take 3 capsules 3 times a day at the onset of a meal (once in the morning, once at midday, and once in the evening) from day 11 to day 84.

    Dietary Supplement: Nutritional Supplement

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo

    Placebo: * Take 1 capsule 3 times a day at the onset of a meal (once in the morning, once at midday, and once in the evening) for the first 10 days. * Take 3 capsules 3 times a day at the onset of a meal (once in the morning, once at midday, and once in the evening) from day 11 to day 84.

    Dietary Supplement: Placebo

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementNutritional Supplement

    Nutritional Supplement (myo-inositol, berberine, cinnamon, chromium) composed of 4 natural bioactives extracted from plants, including fruits, roots, barks, and grains.

  • Dietary supplementPlacebo

    Placebo: Maltodextrin

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Body mass index

    To compare the body mass index by measuring the weight after 12-week intervention

    Time frame: At the baseline visit and at the end of 12 weeks intervention

Secondary outcomes

  1. Body fat composition

    To compare the effect of a 12-week nutritional intervention versus placebo by measuring Waist and hip circumferences

    Time frame: At the baseline visit and at the end of the 12-week intervention

  2. Metabolomic profile of the plasma sample

    To compare the effect of a 12-week nutritional intervention to a placebo on the plasma metabolome

    Time frame: At the baseline visit and at the end of 12 weeks intervention

  3. Metabolomic profile of a urine sample

    To compare the effect of a 12-week nutritional intervention versus placebo on the urinary metabolome.

    Time frame: At the baseline visit and at the end of 12 weeks intervention

  4. Menopause-related changes

    To compare the effect of a 12-week nutritional intervention on self-reported menopause-related changes versus placebo.

    Time frame: At the baseline visit and at the end of 12 weeks intervention

  5. Hand grip dynamometry

    To compare the effect of a 12-week nutritional intervention versus placebo on grip strength

    Time frame: At the baseline visit and at the end of 12 weeks intervention

  6. Portable strength tracking system

    To compare the effect of a 12-week nutritional intervention versus placebo on leg strength

    Time frame: At the baseline visit and at the end of the 12-week intervention

  7. Transcriptomic profile of blood sample

    To compare the effect of a 12-week nutritional intervention versus placebo on the blood transcriptome

    Time frame: At the baseline visit and at the end of the 12-week intervention

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility
    Southampton, Hampshire SO16 6YD, United Kingdom
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Mainini G, Ercolano S, De Simone R, Iavarone I, Lizza R, Passaro M. Dietary Supplementation of Myo-Inositol, Cocoa Polyphenols, and Soy Isoflavones Improves Vasomotor Symptoms and Metabolic Profile in Menopausal Women with Metabolic Syndrome: A Retrospective Clinical Study. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Apr 4;60(4):598. doi: 10.3390/medicina60040598. PubMed 38674244 ↗
  • Refaei M, Karami Z, Kazemi F, Moradkhani S, Masoumi SZ, Jenabi E, Jafari M. Cinnamon potential in alleviating early postmenopause symptoms: a randomized clinical trial. Menopause. 2024 Dec 1;31(12):1078-1084. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002444. PubMed 39579099 ↗
  • Jeong HG, Park H. Metabolic Disorders in Menopause. Metabolites. 2022 Oct 8;12(10):954. doi: 10.3390/metabo12100954. PubMed 36295856 ↗
  • Ryczkowska K, Adach W, Janikowski K, Banach M, Bielecka-Dabrowa A. Menopause and women's cardiovascular health: is it really an obvious relationship? Arch Med Sci. 2022 Dec 10;19(2):458-466. doi: 10.5114/aoms/157308. eCollection 2023. PubMed 37034510 ↗
  • Harlow SD, Gass M, Hall JE, Lobo R, Maki P, Rebar RW, Sherman S, Sluss PM, de Villiers TJ; STRAW + 10 Collaborative Group. Executive summary of the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop + 10: addressing the unfinished agenda of staging reproductive aging. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Apr;97(4):1159-68. doi: 10.1210/jc.2011-3362. Epub 2012 Feb 16. PubMed 22344196 ↗
  • Lambrinoudaki I, Paschou SA, Armeni E, Goulis DG. The interplay between diabetes mellitus and menopause: clinical implications. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2022 Oct;18(10):608-622. doi: 10.1038/s41574-022-00708-0. Epub 2022 Jul 7. PubMed 35798847 ↗
  • Fenton A. Weight, Shape, and Body Composition Changes at Menopause. J Midlife Health. 2021 Jul-Sep;12(3):187-192. doi: 10.4103/jmh.jmh_123_21. Epub 2021 Oct 16. PubMed 34759699 ↗
  • El Khoudary SR, Greendale G, Crawford SL, Avis NE, Brooks MM, Thurston RC, Karvonen-Gutierrez C, Waetjen LE, Matthews K. The menopause transition and women's health at midlife: a progress report from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Menopause. 2019 Oct;26(10):1213-1227. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001424. PubMed 31568098 ↗
  • Moorman PG, Myers ER, Schildkraut JM, Iversen ES, Wang F, Warren N. Effect of hysterectomy with ovarian preservation on ovarian function. Obstet Gynecol. 2011 Dec;118(6):1271-1279. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e318236fd12. PubMed 22067716 ↗
  • Stuenkel CA, Davis SR, Gompel A, Lumsden MA, Murad MH, Pinkerton JV, Santen RJ. Treatment of Symptoms of the Menopause: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015 Nov;100(11):3975-4011. doi: 10.1210/jc.2015-2236. Epub 2015 Oct 7. PubMed 26444994 ↗
  • Adamopoulos DA, Karamertzanis M, Thomopoulos A, Pappa A, Koukkou E, Nicopoulou SC. Age at menopause and prevalence of its different types in contemporary Greek women. Menopause. 2002 Nov-Dec;9(6):443-8. doi: 10.1097/00042192-200211000-00010. PubMed 12439104 ↗
  • Shadyab AH, Macera CA, Shaffer RA, Jain S, Gallo LC, Gass ML, Waring ME, Stefanick ML, LaCroix AZ. Ages at menarche and menopause and reproductive lifespan as predictors of exceptional longevity in women: the Women's Health Initiative. Menopause. 2017 Jan;24(1):35-44. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000710. PubMed 27465713 ↗
  • Anto A, Basu A, Selim R, Eisingerich AB. Women's Menopausal Experiences in the UK: A Systemic Literature Review of Qualitative Studies. Health Expect. 2025 Feb;28(1):e70167. doi: 10.1111/hex.70167. PubMed 39888228 ↗
  • Santoro N, Roeca C, Peters BA, Neal-Perry G. The Menopause Transition: Signs, Symptoms, and Management Options. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Jan 1;106(1):1-15. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa764. PubMed 33095879 ↗
  • Woods NF, Mitchell ES. Symptoms during the perimenopause: prevalence, severity, trajectory, and significance in women's lives. Am J Med. 2005 Dec 19;118 Suppl 12B:14-24. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2005.09.031. PubMed 16414323 ↗
  • Koo S, Ahn Y, Lim JY, Cho J, Park HY. Obesity associates with vasomotor symptoms in postmenopause but with physical symptoms in perimenopause: a cross-sectional study. BMC Womens Health. 2017 Dec 8;17(1):126. doi: 10.1186/s12905-017-0487-7. PubMed 29216853 ↗
  • Wright VJ, Schwartzman JD, Itinoche R, Wittstein J. The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. Climacteric. 2024 Oct;27(5):466-472. doi: 10.1080/13697137.2024.2380363. Epub 2024 Jul 30. PubMed 39077777 ↗
  • Schoenaker DA, Jackson CA, Rowlands JV, Mishra GD. Socioeconomic position, lifestyle factors and age at natural menopause: a systematic review and meta-analyses of studies across six continents. Int J Epidemiol. 2014 Oct;43(5):1542-62. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyu094. Epub 2014 Apr 26. PubMed 24771324 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

1 registry update since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedDate before it movedWhere the date was before it moved

Started Jul 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2027, 17 months after the start.

Since we started tracking on Sep 25, 2026, the dates moved once, on Oct 21, 2026: primary completion Dec 2026 → Dec 2027 and completion Dec 2026 → Dec 2027.

Earlier changes are on the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
May 22, 2026
First posted
May 29, 2026
StartActual
Jul 9, 2026
Primary completionEst.
Dec 2027was Dec 2026
CompletionEst.
Dec 2027was Dec 2026
Last update
Oct 21, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
Primary completion
Dec 2026→Dec 2027
Oct 21, 2026
Study completion
Dec 2026→Dec 2027
Oct 21, 2026
Show all 1 update
  1. Oct 21, 2026
    Primary completion Dec 2026→Dec 2027
    Study completion Dec 2026→Dec 2027

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07615777
Collaborators
The Better Menopause
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
May 29, 2026
Start date
Jul 9, 2026
Primary completion
Dec 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Oct 21, 2026

Study contacts

Colleen S Deane, PhD
Contact
c.s.deane@soton.ac.uk
+44 2381208664
Veronica F Santiago, PhD
Contact
V.F.Santiago@soton.ac.uk
+44 2381208664
Colleen S Deane, PhD
principal investigator · University of Southampton

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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