Celebrating International Women's Day: Highlighting research on women's health and wellness, part I
To celebrate International Women's Day (March 8), Nutritional Outlook is putting the spotlight on women's health and wellness. In this compilation, we present recent research on menstruation and skin health.
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Women's health and wellness is proving to be a popular category already this year.
In the 2025 Nutraceutical and Natural Product Industry Outlook, Nutritional Outlook's Editorial Advisory Board members highlight trends for the nutraceutical, natural product, and health and wellness industries. One major category that Irfan Qureshi, ND predicted to continue to be front and center was women's health. "Beyond support for menopause, we will see a plethora of new offerings supporting women across all life stages," he stated. "Additionally, products in cross-over categories will gain significant traction (stress, sleep, cognition, and digestion with a focus on women’s needs, for example). We’ll continue to see big players developing a variety of women’s focused products with nuanced benefits."
To highlight this expanding category, we compiled recent research on menstruation and skin health.
Menstruation
Study finds PEA supplementation may reduce menstrual pain in women
A recently published study examined the effectiveness of the compound Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) in reducing menstrual pain in healthy women. PEA, as the study noted, is known for its anti-inflammatory effects, though no double-blind clinical studies on a single dose of PEA have been conducted yet on this subject. The study tested PEA, as Levagen+ from Gencor, compared with placebo in reducing menstrual pain at various time intervals.
A total of 76 participants in the study recorded at least one menstruation pain event. After ingestion of PEA, recorded menstrual pain was decreased at 1, 1.5, and 2 hours afterwards, with a reduction of at least 25% by 2.5 hours, compared with placebo.
Skin Health
Zeus Hygia Lifesciences introduces pomegranate extract Grantria to promote skin health
In January 2025, Nutraceutical company Zeus Hygia Lifesciences introduced its proprietary pomegranate extract, Grantria. The new beauty-from-within oral supplement is intended to provide benefits for skin health and appearance, including reduced wrinkles and increased radiance. Its effects are supported by a clinical study, "Efficacy and safety of a proprietary Punica granatum extract in skin health - a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study in healthy volunteers."
Recent clinical study for Belight3 shows decrease in hyperpigmentation for all skin types
Additionally, a recent clinical study delved into using the branded ingredient, Belight3, for the purpose of decreasing hyperpigmentation, as well as encouraging even-toned skin. Belight3 is a nutritional supplement containing a patented blend of licorice extract, coated vitamin C, grape seed extract, and grape pomace extract. The press release mentioned that this blend works to restrain tyrosinase activity by 85%. Around the world, more than 50% of the population suffer from a variety of health concerns such as, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), melasma, and solar lentigo.
Lallemand Health Solutions recently announced the results of new research on their Cerebiome ingredient.
The study utilized 35 women between the ages of 30-45 years old over the course of eight weeks. Participants were given three billion CFU of Cerebiome once a day for 56 days. To form a baseline, skin quality, stress, and sleep were analyzed from the beginning and then reassessed on day 28 and day 56. Those taking Cerebiome saw an 18% decrease in perceived stress after four weeks of use and then after eight weeks, participants experienced a 31% decrease. Researchers mentioned that 79% of participants said that they felt “noticeable improvements in their mental well-being.” Participants also reported that their ability to fall asleep as well as stay asleep improved, which helped decrease the challenges of staying awake during the daytime. For skin, the study showed that those taking Cerebiome saw improvements to skin hydration, firmness, and decrease in wrinkles, fine lines, and skin tone.
