The Effect of Ginger ( <i>Zingiber Officinale</i> Roscoe) and Turmeric ( <i>Curcuma Longa</i> ) Supplementation on 17-β Estradiol Level, Quality of Life and Body Composition in Postmenopausal Women: Secondary Outcomes of a Randomized, Placebo Control

Background: Further investigation is required to deeply understand the role of traditional medicines in menopause and their safe and effective usage. Objective: To determine the effects of Zingiber officinale roscoe (ZO) and Curcuma longa (CL) supplementation on 17-β estradiol (ES) levels, quality of life, and body composition indices in postmenopausal women. Methods: In this four-month randomized controlled trial, women were recruited from the Tabriz health centers between 2018 and 2019 and randomly allocated to one of four groups: ZO tablet 1000 mg and CL placebo, CL tablet 1000 mg and ZO placebo, ZO tablet 1000 mg and CL tablet 1000 mg, and ZO placebo and CL placebo. Results: One hundred and fifteen women completed this study. ZO (mean change (MC) = 3.18 (95% CI: 0.55 to 5.81)) resulted in a greater increase in serum ES than placebo. ZO (MC= -1.26 (95% CI: -2.78 to -0.72)), CL (MC=-1.21 (95% CI: -2.79 to -0.53)) and ZO + CL (MC=-1.69 (95% CI: -2.48 to -0.85)) resulted in greater improvements in total quality of life score compared to placebo (MC=-0.51(95% CI: -0.04 to 1.32)). A significant group difference favoring the ZO group compared to the placebo was detected for the vasomotor symptoms (MC= -1.03 (95% CI: -2.57 to -0.97)). No significant adverse events were noted. Discussion: Findings suggest ginger and turmeric alleviate menopausal symptoms and improve QoL, potentially via estrogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant actions. Inconsistent body composition results may be due to low bioavailability. Conclusion: Ginger, turmeric, and their combination improved menopausal QoL, with ginger benefiting vasomotor symptoms. Clinical Trial Registration No.: Registered in the Iranian clinical trial registry (IRCT20161022030424N3) on 2018-04-29.