Systematic review, 2022
Do omega-3 supplements help reduce PMS?
Yes, omega-3 fatty acids appear to reduce PMS severity overall and specifically reduce both body-related and mood-related symptoms. The benefit increased with longer treatment duration.
What they did
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials investigating omega-3 fatty acids for PMS. Databases were searched for relevant studies. Randomized trials meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed. Results were combined using meta-analysis, and factors affecting outcomes were examined.
What they found
Omega-3 reduced overall PMS severity (standardized mean difference -0.968). It reduced body-related symptoms (standardized mean difference -0.800) and mood-related symptoms (standardized mean difference -0.373). Age and longer treatment duration both increased the treatment effect. However, there was high variability between studies (I-squared 89.11%), indicating conflicting results.
What it means for you
Omega-3 may help with PMS, particularly body and mood symptoms. However, there is high variability between studies, suggesting results may differ across populations. Longer treatment duration appeared to increase effectiveness. The authors urge caution given the conflicting results between studies.
-0.968
standardized mean difference for overall PMS severity
89.11%
heterogeneity showing high variability between studies
-0.800
standardized mean difference for body symptoms
About the study
- Original title
- Effect of omega-3 fatty acids on premenstrual syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Authors
- Mohammadi MM, Dehghan Nayeri N, Mashhadi M et al.
- Journal
- The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research
- Year
- 2022
- Study design
- Systematic review
- What was tested
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/jog.15217
Topics
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