Study, 2010
Do herbal plant capsules help with depression and anxiety in PMS?
Women who took Elsholtzia splendens capsules had lower depression and anxiety scores than women who took Cirsium japonicum capsules. This suggests Elsholtzia splendens may help reduce these PMS symptoms.
What they did
Researchers gave 30 women in their twenties capsules containing either Elsholtzia splendens or Cirsium japonicum and tracked their PMS symptoms for over 3 months.
What they found
Depression and anxiety scores were significantly lower in women taking Elsholtzia splendens than in women taking Cirsium japonicum. Women in the Elsholtzia splendens group also had less instability on the premenstrual assessment form.
What it means for you
Elsholtzia splendens may help reduce depression and anxiety symptoms of PMS more than Cirsium japonicum. However, the study did not compare these plants to no treatment, so we cannot know if they actually help. The sample was small.
30
women studied
over 3 months
duration
About the study
- Original title
- Effects of Elsholtzia splendens and Cirsium japonicum on premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Chung MS, Kim GH
- Journal
- Nutrition research and practice
- Year
- 2010
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 30
- What was tested
- Capsules of Elsholtzia splendens or Cirsium japonicum for over 3 months.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2010.4.4.290
Topics
Related studies
Systematic review, 2008
What treatments work best for PMS and PMDD?
Randomised trial, 2018
Does inhaling lavender oil help with premenstrual syndrome?
Randomised trial, 2010
Does St John's wort help women with mild PMS?
Survey study, 2025
Can a plant-based supplement reduce PMS symptoms?
Survey study, 2024
Can researchers create a better animal model to study premenstrual syndrome?
Survey study, 2024
How common is dysmenorrhea related to PMS in university students, and how do they treat it?