Systematic review, 2019
Can chamomile tea or supplements ease PMS symptoms?
This review of existing studies suggests chamomile may help with PMS symptoms, but the evidence comes from only a handful of trials, so it is not a strong guarantee.
What they did
Researchers searched many medical databases in English and Persian for studies published between 1990 and 2019 on chamomile and PMS. Two researchers screened the results independently. Out of 27 studies found, 8 randomized controlled trials met their criteria and were included in the review.
What they found
The review concluded that chamomile is effective for treating PMS. The authors link this to compounds in chamomile that may reduce inflammation (chamazulene, alpha-bisabolol), ease cramping (apigenin, quercetin, luteolin, and others), and calm anxiety (glycine, flavonoids).
What it means for you
Chamomile may be a reasonable herbal option to try for PMS, but this is a summary of other people's studies rather than new data, and the abstract gives no numbers on how much symptoms improved or how strong or well-designed the 8 trials were.
8
RCTs included in the review
27
Studies initially identified
1990-2019
Years of publications searched
About the study
- Original title
- Efficacy of Chamomile in the Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome: A Systematic Review
- Authors
- Khalesi ZB, Beiranvand SP, Bokaie M
- Journal
- Journal of pharmacopuncture
- Year
- 2019
- Study design
- Systematic review
- What was tested
- Chamomile (herbal remedy), compared across studies reviewed.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3831/kpi.2019.22.028
Topics
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