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Randomised trial, 2019

Does Salvia officinalis (sage) reduce PMS severity?

Yes. Severity decreased by about 20-23 percent over 2 months with sage, significantly more than placebo.

Moderate study design 90 college students in Tehran, Iran with PMS

What they did

90 college students in Tehran with PMS took either 500-mg sage capsules or placebo once daily for 2 consecutive months.

What they found

The sage group showed mean decreases in PMS severity of 19.84 percent in month 1 and 23.42 percent in month 2. Both physical and psychological symptoms improved significantly more in the sage group than placebo (p<0.001).

What it means for you

Sage may effectively reduce PMS symptoms. The study was triple-blinded and reasonably sized, but included only college students in Iran, so findings may not apply to all women with PMS.

19.84%

Month 1 severity improvement

23.42%

Month 2 severity improvement

p<0.001

Statistical significance

About the study

Original title
[Salvia officinalis Reduces the Severity of the Premenstrual Syndrome]
Authors
Abdnezhad R, Simbar M, Sheikhan Z et al.
Journal
Complementary medicine research
Year
2019
Study design
Randomised trial
Participants
90
What was tested
500-mg Salvia officinalis capsules once daily for 2 months

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