Randomised trial, 2009
Does Vitex agnus castus reduce PMS symptoms in Chinese women?
Yes, Vitex agnus castus significantly reduced PMS symptoms better than placebo. Symptoms improved in both groups, but the herbal medicine group improved more, though the large placebo improvement (50%) means some benefit may not be from the herb itself.
What they did
217 Chinese women with moderate to severe PMS were randomly assigned to receive either Vitex agnus castus or placebo for three menstrual cycles. Their symptoms were tracked using two different rating scales.
What they found
Symptom scores in the treatment group dropped from 29.23 at baseline to 6.41 after three cycles. In the placebo group, scores dropped from 28.14 to 12.64. The treatment group improved significantly more than placebo. Both groups showed improvement, with a 50% placebo effect noted.
What it means for you
Vitex agnus castus is safe and appears to help women with moderate to severe PMS. The large placebo effect (50%) shows that about half the improvement might have come from women's expectations rather than the herb itself. This was a well-designed, large study, so the results are fairly reliable.
217
women enrolled
40
mg equivalent dose daily
50
percent placebo effect
About the study
- Original title
- Treatment for premenstrual syndrome with Vitex agnus castus: A prospective, randomized, multi-center placebo controlled study in China
- Authors
- He Z, Chen R, Zhou Y et al.
- Journal
- Maturitas
- Year
- 2009
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 1,095
- What was tested
- Vitex agnus castus BNO 1095 (equivalent to 40 mg herbal drug) vs placebo for three cycles
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2009.01.006
Topics
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