--- title: Does Vitex agnus castus reduce moderate-to-severe PMS in Chinese women? description: Yes, Vitex extract significantly reduced PMS symptoms by the 3rd cycle, with 60 percent or greater symptom reduction in the treatment group compared to placeb url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/treatment-of-moderate-to-severe-premenstrual-syndrome-with-vitex-agnus-castus-2010/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does Vitex agnus castus reduce moderate-to-severe PMS in Chinese women? Randomised trial, 2010 # Does Vitex agnus castus reduce moderate-to-severe PMS in Chinese women? Yes, Vitex extract significantly reduced PMS symptoms by the 3rd cycle, with 60 percent or greater symptom reduction in the treatment group compared to placebo, especially for mood and water retention. Strong study design 67 Chinese women with moderate-to-severe PMS ## What they did Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in China. 67 women with moderate-to-severe PMS were enrolled and assigned to Vitex or placebo groups. Women took one tablet daily for 3 menstrual cycles. Symptoms were tracked with a daily rating scale measuring four factors: negative affect (mood), water retention, food cravings, and pain. ## What they found Treatment group symptom scores dropped from 29.38 at baseline to 4.28 by the 3rd cycle. Placebo group dropped from 28.76 to 11.79. All four symptom factors were significantly reduced by cycle 3. More women in the treatment group achieved 60 percent or greater symptom reduction than in placebo. Treatment was especially effective for mood and water retention. ## What it means for you Vitex is effective for moderate-to-severe PMS in Chinese women, particularly for improving mood and reducing water retention. The main limitation is that the study included only Chinese women, so results may not apply to other populations. 67 Women enrolled 29.38 Baseline symptom score 4.28 Cycle 3 score ## About the study Original title Treatment of moderate to severe premenstrual syndrome with Vitex agnus castus (BNO 1095) in Chinese women Authors Ma L, Lin S, Chen R et al. Journal Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology Year 2010 Study design Randomised trial Participants 1,095 What was tested Vitex agnus castus extract (BNO 1095) once daily or placebo Read the paper [doi.org/10.3109/09513591003632126](https://doi.org/10.3109/09513591003632126) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Vitex agnus-castus (chasteberry)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-vitex/)[Other herbal medicine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-herbal-other/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Systematic review, 2013 Does Vitex (chaste tree) help PMS and PMDD symptoms? Randomised trial, 2012 Does Vitex agnus castus work for PMS, and what dose is best? Randomised trial, 2006 What herbs and dietary supplements have evidence for treating premenstrual syndrome? Randomised trial, 2003 Does chaste tree help premenstrual symptoms? Survey study, 2025 Can a plant-based supplement reduce PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2024 What do pharmacy students know about using herbs for PMS? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗