Randomised trial, 2021
Does nigella sativa oil reduce PMS symptoms?
Yes. Nigella sativa oil reduced most PMS symptoms compared to placebo, but it did not help with depression or abdominal bloating.
What they did
A double-blind trial of 124 female college students aged 18 to 25 at Sabzevar University in Iran. The intervention group rubbed 1 to 2 drops of nigella sativa oil on their fontanels at night for 7 days before their period, repeated for three menstrual cycles. The placebo group applied placebo oil in the same way. Pain severity was measured after three cycles.
What they found
Nigella sativa oil reduced the severity of all PMS symptoms except depression and abdominal bloating when compared to placebo. The mean age of participants was 20.55 years, mean age at first period was 13.52 years, and mean age when PMS started was 15.35 years.
What it means for you
Nigella sativa oil may be a safe natural option for most PMS symptoms. The main limitation is that the abstract does not specify by how much pain or symptom severity improved, and it did not help with depression or bloating.
124
participants
1 to 2
drops of oil
3
menstrual cycles
About the study
- Original title
- Using Local Nigella Sativa Oil to Relief Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms
- Authors
- Ezat Samadipour, Roya Akbarzadeh, Akram Kooshki
- Journal
- Journal of Nutrition and Food Security
- Year
- 2021
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 124
- What was tested
- 1 to 2 drops of nigella sativa oil rubbed on fontanels at night for 7 days before each period, for three cycles
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.18502/jnfs.v6i3.6830
Topics
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