Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a condition affecting many women, who experience recurrent symptoms during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle which can significantly disrupt their quality of life and relationships.
The symptoms can be psychological (irritability, mood swings, depressed mood, crying spells, low self-esteem, anxiety, sleep disturbance, increased appetite, lethargy or fatigue), cognitive (forgetfulness, decreased concentration) or physical (breast tenderness, bloating, fluid retention, weight gain, constipation, hot flushes, headaches, musculoskeletal discomfort, acne, rhinitis, palpitations.
Muskroot native to south Asia, has been traditionally used for anxiolytic, sedative, antispasmodic, tranquillizing, carminative, emmenagogue, cardio-tonic, neuroprotective and nootropic activities.
Study details
Study Design: Single blind randomized, placebo controlled
Participants: 60 Women with the following were enrolled: (1) being aged between 18 and 45 years, (2) having a regular menstrual cycle with a cycle length of 21–35 days, (3) presenting with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and (4) having a minimum PMTS score ≥10 and VAS score ≥1.
Plant Material: Nardostachys jatamansi was procured from Sana herbals, Bangalore. The dried rhizome of Nardostachys jatamansi was finely powdered and capsules were prepared, each containing 666 mg of N. jatamansi.
Intervention: Patients were instructed to take three capsules orally, twice daily for the 15 days prior to the expected date of menstruation, up until the onset of the next menstrual cycle. This was done for 2 consecutive cycles.
Here are the results
200 women were interviewed, 151 of which fell within the selected age range of 18–45 years. 79 women were unwilling to participate in the study and a further 12 women did not meet the inclusion criteria, leaving 60 women to be randomly allocated, leaving 30 women in both the test and control groups.
After the two months of treatment, a statistically significant reduction in average PMTS-O and PMTS-SR scores in the N. jatamansi group (p < 0.001) compared to placebo.
PMTS-O premenstrual tension syndrome observer-rating scale PMTS-SR premenstrual tension syndrome self- rating scale.
Here is what the authors had to say
The improvement in irritability and angry outbursts, seen in the present study may be due to the presence of the sesquiterpene jatamansone in N. Jatamansi, which has been shown to reduce aggressiveness, stubbornness, restlessness and insomnia in hyperkinetic children.
and
The improvements in confusion demonstrated, are in line with the results of prior research which suggests N. Jatamansi to have neuroprotective activity and the ability to prevent cognitive impairment and neuro-degeneration
Conclusions
The results of this study using muskroot (Nardostachys jatamansi) suggest possible benefits of relieving symptoms of PMS. There are a number of limitations to this study that include a short study (i.e. 2 cycles), single blind trial, and a single follow-up after cessation of treatment.
Reference: Malik R, et al. Efficacy of Nardostachys jatamansi DC. in the management of premenstrual syndrome: A randomized controlled study. Journal of Herbal Medicine. Volume 14, December 2018, Pages 17-21
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Plant Medicine
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