Leyla Arabnezhad, Mahtab Mohammadifard, Ladan Rahmani, Zahra Majidi, Gordon A Ferns, Afsane Bahrami
Journal: BMC complementary medicine and therapies 2022;22(1):19
PMID: 35065636
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and dysmenorrhea are common cyclical and recurrent gynaecologic complications of women in the reproductive age and can adversely affect their wellbeing and quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of curcumin on Vitamin D in women who suffered from both PMS and dysmenorrhea. This study is a 3-month, triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Participants were randomly allocated to one of the two arms: the curcumin group (n=38) or placebo group (n=38). Results demonstrate that supplementation of curcuminoids plus piperine for three menstrual cycles, significantly improved the vitamin D status in women with PMS and dysmenorrhea. Additionally, curcumin treatment was associated with a significant reduction in the serum levels of aspartate transaminase [enzyme] and direct bilirubin, suggesting that curcumin may affect liver health even in healthy subjects. Authors conclude that future studies should investigate the dose-response association for the beneficial effect of curcuminoids on Vitamin D deficiency.
BACKGROUND
Vitamin D has an established role in female reproduction. There is also evidence for an association between vitamin D levels and menstrual problems such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and dysmenorrhea. Curcumin, is a bioactive polyphenol constituent of turmeric, that can potentially interact with vitamin D receptors and its molecular targets. This study evaluated the effects of curcumin on vitamin D levels in young women with PMS and dysmenorrhea.
METHODS
In this randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial, women with PMS and dysmenorrhea were divided randomly into experimental and control groups to receive one capsule (500 mg of curcuminoid+ 5 mg piperine, or placebo) daily, from approximately 7 days before until 3 days after menstruation for three consecutive menstrual cycles. Serum vitamin D levels, renal function, and liver enzymes were also measured before and after intervention.
RESULTS
A total of 76 subjects (38 in each group) were recruited into the trial. Curcumin significantly increased the median (IQR) serum levels of vitamin D [from 12.8 ng/ml (7.0-24.6) to 16.2 ng/ml (6.4-28.8); P = 0.045], compared with placebo [from 18.6 ng/ml (2.2-26.8) to 21.3 ng/ml (5.2-27.1); P = 0.17]. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase and direct bilirubin were reduced by the end of trial in the curcumin group (p < 0.05), but did not change significantly in the control group (p > 0.05). Finally, no significant differences in levels of fasting blood glucose were detected between curcumin and placebo groups.
CONCLUSION
Curcumin supplementation in women with PMS and dysmenorrhea led to a significant improvement of vitamin D, liver function enzyme test, but did not affect blood glucose.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
The trial was registered on Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials registry (Trial ID: IRCT20191112045424N1 on 23 January 2020; available at https://www.irct.ir ).
© 2022. The Author(s).
© Copyright 2026, Nutrition Evidence
NED wishes to thank the following organisations for their support:
We use cookies to improve your experience and analyze site traffic with Google Analytics. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more.