--- title: Does evening primrose oil help teenage girls and young women with menstrual cycle problems? description: 86.79% had improvements. Girls with PMS reported better sleep and memory. Those with PCOS reported better mood and appearance. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/clinical-observation-of-evening-primrose-oil-use-in-dysfunctional-menstrual-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does evening primrose oil help teenage girls and young women with menstrual cycle problems? Study, 2026 # Does evening primrose oil help teenage girls and young women with menstrual cycle problems? 86.79% had improvements. Girls with PMS reported better sleep and memory. Those with PCOS reported better mood and appearance. Early or limited evidence 53 adolescent girls with menstrual cycle disorders (painful periods, heavy periods, PCOS, or PMS). ## What they did Over 10 years, doctors followed 53 teenage and adolescent girls who took evening primrose oil. Those with painful or heavy periods took 600 mg daily. Those with PCOS or PMS took 1200 mg daily for 6 months. ## What they found Overall, 86.79% had reduced or stopped their menstrual problems. In 5 girls with PMS, better cognitive function (learning and memory) and better sleep were reported. In 11 of 12 girls with PCOS, improved mood and satisfaction with appearance occurred, with reduced body weight and less oily skin and hair. ## What it means for you Evening primrose oil appeared to help most girls in this study. However, this was a retrospective review without a control group, so we cannot be certain the improvements were from the oil. The study was conducted in one clinic over 10 years. 53 adolescent girls with menstrual disorders 86.79% overall success rate 5 girls with PMS reporting better sleep and memory ## About the study Original title Clinical observation of evening primrose oil use in dysfunctional menstrual cycle disorders among pubertal and adolescent girls: A retrospective observational study Authors Habek Dubravko Journal Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy Year 2026 Study design Study Participants 53 What was tested Evening primrose oil, 600 mg or 1200 mg daily for 6 months. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.5897/jpp2026.0660](https://doi.org/10.5897/jpp2026.0660) Original abstract Evaluation of the use of evening primrose oil (EPO) in the treatment of menstrual cycle disorders in puberty and adolescence (PA).In 53 outpatient cases of menstrual cycle disorders over a ten-year period, a clinical observational retrospective study was conducted on the effect of EPO use in reducing menstrual cycle disorders.In cases of primary dysmenorrhoea and hypermenorrhoea, they took 600 mg of EPO daily, and in cases of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and premenstrual syndrome (PMS), 1200 mg continuously daily at the same time for 6 months.The overall success rate of taking EPO in reducing/stopping disturbances was 86.79%, with the highest percentage in primary dysmenorrhea, followed by PCOS and PMS.Adolescent girls with PMS and PCOS, 5 of them stated that they have better cognitive function in terms of learning, memory, and better sleep, while in the first group with PCOS, 11/12 of them stated that they are happier and satisfied with their appearance due to a reduction in body weight and appearance (oily skin and hair).Although this work is based on an observational clinical study as a purely peer review, the observed improvement following EPO use in PA is evident and warrants further randomized studies. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Evening primrose oil](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-evening-primrose/)[Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-pcos/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Survey study, 2025 Do menstrual problems and poor sleep affect mood and thinking in teenage girls? Survey study, 2017 Does painful menstruation affect adolescent girls' mood, emotions, sleep, and thinking? Survey study, 2025 How common are painful periods, PMS, and heavy bleeding in teenage girls in Sudan? Case report, 2024 Can maca, an herbal supplement, help with PCOS, PMS, dysmenorrhea, and hormone imbalances? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗