---
title: Does curcumin reduce the severity of PMS symptoms? | Niyora
description: Yes, curcumin significantly reduced PMS symptom severity from 102 to 42 points, while placebo only reduced it from 106 to 92, showing curcumin works better th
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/curcumin-attenuates-severity-of-premenstrual-syndrome-symptoms-a-randomized-2015/
---

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- Does curcumin reduce the severity of PMS symptoms?

Randomised trial, 2015

# Does curcumin reduce the severity of PMS symptoms?

Yes, curcumin significantly reduced PMS symptom severity from 102 to 42 points, while placebo only reduced it from 106 to 92, showing curcumin works better than placebo. A clear difference was found between the two groups.

 Moderate study design

Women with PMS.

## What they did

A trial with 35 women in each group (curcumin and placebo). Women took two capsules daily for 7 days before their period and 3 days after for three menstrual cycles. They recorded their PMS symptoms daily.

## What they found

At baseline, PMS scores were similar between groups (curcumin 102.06, placebo 106.06). After three cycles, the curcumin group's PMS score fell to 42.47 and the placebo group's fell to 91.60. The difference between how much each group improved was significant.

## What it means for you

Curcumin may genuinely help reduce PMS symptoms, not just through placebo effect. This is a small study with only 70 women, and we do not know how long benefits last after stopping curcumin.

102.06 to 42.47

PMS score change with curcumin

106.06 to 91.60

PMS score change with placebo

3 cycles

treatment duration

## About the study

Original title Curcumin attenuates severity of premenstrual syndrome symptoms: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Authors Khayat S, Fanaei H, Kheirkhah M et al. Journal Complementary therapies in medicine Year 2015 Study design Randomised trial Participants 35 What was tested Curcumin capsules, two daily for 7 days before and 3 days after menstruation for three cycles. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2015.04.001](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2015.04.001)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Curcumin and turmeric](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-curcumin/)[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.

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