Randomised trial, 2026
Does yarrow (Achillea millefolium) help PMS symptoms?
Yes. Yarrow significantly reduced PMS symptoms and abdominal pain compared to placebo, with no adverse effects reported.
What they did
A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial in India. 44 women aged 18 to 40 (22 in each group) took either 500 mg yarrow capsules three times daily or placebo from the 21st day of their cycle to the 3rd day of the next cycle, for two consecutive cycles. 40 women completed the study.
What they found
PMS symptoms improved significantly in the yarrow group (P less than 0.05). Abdominal pain scores dropped markedly in the yarrow group (P less than 0.001) but not in the placebo group. No adverse events were reported.
What it means for you
Yarrow may be a safe and affordable option for PMS. However, the study was done at one hospital in India with 40 completers, which is a modest sample size and may not represent all populations.
40
women completed study
500 mg
dose per treatment (three times daily)
2
menstrual cycles of treatment
About the study
- Original title
- Effect of Achillea millefolium in the management of premenstrual syndrome (PMS): a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial
- Authors
- Shafa Ara Anjum, Nikhat Kausar Inamdar, Syeda Fatima Zohra et al.
- Journal
- Clinical Traditional Medicine and Pharmacology
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 50
- What was tested
- Achillea millefolium (500 mg capsules, three times daily) for two menstrual cycles
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.ctmp.2026.200287
Topics
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