---
title: Does evening primrose oil help PMS symptoms? | Niyora
description: The research is mixed. Some studies showed evening primrose oil reduced symptom severity and duration, but others found no difference from placebo. We need mo
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/effect-of-evening-primrose-oil-on-the-symptoms-of-premenstrual-syndrome-2022/
---

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- Does evening primrose oil help PMS symptoms?

Review, 2022

# Does evening primrose oil help PMS symptoms?

The research is mixed. Some studies showed evening primrose oil reduced symptom severity and duration, but others found no difference from placebo. We need more research to know for sure.

 Early or limited evidence

Various studies of PMS (this is a review of published studies)

## What they did

Researchers searched multiple databases without date limits and reviewed 8 published articles and systematic reviews about evening primrose oil for PMS.

## What they found

Results were contradictory. Some studies reported improvement in symptom duration and severity, while others reported no difference compared to placebo.

## What it means for you

Evening primrose oil might help PMS, but the evidence is unclear because different studies found different results. More rigorous research is needed to determine whether it actually works.

8

articles reviewed

## About the study

Original title Effect of evening primrose oil on the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Literature review Authors Sara Jiménez Siles, Begoña Graván Romero Journal Enfermería Cuidándote Year 2022 Study design Review What was tested Evening primrose oil Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.51326/ec.5.4.2477363](https://doi.org/10.51326/ec.5.4.2477363) Original abstract

Many women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) use alternative therapies, although the literature on their effectiveness is scarce. PMS is a cyclical condition that causes physical and psychological discomfort related to menstruation. Evening primrose oil has been one of the methods traditionally used to treat different types of inflammation. This characteristic is attributed to its high content of gamma linolenic acid. The objective of this bibliographic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of evening primrose oil for the relief of premenstrual symptoms. A structured research was performed in different databases. Original studies and systematic reviews were selected. Studies from different parts of the world were included to broaden the multicultural nature of the study. No date limit was established in the search in order to have as much information as possible. Finally 8 articles were selected. The results obtained were contradictory, since some studies reported an improvement in the duration and severity of symptoms and others reported no difference compared to placebo. More research is needed to better understand the effects of evening primrose and to obtain a treatment based on the best possible evidence.

Reproduced under CC-BY.

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Evening primrose oil](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-evening-primrose/)

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, 2009

Which herbs, vitamins and minerals help treat PMS?

Systematic review, 2007

What treatments work for premenstrual syndrome?

Study, 2002

Which PMS treatments have good scientific evidence?

Randomised trial, 2000

Which dietary supplements help PMS?

Study, 2024

Does a combination of evening primrose oil, tocotrienol, and vitamin B6 reduce premenstrual symptoms?

Randomised trial, 2024

Does a herbal soft gel capsule with three oils reduce PMS symptoms?

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