Randomised trial, 2018
Can a lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) capsule improve mental health symptoms in teenage girls with PMS?
Yes, in this trial girls taking lemon balm capsules had significantly better scores for psychosomatic symptoms, anxiety, sleep problems and social functioning than girls taking a placebo.
What they did
100 female teenagers with PMS were randomly split into two groups. One group took 600 mg of lemon balm capsules twice a day, the other took a placebo, over three menstrual cycles. Mental health was measured before and after using a standard health questionnaire and compared between groups.
What they found
The lemon balm group had significantly lower scores (meaning fewer problems) than the placebo group for psychosomatic symptoms (p < 0.001), anxiety and sleep problems (p < 0.001), and social function problems (p = 0.021).
What it means for you
Lemon balm capsules may help ease some mental and physical PMS symptoms in teenage girls, based on this trial comparing it to a placebo. As the study looked only at female adolescents over three cycles, it is not yet known whether the same benefit applies to adult women or over longer periods of use.
n=100
teenage girls in the trial
p < 0.001
significance for psychosomatic symptoms and anxiety/sleep problems
p = 0.021
significance for social function problems
About the study
- Original title
- Effect of Melissa officinalis capsule on the mental health of female adolescents with premenstrual syndrome: a clinical trial study
- Authors
- Heydari N, Dehghani M, Emamghoreishi M et al.
- Journal
- International journal of adolescent medicine and health
- Year
- 2018
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 100
- What was tested
- Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) capsules, 600 mg twice daily, taken across three menstrual cycles, compared with placebo
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2017-0015
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