--- title: Does curcumin help raise vitamin D levels in women with PMS and dysmenorrhea? description: Curcumin increased vitamin D more than placebo. Both groups improved, and the effect was statistically significant but modest. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/effects-of-curcumin-supplementation-on-vitamin-d-levels-in-women-with-2022/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does curcumin help raise vitamin D levels in women with PMS and dysmenorrhea? Randomised trial, 2022 # Does curcumin help raise vitamin D levels in women with PMS and dysmenorrhea? Curcumin increased vitamin D more than placebo. Both groups improved, and the effect was statistically significant but modest. Moderate study design 76 young women with PMS and dysmenorrhea ## What they did 76 women with PMS and dysmenorrhea received either 500 mg curcuminoid plus 5 mg piperine or placebo in a capsule daily. They took it from about 7 days before until 3 days after their period for three consecutive menstrual cycles. ## What they found Curcumin raised median vitamin D from 12.8 ng/ml to 16.2 ng/ml (p=0.045), while placebo raised it from 18.6 to 21.3 (p=0.17). Liver function tests improved in the curcumin group but blood glucose did not change. ## What it means for you Curcumin may help raise vitamin D in women with PMS and dysmenorrhea, though both groups improved with time and the study was small. More research is needed to confirm the benefit. 76 women studied 12.8-16.2 ng/ml vitamin D increase with curcumin 3 menstrual cycles of treatment ## About the study Original title Effects of curcumin supplementation on vitamin D levels in women with premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea: a randomized controlled study Authors Arabnezhad L, Mohammadifard M, Rahmani L et al. Journal BMC complementary medicine and therapies Year 2022 Study design Randomised trial Participants 76 What was tested 500 mg curcuminoid plus 5 mg piperine daily for three menstrual cycles Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1186/s12906-022-03515-2](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-022-03515-2) Original abstract Background: Vitamin D has an established role in female reproduction. There is also evidence for an association between vitamin D levels and menstrual problems such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and dysmenorrhea. Curcumin, is a bioactive polyphenol constituent of turmeric, that can potentially interact with vitamin D receptors and its molecular targets. This study evaluated the effects of curcumin on vitamin D levels in young women with PMS and dysmenorrhea. Methods: In this randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial, women with PMS and dysmenorrhea were divided randomly into experimental and control groups to receive one capsule (500 mg of curcuminoid+ 5 mg piperine, or placebo) daily, from approximately 7 days before until 3 days after menstruation for three consecutive menstrual cycles. Serum vitamin D levels, renal function, and liver enzymes were also measured before and after intervention. Results: A total of 76 subjects (38 in each group) were recruited into the trial. Curcumin significantly increased the median (IQR) serum levels of vitamin D [from 12.8 ng/ml (7.0-24.6) to 16.2 ng/ml (6.4-28.8); P = 0.045], compared with placebo [from 18.6 ng/ml (2.2-26.8) to 21.3 ng/ml (5.2-27.1); P = 0.17]. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase and direct bilirubin were reduced by the end of trial in the curcumin group (p 0.05). Finally, no significant differences in levels of fasting blood glucose were detected between curcumin and placebo groups. Conclusion: Curcumin supplementation in women with PMS and dysmenorrhea led to a significant improvement of vitamin D, liver function enzyme test, but did not affect blood glucose. Trial registration: The trial was registered on Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials registry (Trial ID: IRCT20191112045424N1 on 23 January 2020; available at https://www.irct.ir ). 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/)[Vitamin D](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-vitamin-d/)[Curcumin and turmeric](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-curcumin/) 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 curcumin supplement help reduce PMS and period pain symptoms? Randomised trial, 2025 Do vitamin D and E supplements reduce menstrual pain and PMS symptoms? Randomised trial, 2024 Does curcumin reduce depression, anxiety, and stress in women with PMS and dysmenorrhea? Randomised trial, 2024 Does curcumin-piperine combination improve antioxidant activity in women with PMS and period pain? Randomised trial, 2023 Does curcumin reduce inflammation in women with PMS and painful periods? Randomised trial, 2022 Does curcumin with piperine reduce PMS symptoms by lowering inflammation? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗