---
title: Does evening primrose oil help treat PMS? | Niyora
description: No. Based on current evidence, evening primrose oil is likely ineffective for PMS. Most studies to date have had major methodologic flaws.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/evening-primrose-oil-2009/
---

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- Does evening primrose oil help treat PMS?

Study, 2009

# Does evening primrose oil help treat PMS?

No. Based on current evidence, evening primrose oil is likely ineffective for PMS. Most studies to date have had major methodologic flaws.

 Moderate study design

Review of published studies (not a specific study of people).

## What they did

Reviewed published studies examining evening primrose oil's use for women's health conditions, including PMS and breast pain.

## What they found

Evening primrose oil does not provide significant improvement for PMS or cyclical breast pain. Minor side effects include gastrointestinal upset and headaches. The review noted that optimal dosing standards and treatment approaches are not yet clear.

## What it means for you

Current evidence does not support using evening primrose oil for PMS. The main limitation is that existing studies have significant design flaws, so better-designed research is needed. Avoid during pregnancy.

## About the study

Original title Evening primrose oil Authors Bayles B, Usatine R Journal American family physician Year 2009 Study design Study What was tested evening primrose oil Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20000302/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20000302/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Evening primrose oil](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-evening-primrose/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/)

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

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Are menstrual symptoms common in middle-aged women and do they relate to hot flushes?

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Are diet and lifestyle factors associated with premenstrual symptoms?

Randomised trial, 2001

Does lisuride maleate help premenstrual breast pain?

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