--- title: Does aromatherapy help PMS symptoms? | Niyora description: Essential oils and plant extracts studied showed beneficial effects on PMS symptoms with few side effects, but studies used different methods so we cannot com url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-effect-of-aromatherapy-on-premenstrual-syndrome-symptoms-a-systematic-review-2021/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does aromatherapy help PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2021 # Does aromatherapy help PMS symptoms? Essential oils and plant extracts studied showed beneficial effects on PMS symptoms with few side effects, but studies used different methods so we cannot combine results. Early or limited evidence Women with PMS from 10 clinical trials ## What they did Systematic review of 10 clinical trials on aromatherapy for PMS. Researchers searched 6 databases plus Google Scholar without time limit until 2021. Studies examined 7 different plant extracts and essential oils. ## What they found Most essential oils and plant extracts studied had beneficial effects on PMS symptoms. These treatments contained antioxidant and flavonoid compounds with anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antidepressant properties. Most had no or minimal side effects. ## What it means for you Aromatherapy shows promise for PMS relief with good safety profiles. Because studies used different methods and outcome measures, we cannot perform a proper combined analysis. More standardized research with consistent methods is needed. 10 clinical trials reviewed 7 different plant extracts and essential oils tested ## About the study Original title The Effect of Aromatherapy on Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms: A Systematic Review Authors Mitra Kolivand, Fateme Dehghan, Mastaneh Kamravamanesh et al. Journal DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) Year 2021 Study design Systematic review What was tested 7 different plant extracts and essential oils delivered via aromatherapy Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.22038/ijogi.2021.18984](https://doi.org/10.22038/ijogi.2021.18984) Original abstract Introduction: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a set of physical and psychological symptoms of menstruation in women which is one of the most common disorders of reproductive age. Several early articles have been published on the effect of aromatherapy on the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. However, a comprehensive study was not found that shows the results of these studies uniformly and clearly, so this study was performed with aim to determine the effect of aromatherapy on the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome using systematic review. Methods: To achieve the studies related to the research objective, databases of SID, Magiran, Pubmed, Google scholar, Scopus and Science direct were searched without time limit until 2021 using the keywords of premenstrual syndrome, aromatherapy in both Persian and English and all possible combinations with the use of operators of OR, AND. Qualitative evaluation of the studies was performed by the consortium checklist. Results: Seven plant extracts and essential oils were evaluated in 10 clinical trial studies which met the inclusion criteria. Most of the essential oils studied in the articles had antioxidant and flavonoid compounds with anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antidepressant properties and had a beneficial effect on relieving PMS symptoms. The majority of these essential oils had no or minimal side effects. Performing meta-analysis was not possible due to the heterogeneity of the studies' methodology and the difference of effects assessment tools. Conclusion: Due to the positive effect of using plant extracts and essential oils in reducing the physical and psychological symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, it can be considered as an alternative treatment for women with premenstrual syndrome. Reproduced under CC-BY-SA. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Other herbal medicine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-herbal-other/) 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 Randomised trial, 2022 Do herbal medicines and nutritional supplements help relieve PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2017 Does Vitex agnus castus help treat premenstrual syndrome? Review, 2015 What treatments work best for PMDD and PMS? Review, 2015 What do we know about PMS and PMDD and how are they treated? Systematic review, 2013 Does Vitex (chaste tree) help PMS and PMDD symptoms? Randomised trial, 2010 What treatments work for premenstrual syndrome? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗