Systematic review, 2019
Does chasteberry help premenstrual syndrome?
Yes, based on 3 high-quality trials, women taking chasteberry were 2.57 times more likely to experience symptom improvement compared to placebo. However, evidence is limited because only 3 rigorous studies met quality criteria.
What they did
Meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus) preparations. From 21 trials identified, 3 met high-quality criteria, involving 520 women total.
What they found
Women taking chasteberry were 2.57 times more likely to have remission of PMS symptoms compared to placebo (95% confidence interval 1.52 to 4.35). Only 3 trials met strict quality criteria for proper reporting and herbal product characterization.
What it means for you
Chasteberry appears effective for PMS based on good-quality evidence. However, evidence is limited to only 3 rigorous trials. Most published studies had poor reporting. More trials following strict reporting standards are needed.
520
women in high-quality trials
3
rigorous trials of 21 identified
2.57
times more likely to improve vs placebo
About the study
- Original title
- Vitex agnus-castus in premenstrual syndrome: A meta-analysis of double-blind randomised controlled trials
- Authors
- Csupor D, Lantos T, Hegyi P et al.
- Journal
- Complementary therapies in medicine
- Year
- 2019
- Study design
- Systematic review
- What was tested
- Chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus) extracts Ze 440 and BNO 1095 versus placebo
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2019.08.024
Topics
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