Comparison of the effect of vitamin E, vitamin D and ginger on the severity of primary dysmenorrhea: a single-blind clinical trial
What this study found
All active supplements plus analgesic reduced dysmenorrhea severity, with ginger showing the largest effect. Baseline mean VAS 7.13±0.80; after first month 5.37±1.51; after second month 4.93±1.48. Mean reductions (first/second month): ginger 3.36/3.88; vitamin D 1.56/1.80; vitamin E 1.36/1.88 (P<0.001). No significant baseline differences (P=0.52); significant differences after months 1 and 2 (P<0.001). Ginger yielded the greatest reduction (F=74.54, P<0.001); vitamin D more effective than vitamin E; ginger > vitamin D > vitamin E in reducing dysmenorrhea. Conclusion: ginger is most…
- Study & population
- Single-blind randomized clinical trial conducted in 2016 among female medical students aged 18-25 years with moderate-to-severe dysmenorrhea.
- Intervention
- Ginger: 500 mg ginger capsules daily for up to 5 days around onset of menses.
- Key limitation
- 40 participants excluded due to follow-up loss; analgesic co-therapy prevented isolating effects of individual supplements; study population limited to female medical students, limiting generalizability.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
Objective Dysmenorrhea is one of the most common problems for women, especially during their reproductive age. Various studies have examined the effects of vitamins D and E and ginger supplements. This study aimed to investigate the individual effects of each of these supplements on dysmenorrhea. Methods This single-blind clinical trial was conducted in 2016 on students aged 18 to 25 years who complained of mild to severe dysmenorrhea. The participants were randomly assigned into 4 groups: vitamin D, vitamin E, ginger, and placebo. The effects of the supplements on the severity of dysmenorrhea were evaluated in 2 successive cycles using the visual analog scale (VAS) and a questionnaire. Results Initially, 240 female students were enrolled in the study; thereafter, 40 students were excluded from the study owing to follow-up loss. The average VAS score for dysmenorrhea in the entire study population was 7.13±0.80 before the intervention; the mean VAS score after the first and second months of supplement use was 5.37±1.51 and 4.93±1.48, respectively. The highest reduction in pain severity was observed in the ginger group (F=74.54, P<0.001). Conclusion Vitamin D, vitamin E, and ginger significantly reduced the severity of dysmenorrhea, with ginger having the most significant effect followed by vitamin D and vitamin E. Given the low risk of these supplements, more studies must be conducted on their use as opposed to analgesics.