Peppermint capsules can effectively reduce the severity of painful menstrual cramps in young women without causing any apparent change in pain duration.
This research was a double-blind clinical trial with 102 female students, who reported experiencing primary dysmenorrhea. Participants were evenly divided into two groups: one receiving three 330mg peppermint capsules per day and the other receiving identical placebo capsules filled with starch. The participants used their respective capsules from the first to the third day of their menstrual cycle. The assessment of pain level was done before the test run and over two successive menstrual cycles using a visual analog scale.
In the results, no substantial differences were seen between the two experimental groups in terms of pain duration and severity before the intervention. However, after the intervention, a significant reduction was found in the severity of pain among the group treated with peppermint capsules, while the placebo group showed no such change. The duration of pain did not present any significant differences between the two groups after the trial.
