Do Chamomile effect on duration, amount of bleeding, and interval of menstrual cycles?

Mollabashi EN, Ziaie T, Bekhradi R, Khalesi ZB · Journal of Pharmacopuncture · 2020 March 31

DOI 10.3831/KPI.2020.23.004

Objective

To investigate the effect of chamomile capsule on the amount of bleeding, and the duration and interval of menstrual cycles in women.

Conclusions

The study concludes that the chamomile capsule decreases the amount of menstrual bleeding and can be used as a therapeutic method. However, it did not show any significant difference in terms of duration and interval between menstrual cycles.

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Insights

Chamomile capsules can decrease the amount of menstrual bleeding and thus, can offer remedy for women suffering from heavy periods.

The study was conducted as a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial with 118 female students from Guilan University of Medical Sciences. Participants were split into two groups of 59, with one group receiving chamomile capsules 250 mg thrice a day, and the other a placebo. Treatment was started seven days before menstruation and continued until the next menstrual onset. The Higham chart, a pictorial tool that assesses blood loss, was used to quantify the amount and duration of menstrual bleeding. The study found that on average, the quantity of menstrual bleeding was reduced in the group that took the chamomile capsules. However, there was no significant difference observed in the duration and interval between bleeding in both groups, indicating that while chamomile may decrease the amount of blood loss, it has no effect on the timing of menstrual cycles. These results establish chamomile as a potential treatment for reducing heavy menstrual bleeding.