The findings of this systematic review suggest that curcumin holds promise in the management of PMS and dysmenorrhea.

Curcumin, a bioactive supplement for premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea: A systematic review of randomised clinical trials.

Oadi N Shrateh, Arshad Jawed, Muhammad Hamza Shuja, K Harish Kumar, Syeda Tayyaba Rehan, Sondos Abdelrhman, Mashhour Naasan, Norhanom Abdul Wahab

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol X

Dec 1, 2025

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The anti-inflammatory nature of curcumin suggests its potential to modulate the body's inflammatory processes, offering a novel avenue for mitigating heightened inflammatory responses often observed in conditions like PMS and dysmenorrhea. METHODS: MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Google Scholar from their inception to November 12, 2023. The review was conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The outcomes of interest encompassed evaluating the severity of PMS symptoms and dysmenorrhea, including physical symptoms, behavioral symptoms, mood symptoms. Additionally, the study focused on assessing inflammatory biomarkers, Iron profile and Vitamin D status as other outcomes. RESULTS: Ten randomized controlled trials have evaluated the effectiveness of curcumin in reducing premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea symptoms in women. These studies used various scales such as the Premenstrual Syndrome Screening Tool (PSST) and visual analog scale. Out of ten trials, six of them reported a significant decrease in PMS and dysmenorrhea symptoms. Additionally, six studies evaluated curcumin's association with inflammatory markers, hematological parameters, iron profile, Vitamin D, and sleep patterns. This demonstrated significant association between curcumin and inflammatory markers (nitric oxide metabolites, BDNF, IgE, Il-10, IL-12, hs-CRP), and vitamin D status. CONCLUSION: The findings of this systematic review suggest that curcumin holds promise in the management of PMS and dysmenorrhea. However, further research is needed to establish optimal dosages and treatment durations, considering potential interactions with iron metabolism. The results encourage the exploration of curcumin as a complementary approach in enhancing the overall well-being of individuals affected by these menstrual conditions.