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- Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum syn. C. zeylanicum, Lauraceae)
- Primary Dysmenorrhea
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Date:
10-15-2015 | HC# 081537-530
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Re: Cinnamon Consumption Reduces Symptoms of Primary Dysmenorrhea
Jaafarpour
M, Hatefi M, Najafi F, Khajavikhan J, Khani A. The effect of cinnamon on
menstrual bleeding and systemic symptoms with primary dysmenorrhea. Iran Red Crescent Med J.
2015;17(4):e27032. doi: 10.5812/ircmj.17(4)2015.27032.
Primary
dysmenorrhea, or painful pelvic cramps occurring just before or during
menstruation, can interfere with daily activities and can negatively impact a
woman's quality of life. It is thought to be linked to the production of
prostaglandins from the uterine endometrium during menstruation, especially prostaglandin
F2α (PGF2α). Pharmaceuticals, nonpharmacological
treatments, dietary supplements, and medicinal herbs have been used to treat
primary dysmenorrhea. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum, Lauraceae) has been
used to treat diarrhea, dyspnea, impotence, vaginitis, rheumatism, and
neuralgia, among other ailments. These authors conducted a randomized,
double-blind trial to assess the effects of cinnamon on menstrual bleeding and
systemic symptoms in Iranian college students suffering from primary
dysmenorrhea.
For
the 2013-2014 study conducted at Ilam University of Medical Sciences in Ilam,
Iran, 76 subjects aged between 18 and 30 years with moderate primary
dysmenorrhea and regular menstrual cycles were enrolled. The healthy subjects
all lived in governmental dormitories and had a body mass index between 19 kg/m2 and 26 kg/m2.
Baseline characteristics of the subjects were similar. The use of oral
contraception and analgesics during the trial was not allowed.
Thirty-eight
subjects received placebo capsules containing starch, and 38 subjects received
capsules containing 420 mg of dried cinnamon bark powder. They were instructed
to take 2 capsules 3 times daily during the first 3 days of their menstrual
cycle. No other information was provided regarding the cinnamon capsules.
A
visual analogue scale was used to determine the severity of pain and nausea.
The number of vomiting episodes was counted daily, and daily menstrual bleeding
was measured by the number of saturated pads. Pain severity was recorded at 1,
2, 3, 4, 8, 16, 24, 48, and 72 hours after the study intervention; at 24, 48,
and 74 hours after treatment, mean duration of pain, nausea severity, vomiting, and amount of bleeding were assessed.
The
mean pain severity score and the mean duration of pain were less in the
cinnamon group than in the placebo group at all measured intervals (P<0.001
for both severity and duration of pain) after treatment. Overall, the amount of
bleeding decreased significantly at various intervals in the cinnamon group
(P<0.001) but not in the placebo group. The mean amount of excessive
menstrual bleeding (≥4 pads/day; n=12 in each group) in the cinnamon group
decreased significantly compared with the placebo group at 24 hours (P=0.037)
and at 48 and 72 hours (P<0.001 for both).
The
mean severity of nausea significantly decreased in the cinnamon group at 24
hours (P=0.01) and at 48 and 72 hours (P<0.001 for both) compared with the
placebo group, which had significant reductions (P<0.05) at various
intervals. The number of vomiting episodes in the cinnamon group was
significantly fewer (P<0.001) than in the placebo group with its reductions
(P<0.05) at all measured intervals. No adverse side effects were observed.
Results
of this study suggest that cinnamon significantly reduces pain, menstrual
bleeding, nausea, and vomiting associated with primary dysmenorrhea, without
any adverse side effects. "Cinnamon can be regarded as a safe and
effective treatment for primary dysmenorrhea," the authors conclude. While
the authors provide information regarding the dosage of cinnamon, they do not
provide any information as to how the capsules were manufactured or if the
cinnamon was standardized. More detailed information regarding the cinnamon
capsules should have been included.
—Shari Henson
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