05.01.12
Nutraceutical: Vitamin D
Indication: Menstrual cramps
Source: Arch Intern Med, February 27, 2012;172(4):367-9.
Research: The goal of this small study was to see if vitamin D could remedy menstrual cramps, with the hope that it could one day be an alternative to the painkillers and birth control pills that doctors now recommend. The treatment involved patients taking 300,000 IUs of vitamin D. All of the women had relatively low vitamin D blood levels to begin with—and the lower the levels, the more pain women said they experienced. Vitamin D is known to decrease the production of inflammation-provoking molecules called cytokines, as well as hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. Primary dysmenorrhea is among the most common menstrual disorders, occurring in at least 50% of reproductive-age women. The main source of pelvic pain is believed to be prostaglandins synthesized from omega 6 fatty acids prior to menses, which control vasoconstriction and uterine contraction.
Results: Of 20 women taking the 300,000-IU dose of vitamin D, 15 reported pain scores at least two points lower than their average over a four-cycle baseline period, on a standard 10-point visual analog scale. Only four of 20 participants assigned to placebo in the trial showed any improvement relative to baseline.
Indication: Menstrual cramps
Source: Arch Intern Med, February 27, 2012;172(4):367-9.
Research: The goal of this small study was to see if vitamin D could remedy menstrual cramps, with the hope that it could one day be an alternative to the painkillers and birth control pills that doctors now recommend. The treatment involved patients taking 300,000 IUs of vitamin D. All of the women had relatively low vitamin D blood levels to begin with—and the lower the levels, the more pain women said they experienced. Vitamin D is known to decrease the production of inflammation-provoking molecules called cytokines, as well as hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. Primary dysmenorrhea is among the most common menstrual disorders, occurring in at least 50% of reproductive-age women. The main source of pelvic pain is believed to be prostaglandins synthesized from omega 6 fatty acids prior to menses, which control vasoconstriction and uterine contraction.
Results: Of 20 women taking the 300,000-IU dose of vitamin D, 15 reported pain scores at least two points lower than their average over a four-cycle baseline period, on a standard 10-point visual analog scale. Only four of 20 participants assigned to placebo in the trial showed any improvement relative to baseline.
