"The Effect of a Nutritional Supplement on Premenstrual Syndrome"

Aim: To investigate the effects of supplementation with Swisse Womens Ultivite on Premenstrual Symptoms utilizing the Premenstrual Symptom Score (PMSS) assessed by questionnaire as the primary outcome measure.

Design: Double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial conducted over 42 weeks using parallel groups of individuals with prospectively confirmed mild to moderate premenstrual tension. The study included 49 subjects randomly allocated into 28 in the active group and 21 in the placebo group.

Psychological symptoms of PMS include depression, anxiety, anger and irritability, rapid mood swings, disinterest in normal activities and lack of concentration; food cravings and fatigue are common complaints while the physical discomforts, bloating, breast tenderness, abdominal pain and headache frequently occur. There were significant reductions in premenstrual syndrome symptoms between the pre-treatment and post treatment stages of the study. The reduction for the active treatment was highly significant and greater than the reduction in symptoms for subjects on placebo. The study showed a 50% improvement for subjects taking the active treatment.