Omega-3s for Dysmenorrhea

In this new double-blind, crossover study, researchers examined whether dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids would relieve symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation).

Women 18 to 22 years old with primary dysmenorrhea were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 received 1 omega-3 capsule daily for 3 months, followed by placebo for 3 months; Group 2 received placebo for 3 months, followed by omega-3 fatty acids for 3 months.

Both groups included a washout period. 400 mg of ibuprofen was dispensed as a rescue dose if severe menstrual pains were experienced. Reduction in pain intensity was observed after 3 months of treatment with omega-3 fatty acids. Women who received omega-3 fatty acids also required fewer rescue doses than women who received placebo. Findings suggest that omega-3 supplementation may reduce the symptom intensity of primary dysmenorrhea.

This is something that was seen previously, and I share an older study with you (not typical of this blog) because the results were so dramatic (more so for the those taking krill oil, but the fish oil group saw some good results too). Here is the graph that summarizes the results. Most relevant to this post would be the Abdominal Pain, but all factors measured saw quite impressive results!

Source: Effect of omega-3 fatty acids on intensity of primary dysmenorrhea

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