Examining the Effect of Chamomile on Clinical Symptoms and Hormonal Parameters Among Patients With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is the most common cause of infertility and endocrine disorder among women due to anovulation. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of chamomile on oligomenorrhea and hirsutism symptoms as well as hormonal parameters among patients suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is a randomized clinical trial performed on 70 patients with diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome according to Rotterdam criteria referring to the infertility clinic of a university hospital. The patients were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups, with the former receiving two chamomile capsules 500 mg for three months, and the latter receiving two placebo capsules for 3 months. Both groups were evaluated in terms of laboratory parameters (FBS, LDL, and testosterone) on the third day of first and third cycles. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS 20. RESULTS: The mean age, body mass index, marital status, history of infertility, and pregnancy rate showed no significant difference between the two groups. In the chamomile group, clinical symptoms of hirsutism (p<0.001) and oligomenorrhea (p=0.048) decreased following the treatment, but significant difference was found between the two groups only in hirsutism symptoms (p=0.028). Regarding the parameters of FBS (p=0.06), HDL (p=0.224), cholesterol (p=0.99), triglyceride (p=0.106), testosterone (p=0.894), and LDL (p=0.61), no significant difference was observed between the two groups. Nevertheless, following the treatment, testosterone decreased in both placebo (p=0.005) and chamomile (p=0.001) groups. CONCLUSION: overall, the chamomile therapeutic regimen has relatively been able to mitigate the clinical symptoms and testosterone levels in patients suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome. Use of chamomile plant as a simple, inexpensive, and effective measure can be suggested for improving and treating patients with PCOS after confirmation by further studies.