The effect of Teucrium polium on the duration of menstrual bleeding: A triple-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Teucrium polium (T. polium; locally called ‘kalpooreh’) is a herbal medicine with therapeutic effects against diabetes and fungal infections, and it has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects as well. It is also used traditionally as a remedy in treating headache, dysmenorrhea, convulsions and gastrointestinal disorders. Moreover, its hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and antibacterial effects have been reported in recent studies. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of T. polium on reduction of menstrual bleeding. METHODS: This triple-blind, clinical trial study was performed on 70 single female students between 20 and 30 years old, studying at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. They were allocated randomly into two groups: In the T. polium group (n =35), they received 250 mg of T. polium powder compared to 35 subjects who received placebo. For the first 3 days of menstruation, subjects were asked to take the capsules they had been given, four times daily for two consecutive menstrual cycles. Duration of menstrual bleeding was determined by a Higham chart. Data were analyzed by IBM-SPSS version 20, using repeated measures and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: There were no differences between the two groups at baseline. Comprising the Higham chart showed that: the participants in the T. polium group had lower significant duration and amount of menstrual bleeding in the 1st and the 2nd menstruation cycles after treatment (p≤0.05). CONCLUSION: Teucrium polium, when taken during the first 3 days of menstruation, led to a significantly greater decrease in duration of menstrual bleeding compared to placebo. TRAIL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered at the Thailand Registry of Clinical Trials with the ID TCTR20160818002. FUNDING: This research received financial support from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.