Condition

Menstrual Health

Menstrual health covers painful periods, heavy bleeding, premenstrual syndrome and irregular cycles, often tied to prostaglandin imbalances, hormone shifts and nutrition. Magnesium and ginger have the most research, with moderate evidence, and some studies found ginger eased period pain about as well as common anti-inflammatory painkillers. The evidence is thinner elsewhere: iron showed limited evidence of lower anemia risk, and most other options have only limited data.

Sources: PMID 9861593

Supplements studied: 3
Graded outcomes: 3
Trials: 11
People studied: 16,847

Evidence by supplement

Strong
Moderate
Limited
Very limited

3 supplements

Saffron

Saffron: outcomes studied for Menstrual Health
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Anxiety Symptoms Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect	6 studies	47 people
Studies that measured anxiety symptoms Crocus sativus L. versus Citalopram in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder with Anxious Distress: A Double-Blind, Controlled Clinical TrialPharmacopsychiatry · PMID 27701683 The effects of alcoholic extract of saffron (Crocus satious L.) on mild to moderate comorbid depression-anxiety, sleep quality, and life satisfaction in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled clinical trialComplement Ther Med · PMID 30477839 A double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in the treatment of anxiety and depressionJ Complement Integr Med · PMID 27101556 and 3 more on the Saffron page
	Estrogen	Changes; see studies		1 study	47 people
Studies that measured estrogen Psychological and neuroendocrinological effects of odor of saffron (Crocus sativus)Phytomedicine · PMID 21242071
	Cortisol	Improves (the measure goes down)			47 people
	Testosterone	Improves (the measure goes up)			47 people

Wild Yam

Wild Yam: outcomes studied for Menstrual Health
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Studies	People
	Estrogen Mixed effect			10 people
	Prostaglandin E2	Improves (the measure goes down)	1 study	10 people
Studies that measured prostaglandin e2 The effect of Dioscorea esculenta powder on prostaglandin E(2) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2 levels, menstrual pain, and premenstrual syndrome in young women: A randomized double-blind controlled trial.Nutr Health · PMID 36217795
	Pain	Improves (the measure goes down)		10 people
	Progesterone	Improves (the measure goes up)		10 people

Iron

Iron: outcomes studied for Menstrual Health
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Anemia Risk Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect		10,996 people
	Hemoglobin	Improves (the measure goes up)		7 studies	10,996 people
Studies that measured hemoglobin Role of iron in the reduction of anemia among women of reproductive age in low-middle income countries: insights from systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Womens Health · PMID 37069552 Oral iron supplementation and anaemia in children according to schedule, duration, dose and cosupplementation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 129 randomised trials.BMJ Glob Health · PMID 36849195 Efficacy of daily versus intermittent oral iron supplementation for prevention of anaemia among pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.EClinicalMedicine · PMID 39114275 and 4 more on the Iron page
	Ferritin	Improves (the measure goes up)			10,996 people

Key findings

Anxiety SymptomsSaffronImproves (the measure goes down)
EstrogenWild Yam
Anemia RiskIronImproves (the measure goes down)

The Menstrual Health Support protocol

2 primary supplements · 8 supporting supplements

Magnesium200–400 mg daily (glycinate or citrate form)
Ginger750–2,000 mg daily during menstruation

See the full protocol

Shop the evidence-backed picks

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Studies cited

9 studies from PubMed

Acceptability and performance of the menstrual cup in South Africa: a randomized crossover trial comparing the menstrual cup to tampons or sanitary padsJ Womens Health · PMID 25682816
FLOW (finding lasting options for women): multicentre randomized controlled trial comparing tampons with menstrual cupsCan Fam Physician · PMID 21673197
Menstrual cup use, leakage, acceptability, safety, and availability: a systematic review and meta-analysisLancet Public Health · PMID 31324419
Women's experience of using the MooncupJ Obstet Gynaecol · PMID 20373933
Use of menstrual cups among school girls: longitudinal observations nested in a randomised controlled feasibility study in rural western KenyaReprod Health · PMID 30119636
Preclinical, clinical, and over-the-counter postmarketing experience with a new vaginal cup: menstrual collectionJ Womens Health · PMID 21194348
Menses cup evaluation studyFertil Steril · PMID 7641929
Menstrual cups and sanitary pads to reduce school attrition, and sexually transmitted and reproductive tract infections: a cluster randomised controlled feasibility study in rural Western KenyaBMJ Open · PMID 27881530
Does using tampons or menstrual cups increase early IUD expulsion rates?Contraception · PMID 22464406