Research dating back to the 1950s has suggested that vitamin E may be useful for women suffering from dysmenorrhea. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in The Lancet (April 23, 1955; pp. 844–847), 50 women with primary dysmenorrhea were given 50 mg of vitamin E three times daily, beginning 10 days before menstruation and continuing for four days. The treatment was repeated for a second menstrual cycle. A control group received a placebo.
Improvement was observed in 76 percent of the women receiving vitamin E, compared to only 29 percent of those in the placebo group.
More recent research published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (November 2001; 108:1181–1183) examined 100 young women with primary dysmenorrhea. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 100 IU of vitamin E for five days—starting two days before menstruation—or a placebo.
Both groups experienced some reduction in pain, but the group receiving vitamin E reported a significantly greater improvement in symptoms compared to the placebo group.
