The Impact of Sérélys PMS, a Herbal Remedy Based on Pollen Extraction and Saffron, on Symptoms of PMS: A Randomized, Double-blinded, Placebo Controlled Study

More than every other women aged 15 to 50 years of age have premenstrual symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, fatigue, headaches, sleep disturbances, breast and abdominal pain, bloating, water retention and weight gain. Some signs continue during menstruation. These psychological and physical manifestations can make women vulnerable and have a negative impact on their professional, social and sexual life. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies demonstrated the beneficial effects of pollen extract in premenstrual discomfort. The premenstrual period is probably caused by a change in the normal amount of sex hormones which can induce disorders in the central neuroendocrine system and estrogens are reported to reduce PMS symptoms to some extend. Moreover, it is well established that serotonin may play a role in PMS, as some inhibitors of serotonin re-uptake (SSRI) have an impact on premenstrual disorders. However, side effects may occur even when using estrogens as well as SSRI. Recently the pollen extract formulation has been improved by adding a natural extract of saffron. This latter component is known for its beneficial action on maintaining comfort during the menstrual cycle of the woman and it especially supports mood changes, one of the mayor PMS symptoms. The effect of Safran was studied more specifically in a randomized controlled double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in women with premenstrual discomfort. This study showed a progressive and significant improvement after the use of saffron. In an other study saffron was documented to improve mood in patients with milder depression.

In summary, the components of saffron helps to improve the well-being of women during the premenstrual and menstrual period and have a well documented impact on mood. The pollen based extracts have well documented impact on most of PMS symptoms but possibly lesser on mood changes, which is also one of the mayor symptoms of PMS. The mechanisms by which saffron and pollen based extraction works is expected to be different and an additive impact is expected. The investigation is initiated by the researchers who feel that in PMS an alternatives to SSRI and estrogen treatment is needed.