The Effect of Zinc Supplementation on the Improvement of Premenstrual Symptoms in Female University Students: a Randomized Clinical Trial Study

• Published in: Biological trace element research 2023-02, Vol.201 (2), p.559-566
• Main Authors: Ahmadi, Maryam, Khansary, Shahedeh, Parsapour, Hamideh, Alizamir, Aida, Pirdehghan, Azar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Body weight gain; Colleges & universities; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Evaluation; Female; Females; Health and safety screening; Hormone release; Hormones; Humans; Immune response; Immunology; Infant; Life Sciences; Medical science; Medical sciences; Menstrual cycle; Muscles; Nutrition; Oncology; Placebos; PMS; Premenstrual syndrome; Premenstrual Syndrome - drug therapy; Statistical analysis; Statistical methods; Students; Supplements; Symptoms; Trace elements; Universities; University students; Zinc; Zinc - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0163-4984; 1559-0720
• DOI: 10.1007/s12011-022-03175-w

Zinc is an essential microelement that plays many important functions in the body. It is crucial for the regulation of cell growth, hormone release, immunological response, and reproduction. Thus, this trial aimed to evaluate the effects of zinc supplementation in comparison with placebo on the improvement of premenstrual symptoms in female university students. This triple-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel trial was conducted among 69 female students aged 18–35 with premenstrual syndrome that living in dormitories of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, in west of Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups of equal number; one group received 220 mg of elemental zinc ( n  = 33) and the other group received placebo ( n  = 36) on a regular daily for 24 weeks. The premenstrual syndrome was assessed by Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool-Adolescent ( PSST - A ) questionnaire for all participants. Chi-square and t -student tests were used to compare the percentage or mean of parameters between two groups. All statistical analysis conducted by SPSS version 16. The mean age in the intervention group was 25.64 ± 0.53 years, and in the control group was 24.38 ± 0.51 years ( P  = 0.087). After 24 weeks of intervention, PMS physical and psychological symptoms such as anger, anxiety, depressed mood, overeating, breast tenderness, headaches, muscle pain, bloating, and weight gain significantly decreased in zinc group compared to placebo group ( P