ASSESSING THE EFFECT OF PROCESSED NIGELLA SATIVA ON OLIGOMENORRHEA AND AMENORRHEA IN PATIENTS WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME: A PILOT STUDY

Objective: The aim of this pilot study was to assess the effect of processed Nigella Sativa (N. Sativa) on oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea in patients with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Materials and Methods: Ten women diagnosed with PCOS, having oligo-amenorrhea, participated in this study. The National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s criteria were used for the diagnosis. The patients, between 18 to 38 years old, were treated with 2 g/day of encapsulated processed N. Sativa for 16 weeks. This study compared menstruation habits before and after the medication. A series of metabolic and hormonal investigations was done at the beginning and the end of the study. Participants did not take any other medications. Monthly visits were done to assess the treatment. The effects of N. Sativa on the menstrual cycle was evaluated by four criteria: menstruation occurrence, menstruations intervals, menstruation severity and menstruation duration. The blood test results were analyzed using Stata version 13. Results: The average duration of menstruation and the ratio of cycle per month significantly increased during a 4-month intervention. In contrast, the average menstrual cycle intervals showed a remarkable decrease. 78% with mild menstruation before the intervention had moderate menstruation. Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, FBS, insulin, AST, LH and HOMA-IR index were significantly improved after the intervention. Conclusion: This study suggests that treatment with N. Sativa can be considered as a selective treatment in PCOS patients with oligo-amenorrhea, which needs more studies with bigger sample size and control group.