Effects of chamomile and L-theanine beverage on menstrual pain, menstrual symptoms, mood, and sleep quality in young women experiencing primary dysmenorrhea: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Ziqing Soh^a, Soo Cing Tan^a, Tak Hiong Wong^b, Seok Tyug Tan^c, Seok Shin Tan^c, Chin Xuan Tan^a,*

^aDepartment of Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, University Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan University Bandar Barat, Kampar, 31900, Perak, Malaysia

^bF&N Global Marketing Pte Ltd, 2 Tuas Link 3 Singapore, 639468, Singapore

^cJeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Selangor, Malaysia

Primary dysmenorrhea is one of the most common complaints among young women. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of chamomile and L-theanine beverage intake on menstrual symptoms, pain intensity, mood, and sleep quality in young adult females with primary dysmenorrhea, using a two-phase continuous study design. In the first phase, a cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea. In the second phase, participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n =15), which consumed chamomile and L- theanine beverage (CTT), or the control group (n =15), which consumed chamomile-flavored beverage (non-CTT). Beverages were consumed daily for five consecutive days, starting two days before the expected onset of menstruation and continuing through the first three days of menstruation. Compared to baseline values, consumption of CTT significantly reduced (p < 0.001) visual analog scale and numerical rating scale values by 57.17% and 55.46%, respectively. Additionally, CTT intake led to significant reductions (p < 0.05) in the severity of lower abdominal pain, loss of appetite, backpain, complexation, stomachache, body pain, depression, and irritability by 52.86%, 47.24%, 56.29%, 31.03%, 43.14%, 42.52%, 49.46%, 45.11%, respectively. CTT consumption also significantly decreased (p < 0.05) daytime dysfunction by 31.97% compared to baseline. Meanwhile, non-CTT consumption significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the severity of complexation, neuroticism, and confusion in the control group. The CTT beverage could be a potential alternative for managing primary dysmenorrhea. Further studies with longer durations are warranted to assess its potential long-term physiological effects.