Date Palm Fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Ameliorated Some Premenstrual Symptoms: Results from an Intervention Trial for 5 Consecutive Menstrual Cycles

Introduction/Objectives: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is the group of symptoms that occur before menses and remit after that. The pathophysiology of PMS is related to hormonal disturbances. Date palm fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) has many functional properties that are beneficial for women's health. This study aimed to investigate the effect of feeding dates on PMS symptoms. Methods: The fruit was fed conveniently to 36 volunteers, 16 and 20 in the control and dates groups, respectively. To monitor PM symptoms, a questionnaire was developed, validated, and tested for reliability. Results: Results of this research yielded a valid (KMO, Barlett factor, and x2 test values of 0.541, <0.001, and 0.105 respectively) reliable (Cronbach’s-α value= 0.761) questionnaire. Feeding dates caused earlier onset of mood changes (0.017*), heavy bleeding (0.012*), and bleeding clots (0.025*). The onset of mood changes correlated significantly (P=0.048*) and negatively (r2= - 0.347) with luteinizing hormone. Additionally, prolactin was correlated significantly and negatively with the onset of abdominal cramps. Within the same line, progesterone was correlated negatively with vaginal secretions (r2= - 0.389, P=0.016*). On the other hand, breast tenderness was correlated (r2=0.391) significantly (P=0.022*) with 17-β-estradiol. Conclusion: This study showed an ameliorating effect of dates on some PMS symptoms, i.e., abdominal cramps, mood changes, heavy bleeding, vaginal secretions, and bleeding clots.