title: Effects of boron supplementation on the severity and duration of pain in primary dysmenorrhea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary dysmenorrhea refers to painful menstrual cramps without pelvic pathology. The condition is highly prevalent among women and exerts negative effects on their quality of life. Considering the evidence for anti-inflammatory properties of Boron, the present study aimed to determine the effects of Boron supplementation on the severity and duration of menstrual pain in female university students.
  
  
  METHODS
  This triple-blind randomized clinical trial study recruited 113 university students. The participants were matched for the severity and duration of dysmenorrhea and randomly allocated into the case and control groups (n = 58 and 55, respectively). The case group consumed 10 mg/day Boron from two days before the menstrual flow until its third day. The control group received placebo capsules (similar to those distributed among the cases). All subjects were asked to take the capsules for two consecutive menstrual cycles. Pain severity (measured on a visual analog scale) and duration (in hours) were measured at baseline and during the two cycles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two groups had no significant differences in the severity and duration of pain at baseline. After the intervention, however, the severity and duration of pain were significantly lower in the case group than in the control group (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on our findings, Boron supplementation can reduce the severity and duration of menstrual pain through exerting anti-inflammatory effects. In order to clarify the effects of Boron on dysmenorrhea, future studies are required to measure the levels of hormones and inflammatory biomarkers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Somayeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nikkhah
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: mhdolatian@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mahrokh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dolatian
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Health School, Baqiyatallah (a.s.) University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Naghii
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Paramedicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zaeri
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Baqiyatallah (a.s.) University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Mojtaba
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Taheri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001895:Boron / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D059408:Pain Management / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001895:Boron
keywords: Boron supplement; Duration of pain; Pain severity; Primary dysmenorrhea; Visual analog scale