Tewani Saraswati, Sharma Hemanshu, Tewani Gulab R, Kodali Prakash B, Nair Pradeep Mk
Department of Naturopathy, Sant Hirdaram Medical College of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences for Women, Bhopal, IND.
Department of Community Medicine, Sant Hirdaram Medical College of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences for Women, Bhopal, IND.
Cureus. 2023 Jul 6;15(7):e41437. doi: 10.7759/cureus.41437. eCollection 2023 Jul.
Background and objective Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is one of the leading health issues among women. According to reports, nutrition/diet significantly affects the severity and course of PD. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of therapeutic fasting in alleviating the symptoms associated with PD, improving quality of life (QoL), and reducing absenteeism among young female adults with PD. Methods A total of 52 participants aged between 18 and 24 years were included in the study and randomly classified into two groups of 26 each. The study group (fasting group) was assigned to undergo a 10-day fasting regimen (≤500 kcal/day) while the control group was to follow a normal dietary routine. The severity of pain, associated distress symptoms, QoL, and sleep quality were measured at baseline and on the fifth day of the first, second, and third menstruation cycles after the intervention, using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire, and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. We also recorded the rate of absenteeism among the study participants during menstruation cycles. Results We observed a significant reduction in pain (p<0.001), cramps (p=0.001), nausea/vomiting (p=0.02), dizziness (p=0.007), and mood changes (p=0.005) in the study group compared to the control group. The effects were persistent in most of the variables at the second and third follow-ups as well. The physical (p=0.005) and psychological (p<0.001) QoL significantly improved in the first month, and we observed a similar trend at the second (physical p=0.03; psychological p=0.001) and third follow-ups (psychological p=0.002) except for physical QoL, which was significant only at the second follow-up. The fasting group had significantly lower absenteeism compared to the controls during the first follow-up (p=0.001). Conclusion Therapeutic fasting may be considered a safe and effective option in the management of PD. Future trials should examine the long-term sustainability of the results.
背景与目的 原发性痛经（PD）是女性主要的健康问题之一。据报道，营养/饮食会显著影响原发性痛经的严重程度和病程。本研究旨在评估治疗性禁食在缓解原发性痛经相关症状、改善生活质量（QoL）以及减少患有原发性痛经的年轻成年女性旷工率方面的作用。方法 本研究共纳入52名年龄在18至24岁之间的参与者，并随机分为两组，每组26人。研究组（禁食组）被安排进行为期10天的禁食方案（每天≤500千卡），而对照组则遵循正常饮食常规。在干预后的第一个、第二个和第三个月经周期的基线期以及第五天，使用视觉模拟量表（VAS）、数字评定量表（NRS）、世界卫生组织生活质量简表（WHOQOL - BREF）问卷和匹兹堡睡眠质量指数来测量疼痛的严重程度、相关的痛苦症状、生活质量和睡眠质量。我们还记录了研究参与者在月经周期中的旷工率。结果 与对照组相比，我们观察到研究组的疼痛（p<0.001）、痉挛（p = 0.001）、恶心/呕吐（p = 0.02）、头晕（p = 0.007）和情绪变化（p = 0.005）显著减轻。在第二次和第三次随访时，大多数变量的效果也持续存在。第一个月时，身体（p = 0.005）和心理（p<0.001）生活质量显著改善，除身体生活质量仅在第二次随访时显著外，在第二次（身体p = 0.03；心理p = 0.001）和第三次随访（心理p = 0.002）时我们观察到类似趋势。在第一次随访期间，禁食组的旷工率明显低于对照组（p = 0.001）。结论 治疗性禁食可被视为原发性痛经管理中的一种安全有效的选择。未来的试验应检验结果的长期可持续性。
