This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the effect of 125 mg/day oleoylethanolamide (OEA) supplementation for 2 months on dysmenorrhea symptoms.  The study included 44 female students with dysmenorrhea-related pain, 22 in the OEA group and 22 in the placebo group.

The results showed an increase in total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (p = 0.022), a decrease in menstrual pain (p = 0.040), malondialdehyde (MDA) (p = 0.011), C-reactive protein (CRP) (p = 0.01), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF- α) (p = 0.038) in the OEA group compared to the placebo group. In addition, intragroup changes were statistically significant on mean pain (p = 0.042), TAC (p = 0.032), MDA (p = 0.023), CRP (p = 0.027), and TNF-α (p = 0.029) at end of study in the intervention group.

Thus, these results suggest that oleoylethanolamide can be considered as an alternative medicine to reduce the use of anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain related to dysmenorrhea.

Mahnaz Kazemi, Fatemeh Lalooha, Mohamadreza Rashidi Nooshabadi, Hossein Khadem Haghighian. Decreased dysmenorrhea pain in girls by reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers following supplementation with oleoylethanolamide: a randomized controlled trial. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2022 Mar 15:15196.