Healthy Body
We took this hero PMS supplement for 2 months – here’s what happened
Team TRB, in partnership with DR.VEGAN® | 29 Aug 2023
PMS supplements can be tricky to pick and choose. There’s a lot of filler to wade through when shopping online, and in-store, which ingredient really counts?
Not every remedy is created equal, however. And at the right dosage and potency, with certain superstar micronutrients and botanicals present, PMS supplements are a potential one-two symptom punch.
WHAT DID WE TEST? DR.VEGAN’s PMS Hero®
Right now, our team just happens to be all-female. We’re all in pretty different life phases however, and with different health goals and hustles going on. And, crucially, with very different cycles, periods and PMS symptoms to manage week-to-week. We’re not all vegan, but the prospect of trying out DR.VEGAN’S runaway success PMS Hero® premenstrual supplement universally appealed.
Plant power, for girl power
Plant-based compounds and botanicals have been used since the dawn of, well, periods, to support varying degrees of premenstrual discomfort. From shatavari for mood and stress support, to dandelion for digestive discomfort and bloating, these are powerful players, and ones we’d expect to see in supplements for PMS, in one form or another.
The thing is, though, you don’t often see such a stellar list of plant-based PMS superstars, blended with specific vitamins and minerals, all in one bottle, at punchy dosages, in an easy two-a-day capsule delivery.
Plus, we’ve heard, they come in 100% plastic-free, compostable packaging. Which for us, is worth extra points, every cycle.
The question is, does PMS Hero® deliver what we were all looking for – PMS relief, at varying degrees of severity? Here are our notes across two cycles, from two members of team TRB. Spoiler – Hollie’s put in a monthly subscription.
Before we dive in, these are the vitamins, minerals and botanicals we get excited about, in PMS Hero®. We’ll unpack them in our next article, but here’s the high level on what goes into each and every capsule:
FOCUS: PMS vitamins, minerals & enzymes
From pain reduction to better energy, these micronutrients make it all happen:
- Folate (vitamin B9)
- Pyridoxine (vitamin B6)
- Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
- Niacin (vitamin B3)
- Bromelain
- Magnesium
- Chromium
FOCUS: PMS botanicals & plant-based actives
Power to the plants. PMS Hero® comes packed with:
- Shatavari root extract
- Dong quai root extract
- Dandelion root
- Ashwagandha KSM-66® root extract
- Agnus castus extract (chaste berry)
Both of us menstruate, both of us tested. Let’s review.
Emma – 28 day cycle, looking for killer pain and cramp support
I’m Emma, Content Creative and Junior Writer at TRB. I’m 27, my menstrual cycle averages 28 days and I never miss a month. Sounds textbook, but my gut instinct is that PMS could be so much easier, with more support. Here’s my baseline PMS picture:
Baseline
Average cycle length: 28 days (I’m super regular)
Ovulation symptoms: pain and cramping, sometimes bloating
Average period length: 6 days
Anything ‘typical’ about your PMS?
- fatigue
- cramps/lower back pain
- bloating/indigestion
- low mood and irritability
- heart palpitations
- headaches (occasional)
Taking any supplements?
I take a GP-prescribed iron supplement.
What’s the story, beyond PMS?
Having IBS – and suspected endometriosis – I’d love to explore what helps support my abdominal pain and bloating during flare-ups, and how the two conditions may be connected. I’m also starting to get interested in how gut health impacts my anxiety and wider health in general (immune system, energy levels etc.)
I’m also anaemic, which plays into how my period shows up and affects my energy levels in particular, every cycle.
My PMS supplement goals
- improving killer cramps and period pain
- reduced bloat (especially in my luteal phase)
- supporting PMS-related energy dips
REVIEW: PMS Hero® notes, wins and questions
It’s worth noting that I moved to London from Stockholm just a few weeks before starting PMS Hero®, so emotions and symptoms are probably heightened, and hormones still adjusting! From that POV however, I need all the support I can get.
My period
The first month of using PMS Hero®, I noticed my period was slightly lighter than usual – I’ll usually need to work around leaks somewhat, and this cycle was definitely easier. The pain was more manageable too – one of my big goals for taking a supplement.
This second cycle, my period blood quality has definitely improved. I’m anaemic, so this is a big deal for me! The blood is a brighter red (tick), with a more balanced flow and less clotting. And, just like last month, the pain is more manageable. Very cool!
PMS symptoms
I feel like there was a mountain to climb here, and in that first cycle my emotional health was probably out-of-the-norm hard to manage – I was super tearful mid-cycle. I noticed I felt calmer during my luteal phase – still fatigued and antisocial, but in a calmer space.
The improvement in pain has been a huge goal to smash, and I’m excited (as excited as you can be about periods!) to see how things go in cycle three, and whether supplemental support gives me that long term improvement I’m looking for.
Hollie – 28 day cycle, looking for mood support
I’m Hollie, Content Manager at TRB. I’m 28, and as I’m taking the pill my cycle is very regular, every 28 days. My PMS though is another story – my big watchpoint for symptom relief is balance. So let’s see! Here’s my baseline:
Baseline
Average cycle length: 28 days (I’m taking the pill)
Ovulation symptoms: This doesn’t really apply, as the pill suppresses my ovulation.
Average period length: 4 days (can be shorter if I’m stressed or tired)
Anything ‘typical’ about your PMS?
- bloating
- nausea during period
- mood swings, irritability
- increased anxiety (ashwagandha has really helped with this, in the past)
Taking any supplements?
I take an ashwagandha supplement for PMS-related anxiety, which has been a game-changer for me. So anxiety isn’t so much of a problem right now, but it was a tick from me to see it included in the PMS Hero® ingredients list.
On and off, I also pulse in vitamin D and omega-3, for extra supplemental support depending on where my body seems to be at.
What’s the story, beyond PMS?
Not much, really! Being on the pill, my cycle is pretty predictable. I’ll have two weeks of complete normality, one week of full-on PMS symptoms (featuring all of the above, from bloating to major mood swings), and then my period arrives and the cycle starts over. Because of the pill, I’m always in the same four-week loop – I literally know to the day what will be happening.
That said, mood swings and irritability are the number one issues for me, with PMS. My partner (kindly) calls my PMS days my ‘chihuahua’ days, because I really am that bitey, and volatile. I feel every emotion, all of the feels, and then things calm down when my period starts.
My PMS supplement goals
- balancing out mood swings and irritability
- reducing bloat
- generally having my body feel ‘normal’ during the PMS red flag days (it would be amazing to barely register that I’m PMS-ing!)
REVIEW: PMS Hero® notes, wins and questions
With irritability and mood support top of my wishlist, here’s what happened. I do feel like I’m quite responsive to supplements (I’ve had good and bad experiences in that respect!), which may be why I noticed a few of these changes so quickly.
My period
My period is never much to write home about, but I think the change I noticed is that due to better mood balance (see below), I wasn’t feeling as sick or as bloated during, which would usually be a feature. You know when your emotions make you feel worse than you actually are?
PMS symptoms
Wow. I’m super-impressed.
I started PMS Hero® in June and here we are in August, with my cycle featuring almost nonexistent mood swings and irritability – or at least, the kind I’d usually link to my PMS. By the end of my first cycle I’d started to notice I wasn’t having those usual ‘chihuahua’ symptoms of feeling bitey, and ready to snap. At this point in my cycle I’d usually be in full PMS mode. And I actually noticed how ‘normal’ I felt (ticking off two of my goals).
By cycle two, it’s official. My mood and irritability has responded so well to this supplement. I’m an ashwagandha convert for anxiety, and the blend of PMS vitamins, minerals and botanicals I’m getting here seem to be just the trick for where my body’s at.
The big teller? Alex, my partner, actually asked when I was going to be on my period. Usually, he’d know, because like clockwork, those PMS symptoms would hit, rage and fade. But for the last two weeks – well, it’s very much a nothing to see here situation!
What’s the deal with this advanced formula?
PMS Hero® blends clinically studied botanicals, vitamins and minerals, in just the right amounts, to support common PMS symptoms. From breast tenderness and bloating to mood swings and irritability, every ingredient is studied and selected to have dynamic impact on how you feel, cycle to cycle.
Nine out of ten women who take PMS Hero® enjoy relief from symptoms, and, having trialled it for two months here at TRB HQ, we’re among them.
On a side note, one of the things we loved about this supplement is the honest and helpful directions which come on each pack, for taking it.
DR.VEGAN® suggests taking two capsules a day, across your cycle. However, you can pulse it in instead, if you like, just before your usual onset of PMS symptoms. If you feel you need the full cycle of support, just switch back to taking it daily. And, if you feel like you get the benefits with just one capsule a day, that’s absolutely fine.
The other thing we loved? The smell! Our editor opened a pack and commented on how lovely and fresh these capsules smell – it’s almost as if, thanks to the botanical profile, you’re opening a pack of fresh microgreens. Vibrant and verdant, just like the plants PMS Hero® leans into.
Keen to try PMS Hero®? TRB readers get a super-lovely 20% off all DR.VEGAN® products right now, with code TRB20*. Let us know how you get on (peace in the PMS valley, we hope!)
*Discount cannot be used in conjunction with other offers. Not valid on bundle and gift products. Only valid once per customer on first time purchases.
