The Effect of Palm Pollen Extract on Sexual Disorders in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Marzeyeh Loripoor, Fatemeh Esmaeili, Reza Vazirinejad and 1 others
PMID 36650842WHAT IT FOUND
Daily 300 mg palm pollen extract did not improve sexual function more than placebo in postmenopausal women with sexual disorders over 4 weeks.
It does not show benefit.
Key findings
01The total sexual disorder score did not differ between the extract and placebo groups before intervention, at the end of the 4-week intervention, or 4 weeks later.
02Mean total scores in the extract group were 15.36±5.01 before intervention, 15.18±4.50 after intervention, and 15.07±4.77 four weeks after the intervention ended; in the control group they were 14.13±4.67, 14.22±3.91, and 14.44±3.78.
0389 of 110 enrolled women completed the study.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was done in a single centre in Iran, so it may not apply to other populations. The intervention lasted only 4 weeks, and the authors suggest that different doses, longer use, or pollen from different regions might behave differently. Only married, sexually active women aged 50 to 65 with FSFI scores below 19 were enrolled, so the result does not cover other postmenopausal women. Many enrolled participants did not complete the trial, and the main comparison is reported for the 44 extract and 45 control completers. The authors state that psychological, social and individual factors affecting sexual function were not fully controlled. The extract was prepared from a single source in a single laboratory, and the authors note that palm pollen composition can differ by region.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Student Research Committee of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences with code 98286. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that palm pollen extract is ineffective for every menopausal sexual problem. This trial tested one 300 mg extract dose for 4 weeks in married, sexually active women with FSFI scores below 19, and only 89 of 110 completed, so a longer trial, different dose, or different population could differ.