Trial sponsored by Freshuelva suggests that daily consumption of fresh strawberries could reduce chronic menstrual pain
Spanish strawberry association Freshuelva has announced the preliminary results of its pilot clinical with the University of Huelva (UHU) on the potential benefits of strawberry consumption for the menstrual health of young women.
The study, led by Dr Elia Fernández Martínez, followed the evolution of pain in young women diagnosed with primary dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain with no apparent organic cause) who consumed 250g of fresh strawberries daily for a month without making any other lifestyle changes.
According to preliminary results from the analysis of the intervention group, the mean menstrual pain intensity experienced by participants decreased from 7.59 to 5.68 points on a validated pain assessment scale (VAS scale from 0 to 10).
Freshuelva said this reduction is statistically significant and reinforces the potential of regular fresh strawberry consumption as a potential complementary strategy for relieving menstrual pain.
“This discovery, although still partial, opens up an innovative line of research on the impact that certain foods high in bioactive compounds, such as strawberries, can have on the management of chronic conditions,” Fernández said. “Most previous studies have focused on the use of freeze-dried strawberries, but in this case, we worked exclusively with fresh produce from Huelva, which adds a unique value to the study.”
The research is part of a larger clinical trial, involving more than 50 young women between the ages of 18 and 35. The fieldwork was conducted in 2024 at the University of Huelva’s Faculty of Nursing, with logistical support from Freshuelva and the collaboration of the partner company Fres Palos, which supplied the strawberries consumed by the participants.
Freshuelva manager Rafael Domínguez commented: “This research not only demonstrates the sector’s commitment to innovation and public health, but also opens a new avenue for promoting the nutritional and functional value of fresh strawberries from Huelva. We are committed to an agriculture that also contributes to well-being”.
Freshuelva said it will continue supporting this line of work in the next phases of the study, which will include further analyses, including comparisons with a control group and the evaluation of other impact variables.
