This product was formulated based on the clinical experience of Dr. Tori Hudson, a naturopathic physician who has been practicing for over 35 years. Women’s Phase I comes in a nice twist-top jar, and the ingredients are contained in vegetarian capsules. The large pills promise PMS symptom relief through natural herbs.
We decided to include this supplement because it doesn’t focus only on relieving PMS symptoms, but also aims to promote general menstrual health. We believe it is important for PMS products to provide a holistic approach to healing.
Is Women’s Phase I™ Effective?
Let’s take a look at the ingredients: vitamin E, vitamin B6, chromium picolinate, St. John’s wort, and calcium all fight mood related PMS symptoms. Dandelion and magnesium help with fluid retention. Additionally, when paired with vitamin B6, magnesium can also help relieve menstrual cramps. Other ingredients that are said to reduce discomfort include chasteberry, wild yam, and ginkgo biloba.
The minute quantities of some ingredients made us question whether it was even worthwhile for them to be included in the formula. In a clinical study proving the effectiveness of chromium picolinate, 200mcg was used -Women’s Phase I only uses half of that amount so it might not be sufficiently potent. In a different study on the effects of ginkgo biloba extract, 40mg were taken 3 times a day and found to reduce PMS symptoms. Women’s Phase I only has 15 mg per serving which is significantly less, and may not offer the desired benefits.
While the formula does contain some strong ingredients some of them have not been scientifically proven to work for reducing PMS symptoms. Dong quai and passionflower still require more scientific research to support their validity as reducers of PMS symptoms. Furthermore, you might remember our stance on the inclusion of dong quai from our review of Female Harmony. Since it can increase sensitivity to sunlight, dong quai may increase the risk of sunburns. Moreover, dong quai and ginkgo biloba are both anticoagulant agents that can interact with your medication and cannot be taken during pregnancy, while nursing, or when taking a thyroid medication. To their credit, Vitanica does include this information on the product label. Ginkgo biloba should also not be taken by anyone who has experienced a seizure.
Lastly, we must address what we didn’t see included in Women’s Phase I. There are no agents included to stimulate maximum absorption, such as BioPerine® for example. In order for any supplement to work, it must be absorbed properly in the body, so the exclusion of this type of ingredient makes us wonder how effective or fast-acting Women’s Phase I really is.
A good way to judge the effectiveness of a product is to see what people think about it after they have used it. The reviews were primarily positive, but peppered with some negative feedback. Most of these comments focused on the mood improving benefits of Women’s Phase I, while few stated that they had no improvements from using this product.
The price for this product varies based on place of purchase. On Amazon, you can get 120 capsules for about $31. With a dose being 2 capsules daily, this product should last around 2 menstrual cycles. We consider this to be a decent price. However, we prefer purchasing from manufacturers who offer a 100% money back guarantee, as this shows us that the manufacturer is confident that their product will work. Unfortunately, Women’s Phase I does not have a customer satisfaction guarantee.
Bottom Line: Even though Women’s Phase I has a number of good ingredients, it could be better. Some of the ingredients should have been left out and others should have been present in higher dosages. Though some reviews were negative, the majority of reviewers experienced positive results. For the most part, we think this could be an effective product.
Is Women’s Phase I™ Safe?
Due to the anticoagulant properties of dong quai and ginkgo, this product should not be taken with thyroid hormone medication, before surgery, when pregnant or nursing, nor should it be taken by people with bleeding diseases. Ginkgo biloba should also not be taken for anyone who has experienced a seizure. Additionally, dong quai can make skin sensitive to sunlight and may increase the risk of sunburn which can lead to skin disease.
Summary
Women’s Phase I started off as a promising product with a few key ingredients for a PMS supplement. However, some of the ingredients were only present in lower dosages than were clinically proven to be effective. We strongly question the manufacturer’s decision to include dong quai in this product. While there are some positive customer reviews, the negative reviews we found made us think that its formula needs tweaking to improve and enhance its efficacy.
