In addition to sore, swollen breasts and irritability, many women with PMS experience bloating and insatiable cravings. In fact, more than 150 symptoms have been identified, including paranoia, guilt, memory loss, anger, depression and headaches. Fortunately, PMS is a manageable and treatable condition. Here are some dietary and lifestyle changes that may ease the symptoms.
Get calcium
Studies have found that adequate calcium intake, 1,200 to 1,500 mg daily (about three to four servings of high-calcium foods), reduces both physical and psychological symptoms of PMS, such as mood swings, depression and cramps. Choose calcium-rich dairy products, such as skim milk, yogurt or low-fat cheese. Not a dairy lover? Try soymilk, almonds, kale, tofu, canned salmon with bones, broccoli, spinach and canned or dried beans.
Magnesium
"Oral magnesium, 360 mg daily, from the 15th day of the menstrual cycle to the onset of menses, significantly improved premenstrual pain and negative affect," says Dr. Jennifer Milosavljevic,in OB/GYN at Women's Health Services at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Sources of magnesium include nuts, wheat germ, green leafy vegetables and bananas.
Good fat
According to Anne VanBeber, chair of the department of nutritional sciences at Texas Christian University, research shows that having the proper fat in your diet could influence PMS. "Fats that promote production of the 1- and 3-series of prostaglandins help to decrease inflammatory responses, decrease pain and dilate blood vessels." The diet should be rich in omega-3 fatty acids. This can be accomplished by eating walnuts, flax seed and flax oil, cold-water fish and sea vegetables such as kelp.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E, 400 units per day, may be minimally effective for PMS according to a 1987 study published in Reproductive Health. Another recent study by researchers at Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, also appearing in Reproductive Health, hypothesizes that a combination of vitamin E and essential fatty acids decreases PMS symptoms.
Wheat germ and nuts are good sources of vitamin E. Other sources include vegetable oils, such as safflower oil, and whole-grain cereals and breads.
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Diet detective: Tips for easing the 150 or so symptoms of PMS
