Periods are bad enough without adding premenstrual agonies to the front end. You know what I'm talking about - the bloating, breast tenderness, irritability, fatigue, acne, crying spells, anxiety, and food cravings (chocolate, salt, both - do I hear chocolate covered pretzels anyone?) that occur a week or so before your period arrives.
There has been a lot written in the popular media about easing PMS symptoms through changes in diet, such as consuming less caffeine and sodium and increasing vitamin B intake. But a study published in the Journal of Women's Health actually looked at what proportion of the participants' diets consisted of what kinds of foods (e.g., fats, carbs, fiber) and how these proportions related to their premenstrual symptoms. The study consisted of 3,302 ethnically diverse women who participated in SWAN (Study of Women's Health Across the Nation). They did find some relationships between what women ate and how they felt. But you may be surprised by the results (I sure was).
Fat intake was associated with fewer premenstrual cravings and less bloating (potato chips okay). Caffeine was associated with more anxiety and mood changes (pumpkin spice latte from Starbuck's not okay). Alcohol consumption was associated with less anxiety and mood changes (glass of red wine okay), but more headaches (or maybe not okay). Fiber was associated with more breast pain (bran muffin maybe not okay, I'm still not sure about this one - see below).
Perhaps more important than the dietary findings, they found certain subgroups of women experienced PMS differently. Perimenopausal women reported significantly more premenstrual symptoms than premenopausal women. Additionally, women with depression reported more PMS symptoms, especially anxiety and mood changes. Conversely, 0lder women reported less anxiety, mood changes, and back pain. Finally, overweight and obese women reported more cravings and bloating than normal weight women.
Is there a dietary moral here? The authors of the study say no. With the exception of caffeine, most of the dietary relationships were in the opposite direction - that is, fat and alcohol were actually associated with fewer symptoms, not more. Additionally, I would add there are other benefits of fiber intake that may outweigh the monthly nuisance of breast pain (although I'm not someone who experiences breast pain, so I might be convinced otherwise). They also didn't time their study to measure food intake and then track subsequent symptoms in the same 2-week period. Had they done this, they might have identified some different relationships between food and symptoms. Perhaps the more important part of this study is the identification of subgroups of women who are at higher risk for PMS symptoms, namely perimenopausal women, overweight women, and women with depression. If you are in one of these subgroups and you experience PMS, talk to your health care provider about ways to alleviate your symptoms.
There has been a lot written in the popular media about easing PMS symptoms through changes in diet, such as consuming less caffeine and sodium and increasing vitamin B intake. But a study published in the Journal of Women's Health actually looked at what proportion of the participants' diets consisted of what kinds of foods (e.g., fats, carbs, fiber) and how these proportions related to their premenstrual symptoms. The study consisted of 3,302 ethnically diverse women who participated in SWAN (Study of Women's Health Across the Nation). They did find some relationships between what women ate and how they felt. But you may be surprised by the results (I sure was).
Fat intake was associated with fewer premenstrual cravings and less bloating (potato chips okay). Caffeine was associated with more anxiety and mood changes (pumpkin spice latte from Starbuck's not okay). Alcohol consumption was associated with less anxiety and mood changes (glass of red wine okay), but more headaches (or maybe not okay). Fiber was associated with more breast pain (bran muffin maybe not okay, I'm still not sure about this one - see below).
Perhaps more important than the dietary findings, they found certain subgroups of women experienced PMS differently. Perimenopausal women reported significantly more premenstrual symptoms than premenopausal women. Additionally, women with depression reported more PMS symptoms, especially anxiety and mood changes. Conversely, 0lder women reported less anxiety, mood changes, and back pain. Finally, overweight and obese women reported more cravings and bloating than normal weight women.
Is there a dietary moral here? The authors of the study say no. With the exception of caffeine, most of the dietary relationships were in the opposite direction - that is, fat and alcohol were actually associated with fewer symptoms, not more. Additionally, I would add there are other benefits of fiber intake that may outweigh the monthly nuisance of breast pain (although I'm not someone who experiences breast pain, so I might be convinced otherwise). They also didn't time their study to measure food intake and then track subsequent symptoms in the same 2-week period. Had they done this, they might have identified some different relationships between food and symptoms. Perhaps the more important part of this study is the identification of subgroups of women who are at higher risk for PMS symptoms, namely perimenopausal women, overweight women, and women with depression. If you are in one of these subgroups and you experience PMS, talk to your health care provider about ways to alleviate your symptoms.
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