"Right diet 'could help stop PMS'", BBC News, June 14, 2005,
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4087312.stm
A diet rich in calcium and vitamin D might banish pre-menstrual
syndrome (PMS), US researchers believe.
Many women experience mild emotional or physical symptoms before their
period, but 20% have more severe symptoms.
Massachusetts University researchers compared the diets of 1,000 women
with PMS and 2,000 women without PMS.
Those without PMS tended to eat more vitamin D and calcium-rich foods
like milk, cheese, broccoli and cereals, the Archives of Internal
Medicine reported.
Daily intake
Others have already reported that calcium supplements appear to ease
PMS, but the new research suggests both calcium and vitamin D might
reduce PMS risk in the first place.
Although the authors did not look at what might be behind the link,
past studies suggest calcium and vitamin D may influence levels of the
female hormone oestrogen.
Researchers have also shown that blood calcium and vitamin D levels are
lower in women with PMS.
There are several theories about why PMS occurs, but some believe it is
triggered by fluctuations of the sex hormones during the menstrual
cycle - a drop in progesterone or the increase in oestrogen during the
latter half of the menstrual cycle.
In the current study, after adjusting for factors like the woman's age,
how many children she had and whether she smoked, the researchers found
the women with the highest intake of vitamin D and calcium were
significantly less likely to have PMS.
Scientist Elizabeth Bertine-Johnson said: "We observed a significantly
lower risk of developing PMS in women with high intakes of vitamin D
and calcium from food sources, equivalent to about four servings per
day of skim or low-fat milk, fortified orange juice or low-fat diary
foods such as yoghurt."
The amounts consumed were slightly above the current recommended daily
amounts in the UK, which are 800 milligrams of calcium and 5 micrograms
of vitamin D.
Vitamin D is known to help the body absorb calcium and both are
essential for healthy bones.
Professor Shaughn O'Brien, an expert on PMS from Keele University, said
the findings provided a basis for clinical trial to see whether this
was a real effect.
He said following a healthy, balanced diet was sensible for anyone and
that there are drug treatments have been shown to be helpful for women
with severe PMS.
These include antidepressants, which appear to ease the physical as
well as the psychological symptoms, he said.
The study authors agreed that clinical trials were warranted.
"In the interim, given that calcium and vitamin D may also reduce the
risk of osteoporosis and some cancers, clinicians may consider
recommending these nutrients even for young women," they said.