Health hacks to relieve premenstrual syndrome

Even though premenstrual syndrome is not usually a debilitating issue, it is annoying to go through every month. Here's a couple lifestyle changes that you can try to prevent PMS affecting your life.

As many as 75 percent of menstruating women can identify with the physical and emotional symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

It's a unique experience for every woman and PMS is characterized by a constellation of symptoms including:

• moodiness
• tearfulness
• irritability
• bloating (water retention)
• insomnia
• fatigue
• food cravings
• headaches (sometimes migraines)
• breast tenderness
• depression

Symptoms generally start a week or a few days before menstruation and continue into the first few days. If symptoms become disruptive and impair daily life, it would be prudent to seek medical treatment.

The exact cause of PMS is currently unknown, though theories suggest that PMS may result from an imbalance of hormones. This imbalance can cause mood fluctuations and food cravings.

• Preliminary studies indicate a possible link between PMS and abnormal metabolism of prostaglandins (hormone-like substances) or the hormone progesterone.
• Also, PMS may be associated with decreased levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which is instrumental in the regulation of mood, appetite and feelings of well-being.

Although food doesn't prevent PMS, certain substances in food may offer relief from some of the distressing symptoms of PMS.

• Calcium may help to reduce mood disturbances, abdominal cramping, bloating and muscular contractions resulting from PMS. Calcium may help regulate brain chemicals and hormones that affect mood.
• Foods high in complex carbohydrates can be helpful in that they increase the production of serotonin, a brain chemical that regulates mood and appetite. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates also help to regulate glucose levels, which are thought to fluctuate in women with PMS.
• Women who experience PMS often have low magnesium levels, which may predispose them to PMS-induced headaches.
• Though research has been conflicting, some studies show that foods rich in vitamin B6 may help to stimulate production of serotonin and reduce anxiety and depression caused by PMS. Also, vitamin B6 may help to increase the accumulation of magnesium in the body's cells.
• One of the reasons that PMS is less common in Asian countries may be the high consumption of soy foods in those cultures. Soy iso­flavones such as genistein (as well as lignans in flaxseeds) are ­phytoestrogens that may help to balance hormonal fluctuations by reducing high oestrogen levels, believed to play a role in PMS.
• Eating foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish and shellfish, may decrease menstrual pain by promoting the production of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. Omega-3 fatty acids may also reduce depression, which is one of the many symptoms of PMS.

In addition to adding foods to the diet to help manage PMS, there are also some foods to be avoided. Reducing caffeine intake as well as sodium may help to reduce PMS symptoms.

A recent study indicates that a meat-free diet may be helpful in relieving symptoms of PMS. Researchers asked 33 women to adhere to a meat-free diet for two months, then go back to their normal diet for the following two months.

• The researchers discovered that when the women adhered to the meat-free diet, they had fewer symptoms of PMS, fewer menstrual cramps, less water retention and lower cholesterol levels. As a bonus, they lost weight.
• The study participants who went back to their normal diets experienced PMS, cramps and weight gain. Study authors suggest that the reduction of dietary fat and the adoption of a vegetarian diet alter estrogen levels.

• nonfat plain yogurt
• skim milk
• tofu
• beans
• potatoes
• rice
• turnips
• whole grains
• amaranth
• avocados
• quinoa
• sunflower seeds
• bananas
• salmon