CALCIUM: ANOTHER WEIGHT LOSS STRATEGY

CALCIUM AND VIT D SUPPLEMENTATION

CALCIUM CUTS BONE LOSS

VITAMIN C - THE WONDER CURE

PMS - PROPER MULTIPLE SUPPLEMENTATION

CATARACTS AND ANTIOXIDANTS

CALCIUM & MAGNESIUM

A CRAMP "SOLUTION"

CHOCOLATE CRAVINGS

CHELATION & MINERAL BIOAVAILABILITY

MALNUTRITION AND THE ELDERLY

MAGNESIUM: ARE YOU "MARGINALLY" DEFICIENT?

MAGNESIUM: THE MEDICINAL MINERAL

YOUR HEALTH CARE DEBATE

THE OTHER DEBATE

"TIS THE SEASON TO BE STRESSED"

VEGETARIANISM: A 90'S APPROACH TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

WINTER BLUES AND HOLIDAYS

ANTIOXIDANT PROTECTION

SHOULD YOU TAKE EXTRA VITAMINS

MACULAR DEGENERATION STUDY SUPPORTS SUPPLEMENTATION

WHAT DO HEART DISEASE, STROKES AND ALZHEIMER'S HAVE IN COMMON? 3 B VITAMINS

Premenstrual Syndrome ("PMS") is an illusive disorder. There are no lab tests which detect PMS. Thus a physician must depend on the patient's own subjective analysis of the variations in her physical and emotional states. Affecting women 1 to 2 weeks before their menstrual cycle, the symptoms can include headaches, breast swelling and tenderness, insomnia, fatigue, nervousness, fainting spells, loneliness, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, depression, water retention or pain. One cause of PMS is a hormone imbalance - excessive estrogen and inadequate progesterone levels. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is also an important factor. Finally, fluid retention affects blood flow, reducing oxygen in the uterus, ovaries and brain.

PMS occurs commonly, and controversy abounds as to its proper treatment. Unfortunately, some women have been diagnosed as mentally ill; when exercise, a change of diet and vitamin therapy was all that was needed.

Over the past two decades, large-scale clinical studies have linked PMS with deficiencies in various vitamins and minerals. According to research conducted at the Homewood Hospital Center in Maryland (1988), a multivitamin/mineral supplement is valuable in reducing the severity of PMS. Other studies, as the following suggests, have pinpointed specific vitamins and minerals in alleviating PMS systems.

Calcium. A recent Agriculture Department study indicates that calcium appears to help women deal with the stress and anxiety that can be symptoms of PMS. Although they are not debilitated by PMS, the participants usually experienced some degree of PMS symptoms. Conducted at the Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, N.D., the study found that 9 out of 10 participants in the 5 ½ month study were in a better mood before and during their menstrual periods while on a diet that boosted their calcium intake to 1,300 mg daily. (These findings are consistent with earlier investigations.)

B-6 (Pyridoxine). Daily intakes of B-6 can relieve, to some degree, PMS symptoms. A retrospective study (1976-1983) of B-6 and PMS was conducted at the Department of Gynecology, St. Thomas Hospital and Medical School in London. Researchers found that of those who received less than 100 mg/day, many experienced partial improvement of PMS symptoms; of those who received 100 to 150 mg/day, 40% experienced significant reduction in PMS symptoms; and, of those who received 160 to 200 mg/day, 60% experienced improvements in PMS symptoms.

However, daily intake is recommended between 20 and 50 mg. Intakes of B-6 exceeding 50 mg/day are associated with the development of burning, shooting and tingling pains in the arms and legs, clumsiness and numbness.

Researchers who conducted the study stated that pyridoxine might improve PMS by influencing synthesis of serotonin and dopamine in the hypothalamus.

Magnesium. Women diagnosed with PMS might be deficient in magnesium, according to a study conducted at Sussex County Hospital and the Well Woman Clinic in East Sussex, UK (1986). The study measured red blood cell magnesium levels in women diagnosed with PMS and compared the results to the control group. This study did not assess the therapeutic effects of magnesium supplementation in reducing PMS symptoms; and, little research exists to substantiate its effectiveness in relieving PMS symptoms.

Nonetheless, many nutritionists advocate increasing magnesium intake to relieve PMS symptoms. That's because magnesium is an enzyme cofactor in calcium utilization, and therefore an important component of PMS treatment.

Copyright ® October-November, 1991