Proper Menstrual Supplementation
Premenstrual Syndrome ("PMS") is an illusive disorder that is characterized by psychological and physical symptoms. It affects women 1 to 2 weeks before their menstrual cycle with symptoms including headaches, breast swelling and tenderness, insomnia, fatigue, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, depression, water retention and pain.
One cause of PMS is a hormone imbalance - excessive estrogen and inadequate progesterone levels. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is also an important factor. As well as fluid retention which affects blood flow, reducing oxygen in the uterus, ovaries and brain.
PMS occurs commonly, and controversy abounds as to its proper treatment. Over the past two decades, large-scale clinical studies have linked PMS with deficiencies in various vitamins and minerals. Other studies, as the following suggests, have pinpointed specific vitamins and minerals in alleviating PMS symptoms.
Calcium
Women who experience premenstrual symptoms usually have hypercalcemia, or calcium deficiency brought on by an increase of estrogen.3 Recent studies have confirmed that additional intake of calcium, a recommended 1,200mg daily have significantly reduced the symptoms of PMS. As a group of women stated their symptoms reduced 48% with the calcium supplement compared to the 30% of women who took a placebo.
Currently, doctors prescribe medications for certain symptoms of PMS such as Xanax, for the overall calming effect of PMS, and Prozac for depression and mood swings, common medications that are highly addictive. As a more cost efficient and safer way of reducing symptoms without the side effects of prescription drugs would be a calcium supplement.
B-6 (Pyridoxine)
Daily intakes of B-6 can relieve, to some degree, PMS symptoms. A study done by Kashanian and Mazinani (2009) compared the effects of Pyridoxine or Vitamin B6 with the use of a placebo and results showed a significant decrease in symptoms of PMS. It is recommended that only 100mg of vitamin B-6 be taken daily for premenstrual symptoms as any dosage above 200mg can cause adverse side affects ranging from nerve damage, to upset stomachs and headaches.
Researchers who conducted the study stated that pyridoxine might improve PMS by influencing synthesis of serotonin and dopamine (neurotransmitters) in the hypothalamus that affect moods and behavior. Pyridoxine is not the active form that the body can use as it needs magnesium to convert to pyridoxal-5-phosphate.
Magnesium
A magnesium deficit in the red blood cells is also believed to be a contributing factor to PMS. A pilot study conducted in 2007 over a period of 3 months concluded that a 250mg magnesium tablet significantly decreased the effects of PMS by 1/3.4 The study however did not compare the results to a “control group” thus results are questionable. 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.
® Advanced Nutritional Research, Inc. August 2009
- Ishiwata, N., Uesugi, S., Uehara, M., Melby, M., and Watanabe, S. “Effects of Soy Isoflavones on Premenstrual Syndrome". Published in a supplement to The Journal of Nutrition. Presented as part of the Fifth International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Preventing and Treating Chronic Disease held in Orlando, FL, September 21–24, 2003. Received August 18, 2009 from http://jn.nutrition.org/
- Kashanian, M., & R. Mazinani. "The Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) for the Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome: A Double Blind Randomized Clinical Trial." Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior: SNE 2009 Annual Conference Proceedings 41.4S (2009) 18 Aug. 2009.
- Micronutrients and the premenstrual syndrome: the case for calcium by Thys-Jacobs S Metabolic Bone Center, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York. J Am Coll. Nutr. 2000 Apr; 19(2): 220-7
- Quaranta S, et al. Pilot study of the efficacy and safety of a modified-release magnesium 250 mg tablet (Sincromag) for the treatment of premenstrual syndrome. Clin Drug Investig. 2007; 27(1):51-8