The symptoms of PMS are physical and mental. Bloating, gas, food cravings coupled with mood swings, depression and irritability can make "that time of the month" a time to dread. For mild cases of PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, your doctor may recommend that you take certain dietary supplements---vitamins and minerals---as well as make dietary and lifestyle adjustments. There's more evidence to support use of certain supplements than others when treating and preventing PMS.
About PMS
According to the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, premenstrual syndrome encompasses numerous symptoms that occur 14 days or later after the first day of your last menstrual period and resolve 4 to 7 days after your period ends. Other symptoms of PMS include tiredness, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, poor self-image, lapses in judgment and emotional volatility. There's no tests doctors use to diagnose PMS, says the NIH, and its exact cause still hasn't been identified. Up to 75 percent of women of childbearing age suffer from PMS.
Supplement Basics
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 places dietary supplements---vitamins, minerals, herbs and amino acids---under the broader category of "foods," not "drugs." Dietary supplements don't need clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before they go on the market. Dietary supplements you buy at the market or drugstore cannot purport to treat or cure a medical condition such as PMS, although they may be traditionally used for this purpose. According to the NIH, there are a handful of common dietary supplements your doctor may recommend you take to reduce PMS symptoms.
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamin B6 and the minerals calcium and magnesium are typically used to treat mild PMS, says the NIH. According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, several studies support the use of magnesium and calcium to treat and prevent PMS, while clinical trials studying vitamin B6 for PMS yielded mixed results. A daily multivitamin that contains antioxidant vitamins and trace minerals can help you make up for nutritional deficiencies, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC).
Other Supplements
Supplements that contain chasteberry, black cohosh, evening primrose oil, St. John's wort and dandelion are herbal treatments associated with PMS. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center indicates that a few human trials support the use of chasteberry for PMS in healthy women. St. John's wort, which is supported in many human trials for treatment of depression, has also demonstrated effectiveness in randomized trials to reduce PMS symptoms. Studies measuring the effectiveness of evening primrose oil for PMS are inconsistent, and no human studies have been performed assessing black cohosh for PMS. Dandelion, which is high in potassium, may function as a diuretic and reduce water retention. However, the Cancer Center points out that dandelion has been the subject of only a few well-designed human studies.
Other Information
Relieving PMS symptoms can be as simple as drinking adequate amounts of liquids and consuming smaller, more frequent meals low in salt and simple sugars, according to the NIH. Your treating physician may also suggest that you avoid caffeine and alcohol. Integrating exercise on a regular basis every day of the month can also help reduce PMS symptoms. Before you use a specific dietary supplement to treat PMS, keep in mind that these can interact with medications you're taking and may not be appropriate if you have certain medical conditions. Talk to your doctor before using dietary supplements to address your health concerns.
References
- National Institutes of Health: Premenstrual Syndrome
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration: Dietary Supplement Overview
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Magnesium
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Vitamin B6
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Calcium
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Premenstrual Syndrome
