Take charge of your premenstrual tension, or PMT, symptoms with vitamins and minerals. PMT is another name for premenstrual syndrome, more commonly used in the United Kingdom than the United States. Try eating foods rich in vitamins to reduce your chances of getting PMT this month. Take mineral supplements to relieve symptoms such as depression and bloating. Consult with your doctor about which vitamin and mineral supplements can cause side effects and may interact with medicine.
B Vitamins
Eating foods rich in B vitamins can reduce the likelihood of having PMT, according to a review of data from the Nurses' Health Study II by the Harvard School of Public Health and reported in the May 2011 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." More than 3,000 women participated in the study. The researchers found women with high intakes of thiamine and riboflavin from food enjoyed a significantly lower risk of having PMT. Eat whole grains, seafood, leafy green vegetables and beans for B vitamins.
Vitamin D
Foods rich in vitamin D may reduce your risk of getting PMT, according to data from the University of Massachusetts Vitamin D Status Study, reported in the July 2010 issue of the "Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology." The researchers found 88 women who met the criteria for analysis. Among this group, women who ate foods with a high vitamin D content had significantly lower rates of PMT. Fortified foods, fish and egg yolks are rich in vitamin D.
Calcium
Taking calcium supplements can reduce the symptoms of PMT, according to a clinical trial from Tehran University in Iran, published in the June 2009 issue of the "Taiwan Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology." The subjects of the clinical trial were women in college. One group took a 500 mg dose of calcium carbonate two times per day for three months, and the other took a placebo. Subjects taking the calcium supplement showed significant improvement in appetite changes, symptoms of depression and early tiredness. Dairy products, canned pink salmon, turnip greens and kale are rich in calcium.
Magnesium
Magnesium supplements can reduce bloating associated with PMT, according to a study from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, reported in the November 1998 issue of the "Journal of Women's Health." Thirty-eight women took 200 mg of magnesium every day for two months. After the first month, the magnesium and placebo group showed no improvement. At the end of the second month, the researchers found the magnesium group experienced reduced fluid retention, a symptom of PMT. Potatoes, cashews, wheat bran and vegetarian baked beans are rich in magnesium.
References
- "Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology"; Dietary Vitamin D Intake, 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Levels and Premenstrual Syndrome in a College-Aged Population; E.R. Bertone-Johnson, et al.; July 2010
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Dietary B Vitamin Intake and Incident Premenstrual Syndrome; Patricia O. Chocano-Bedoya et al.; April 2011
- "Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology"; Effects of Calcium Supplement Therapy in Women with Premenstrual Syndrome; Z. Ghanbari, et al.; June 2009
- "Journal of Women's Health"; Magnesium Supplementation Alleviates Premenstrual Symptoms of Fluid Retention; A.F. Walker, et al.; November 1998
- Surrey Park Clinic: Premenstrual Syndrome
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