Nutrition and PMS
Can your diet impact your wellbeing in your Cycle?
According to the WHO, the goal is for all people to achieve the highest possible health. Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. An important aspect of women's perceived health is their well-being during the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle reflects a woman's overall health and is described by NICHD (2021) as the "fifth vital sign" along with blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate.
Dietary and lifestyle factors affect a woman's menstrual cycle, which, in turn, can significantly impact perceived health and well-being. Irregular or absent menstruation can be due to various factors such as changes in weight, eating disorders, or illness . There is also a connection between menstrual disorders and physical inactivity and an unhealthy diet. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, and mono- and polyunsaturated fats has shown positive associations and reduced symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menstrual pain.
The menstrual cycle is a complex process coordinated by interactions between the body's tissues, cells, and hormones. Menstrual irregularities may indicate hormonal imbalances, disease, or infection. Stress, changes in weight or diet, certain medications, and other lifestyle factors can cause temporary changes in the menstrual cycle .
Premenstrual symptoms (PMS) is a problem for many women in their luteal phase of their cycle, the days between your ovulation and menstruation, (it's not unusual that many women experience the same symptoms during their menstruation aswell). The prevalence of PMS is ambiguous in research. But it states that it affects in-between 12% - 98% of all menstruating women.
But how can PMS express itself?
PMS can be both psychological and physical, occurring cyclically during the luteal phase. These symptoms include,
Depression
Iritability
Breast tenderness
Sleep disturbances
Anger
Anxiety
Sadness
Fatigue
Feeling overwhelmed
Concentration difficulties
Overeating
Headaches
Muscle pain
Swelling
Weight gain
PMS can significantly impact a woman's well-being and quality of life.
The exact reasons why women experience PMS are not fully understood, but todays research suggest that it is be due to sensitivity in the central nervous system to reproductive hormones, genetic background, nutritional status, and psychosocial factors .
Nutritional factors can be considered in PMS prevention, and certain types of diets have shown both positive and negative effects on premenstrual symptoms. Overconsumption of fast food, fried food, coffee, alcohol, and sweetened processed foods is significantly related to an increased prevalence of PMS . A diet rich in these foods has been shown to be associated with higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers, overweight, and obesity, which can also contribute to increased PMS. Meanwhile a dietary pattern characterized with an intake of nuts, seeds, legumes, carbs rich in fibers, vegetables, fruits, dried fruits, onions, high quality protein sources and fish has been showed to have a positive impact on PMS.
If you experience PMS-related issues before and/or during your menstrual period, here are dietary adjustments you can make to alleviate your PMS symptoms:
Add Whole Foods to your diet, for ex. whole grains, vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, organic eggs, high quality cheese as, feta, parmesan, goat cheese, high quality meets as beef, fish, chicken, turkey.
Reduce Ultra processed foods, as fast foods, processed foods, sodas, energy drinks, sweets, bars, packed snacks etc.
Switch coffee to chicory, matcha or tea.
Want to learn more?
MoradiFili, B., Ghiasvand, R., Pourmasoumi, M., Feizi, A., Shahdadian, F., & Shahshahan, Z. (2020). Dietary patterns are associated with premenstrual syndrome: evidence from a case-control study. Public health nutrition, 23(5), 833–842. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980019002192
Direkvand-Moghadam, A., Sayehmiri, K., Delphisheh, A., Kaikhavandi, S. (2014). Epidemiology of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study. Journal of clinical and diagnostic research : JCDR, 8(2), 106–109. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2014/8024.4021
Hercare. (u.å.). Vad händer i hjärnan: Stress och hormoner. Hämtad 2023-04-07 från, https://hercare.se/vad-hander-i-hjarnan-stress-och-hormoner/
Hofmeister. S. (2016). Premenstrual Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(3):236-240. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2016/0801/p236.html
NICHD. (2021). Menstrual Cycles as a Fifth Vital Sign. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/od/directors_corner/prev_updates/menstrual-cycles
Fabozzi, G., Verdone, G., Allori, M., Cimadomo, D., Tatone, C., Stuppia, L., Franzago, M., Ubaldi, N., Vaiarelli, A., Ubaldi, F. M., Rienzi, L., & Gennarelli, G. (2022). Personalized Nutrition in the Management of Female Infertility: New Insights on Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation. Nutrients, 14(9), 1918. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14091918
Carmichael, M. A., Thomson, R. L., Moran, L. J., & Wycherley, T. P. (2021). The Impact of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Athletes' Performance: A Narrative Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(4), 1667. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041667
Kwon, Y. J., Sung, D. I., & Lee, J. W. (2022). Association among Premenstrual Syndrome, Dietary Patterns, and Adherence to Mediterranean Diet. Nutrients, 14(12), 2460. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14122460