Knowing PMS is coming doesn’t make it any easier to handle. But simple changes to your diet can ease the pain

Every month it’s the same story: one miserable week of stomach cramps, backache, bad moods and bloating. Sound familiar? That’s because every month, eight out of ten women experience at least some of these symptoms when they get their period.

PMS, or Premenstrual Syndrome, describes a range of physical and mental problems that affect women before and during their menstrual cycle. The list above is only the start: some women also suffer from water retention, mood swings, cravings, irritability, depression, anxiety, acne, constipation, diarrhoea and tender breasts.

No one really knows why we suffer from PMS and there’s no proven way to cure it, but a number of tried-and-tested methods do seem to help. Millions of women, for example, have found they can manage their PMS better by adapting their diet. It’s believed this is helpful because food affects levels of oestrogen – the hormone linked with menstruation. Exercise will also help alleviate painful cramps and boost your mood because it gets endorphins whizzing round your body and these make you feel happier. Here are some things to focus on in your diet:

1. Carbohydrates Have you ever noticed how you crave certain foods in the run up to and during your period? Chances are, you’ll crave carbs like bread, pasta, potatoes or sweets. Extensive tests have shown that carbohydrates help reduce many PMS symptoms, especially mood swings.
   Doctors believe that carbs help PMS because they raise blood sugar levels. This is beneficial because when blood sugar levels drop, the body releases adrenalin, which stops the efficiency of progesterone – the hormones that help relieve symptoms of PMS. By eating carbs every three hours throughout the day some women are able to control some of the unpleasant effects of PMS.

2. Vitamin B6 It’s thought that mood swings during PMS are caused by the reduced production of the body’s natural feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine. Although scientific trials don’t support this theory, it’s widely believed that taking the ‘women’s’ vitamin, B6 – which is involved in the production of serotonin and dopamine – can help kick start the process again.
   You can get your B6 fix naturally by eating meat, fish, eggs, whole cereals, brussel sprouts, peas and potatoes or in capsule form at your local chemist. Although vitamin B6 deficiency is rare in humans, taking too much of it through high dose supplements can, in rare cases, result in nerve damage. Speak to your doctor before taking Vitamin B6.

3. Minerals Minerals such as zinc and magnesium are crucial in the production of serotonin and dopamine, and it is thought that these hormones may also help alleviate PMS-related headaches, backache and tension. Zinc can be found in a variety of foods such as seafood, cereals, whole grains, turkey (dark meat) and most protein-rich foods such as meat and dairy products. Magnesium is found in peanuts, Marmite, sardines and wholemeal bread. You could also take zinc or magnesium in tablet form or get both in a multi-mineral tablet.

4. Evening Primrose Oil Again, there isn’t a lot of scientific evidence to back up claims that Evening Primrose Oil helps reduce PMS symptoms. However, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to say it works. The oil, which comes from a small yellow flower, contains a polyunsaturated fatty acid called gamma linoleic acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties. As a result, Evening Primrose Oil eases breast tenderness and also blocks the inflammatory prostaglandins that cause menstrual cramps.

5. Drink water If you suffer from bloating in the run up to your period you should avoid fruit juice because it could ferment in your stomach and make the problem worse. Instead, drink lots of water (eight glasses a day if you can manage) to cleanse your system, transport vitamins and minerals around your body and produce digestive enzymes, which help break down and process food.

Tests have also shown that caffeine can aggravate PMS symptoms and the more you drink the worse it gets, so be warned. If you drink a lot of tea, coffee or fizzy drinks it might be worth cutting them out or limiting them over your menstrual period to see whether any of your symptoms decrease.