drsandeepgupta.com Dr Sandeep Gupta's Nutritional Medicine Blog

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is the common name for a series of common symptoms occuring in women in the days prior to their menstrual period. These can include anxiety, irritability, abdominal bloating, breast tenderness and swelling, tiredness and depression.

Physiological studies have showed that in many cases the underlying abnormality may be an imbalance between the two major female hormones: estrogen and progesterone. This causes a chain of effects in the body. Some studies have also shown that deficiencies of magnesium and vitamin B6 can also contribute towards the cause.

Some tips for getting on top of PMS:

1. Create a good relationship with a health practitioner experienced at treating PMS.

2. Try adding a magnesium and B6 supplement to your diet. High magnesium foods include all green vegetables, buckwheat (a grain), nuts and seeds and raw chocolate (cacao).

3. Exercise regularly and incorporate some relaxation or meditation into your lifestyle.

4. Try to avoid exposure to plastics, pesticides/herbicides and pollution, all of which can imbalance your female hormones

5. Try to take some “Me Time” every day and sleep six to eight hours per night (depending on your constitution).