Nutrition and premenstrual syndrome: the causes, how to prevent it and how to deal with it

Edited by Doctor Roberto Uliano

PMS affects millions of women around the world throughout the reproductive period. More than 85% of the female population suffer from it, experiencing one or more symptoms in the days before or during menstruation; among these women, about 2-10% show symptoms so important as to make it difficult, if not impossible, to carry out normal daily activities.

PMS can manifest itself with mood disorders, depression, irritability, headaches, breast tenderness, strong weight gain and water retention. The real cause of this now social phenomenon remains unknown, and there are several theories advanced in the weather.

Undoubtedly the hormonal change of this period represents a strong contributing cause. In fact, during the phase preceding the arrival of menstruation, there is a strong imbalance between estrogen and progesterone (hormones produced by the ovary), which affect the metabolism of serotonin involved in the tone of mood, on the hydro-saline balance through the "anti-diuretic hormone, on the prolactin involved in breast tension, but also on the prostaglandins involved in the perception of pain and inflammation." On this basis, numerous therapies have been proposed over time, such as the contraceptive pill, diuretics and reduction of the prolactin, which, however, despite having a beneficial effect, have numerous side effects. A certain benefit can still be drawn from some precautions in the daily diet and from the use of natural ingredients.

One of the symptoms most encountered during PMS is weight gain. This characteristic is often due to a sharp increase in water retention, but in some cases it is aggravated by the increased sugar intake that often accompanies this period.

Let's see some concrete cases.

Nutrition and premenstrual syndrome: do you feel bloated?

In the premenstrual phase and during menstruation, one of the most common complaints is the sensation of abdominal bloating, sometimes accompanied by considerable weight gain. This happens due to muscle relaxation and distension of the abdominal wall just before and during the menstrual phase. Sometimes the swelling also affects the legs; in this case the cause is to be found in the water retention lurking just in correspondence with the "cycle". This situation is due to an overflow of waste by the capillaries inside the tissues, an excess that the lymphatic system is unable to drain. In this case, localized edema forms below the tissues, particularly in the legs. This is mainly due to the increased secretion of progesterone during the entire second phase of the cycle. The walls of the vessels are particularly sensitive to this hormone and in response to it increase their permeability. Finally, progesterone has an effect on the smooth muscles of the organism, such as to determine a decrease in its motility with consequent abdominal distension, due to the sense of swelling felt during this period.

In some cases there is an increase in constipation. To prevent these disorders it is necessary to observe some precautions and to change the eating habits before the cycle. First of all, in the ten days preceding the onset of menstruation, a low-salt diet is recommended, that is, low in salt, to avoid the tendency to water retention and swelling. This means avoiding certain foods rich in sodium: cold cuts, sausages, cheeses, smoked meat and fish, and also all baked goods, such as bread, pizza and biscuits. But that's not enough! A diet particularly rich in saturated fats deriving from these foods can slow down the lymphatic system, overloading it with the entry into the circulation (see chylomicrons) of the droplets of fat acquired with the diet, which can "clog" the lymphatic drainage.

It is therefore important to follow a diet low in lipids, avoiding all sausage products and animal fats, preferring the consumption of fruit, vegetables and legumes. In fact, these foods have a greater quantity of substances called lignans, which remove excess hormones from the circulation, restoring hormonal balance. Furthermore, fruits and vegetables, thanks to their greater quantity of minerals, together with a generous supply of water, restore the hydro-saline situation, increasing diuresis and eliminating excess waste. Recent studies, in fact, have confirmed that a greater intake of calcium and magnesium, minerals present in vegetables and legumes, can greatly improve the symptoms associated with PMS. These minerals can be forfeited through the intake of certain foods, such as wheat germ, soy, figs, corn, apples, walnuts, almonds, fish, garlic, peaches and apricots.

In some cases the situation appears worsened by other pathologies, such as the modification of the thyroid hormones that are unable to perform their activity effectively, aggravating water retention even more. In these cases it is useful to support the thyroid function through the generous supply of foods rich in selenium, such as wheat bran, which the thyroid strongly needs to synthesize hormones.

In particularly serious situations of water retention it is useful to use draining phytotherapeutic products, such as green tea (which is also a strong antioxidant), in the form of herbal teas or concentrated extracts, together with infusions containing birch, a powerful diuretic. In case of an existing complication of the venous microcirculation, it is useful to use flavonoid-based extracts, compounds in which all purple-colored fruits are rich, such as plums, grapes, etc., which decrease capillary permeability.