Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a combination of signs and symptoms that females experience 1-2 weeks before their period. The most common symptoms include food cravings, mood swings, fatigue, tender breasts, irritability, and so on. There are some lifestyle changes that can help lower the impact of these symptoms or avoid them altogether. One such measure is to take care of your body’s nutritional requirements. There are many nutrients that can ease these symptoms. Some of the nutrients include:
1. Calcium
Calcium is among the most commonly recommended nutrients for relief from PMS. It can help in the alleviation of mood swings, bloating, and abdominal cramps. In addition to the consumption of calcium, you can adopt other healthy lifestyle changes such as regular exercise and stress reduction.
Milk, yoghurt, cheese, leafy green vegetables, etc. are some excellent sources of calcium. If you are unable to add enough of these to your diet, you can also consume calcium tablets to fulfil the gap.
2. Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6, or pyridoxine, is a type of water-soluble vitamin that plays a role in the production of serotonin in the body. The hormone serotonin acts as a neurotransmitter and helps relieve irritability, depression, and anxiety.
Fish, poultry, legumes, whole grains, etc. are great sources of vitamin B6. You can also rely on supplementation of the vitamin. This brings us to another important question: Are multivitamins helpful? Well, the answer is that multivitamins can help you get enough amounts of vitamin B6 in addition to other vitamins and minerals.
3. Magnesium
Studies suggest that low levels of magnesium in the body can give way to PMS symptoms like headaches, bloating, cramps, and mood swings. Moreover, magnesium helps reduce tenderness in breasts as well as water retention. Magnesium intake can be combined with that of vitamin B6 for optimal results.
You can consume pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, peanuts, cashews, rolled oats, spinach, etc. to get the required amount of magnesium through your diet.
4. Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids help alleviate PMS symptoms such as mood swings, cramps, etc. They are essential for the regulation of normal hormonal levels and the reduction of inflammation.
Consume fish (such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc.), chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, etc. to fulfil your body’s requirement for omega 3.
5. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a type of fat-soluble vitamin that can help you maintain good health during PMS. Low vitamin D levels can contribute to symptoms like fatigue, cramps and mood swings. Therefore, you should ensure that your body gets enough amount of the same.
You can avail of vitamin D from whole eggs, mushrooms, fortified food products, and so on. Additionally, you can rely on easily available protein supplements in India to fuel your body with energy and further lower the effect of PMS symptoms.
6. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is another type of fat-soluble vitamin, and possesses anti-inflammatory properties. It works best when combined with essential fatty acids. The nutrient helps relieve PMS symptoms like mood swings and cramps.
Nuts, green leafy vegetables, sunflower seeds, almonds, and so on are excellent sources of vitamin E.
Conclusion
So these are the nutrients that can help you fight against the symptoms of PMS. What you need to take care of is that the consumption is in moderation. Exceeding the recommended amounts of intake may lead to certain side effects. Therefore, you can consult a certified nutritionist or healthcare professional for the same.
Do let us know about your experience with these nutrients for PMS relief in the comments below!