Intake of Iron & Zinc Will Help Women Survive PMS

Women who follow a diet rich in iron and zinc, have an average of 40-50% less likely to encounter a condition known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), scientists have found out of the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences and Harvard. This is one of the first studies on the possibility to reduce or get rid of symptoms of PMS through diet.

The study's author, Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, together with Patricia Chocano-Bedoya and a number of other experts and Harvard conducted an experiment involving 3000 women who are at the start of the analysis do not suffer from PMS. The study is published in the journal the American Journal of Epidemiology.

For 10 years, doctors studied the eating habits of women and assessed the likelihood of their PMS. During the testing period syndrome occurred in 1057 participants. Contrary to popular belief, not all women are confirmed PMS. At the same time, as part of this study, the experts recorded the presence of the syndrome only if it seriously affects the behaviour and mood of the fairer sex.

In parallel, the experts evaluated the differences in diet between women who were diagnosed with PMS, and women, who managed to avoid it. It turned out that a key difference is the amount of iron contained in their diets.

"We found that the presence in the diet of a large number of non-heme iron content, mostly in plant foods reduces the risk of PMS in women by 40%," says Bertone-Johnson. "We also found that a high intake of zinc can be associated with a lower risk of developing the syndrome. At the same time, we were surprised to find that women who consume large amounts of potassium are prone to PMS is much more than others." - he adds.

"The level of iron intake, which actually reduces the risk of PMS - is more than 20 mg per day, which is even higher than the recommended dose for women of pre-menopausal (18 mg per day)," said Bertone-Johnson. This is about 1 - 1.5 servings of iron-fortified cereals. "However, it should be remembered that the iron in the diet in large quantities can lead to negative consequences for health, and women should not use it in a number of more than 45 mg a day," adds the author of the study. The official report on the work of scholars have suggested that iron positive impact on PMS, because it is involved in the production of serotonin - a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood state.

However, a large amount of potassium increased the risk of PMS by about 30%. Experts attribute this fact to the fact that potassium takes a lot of water from the body. "The recommended intake of zinc for women, according to standard medical value is 8 mg. At the same time, 15 mg can significantly reduce the risk of PMS. However, women should not consume more than 40 mg of the substance in the day" - the expert adds. As for other minerals such as magnesium, copper, sodium, manganese - no relationship between them and the ICP was identified.