Sherin

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8206949/


MSNBC.com
Calcium and vitamin D may prevent PMS
New study suggests diet can reduce risk of symptoms

The Associated Press
Updated: 5:02 p.m. ET June 13, 2005


BOSTON - Women searching for ways to ward off the anxiety and irritability caused by premenstrual syndrome may be able to find answers as nearby as their local supermarket.

A study published Monday finds that a diet rich in calcium and Vitamin D — available in milk, cheese, yogurt and fortified orange juice — appears to help women reduce the risk of PMS symptoms.

The findings support earlier research indicating calcium seems to help women cope with PMS. But the new study also suggests that when calcium is combined with enough vitamin D, it may help prevent PMS altogether.

'Good news for many women'
“It seems that women who eat more foods high in calcium and vitamin D have less risk of experiencing PMS,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson of the University of Massachusetts. “It’s very exciting, and could end up being good news for many women out there.”

She said, however, that the research is too preliminary to recommend diet changes for women in general and that more thorough studies are needed.

Researchers say women who ate four servings or more a day of a dairy product, including milk, were less likely to develop feelings of anxiety, loneliness, irritability, tearfulness and tension that characterize PMS. Estimates are that 8 percent to 20 percent of women may have premenstrual syndrome.

The study compared the diets and supplement use over 10 years of 1,057 women, ages 27-44, who were diagnosed with PMS to 1,968 women who didn’t have PMS. All the women were part of the large, long-running Nurses Health Study and answered food questionnaires and other health surveys in 1991, 1995 and 1999.

Bertone-Johnson said researchers were able to control for other factors that might affect PMS.

The study, which appears in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine, was supported by a grant from GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of calcium supplements, as well as grants from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services. A co-author, Adrianne Bendich, is an employee of GlaxoSmithKline, but the scientists said the company had no control over the study design or analysis.

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2005 MSNBC.com

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8206949/

Sweetness

Thanks for the info. I hate PMS!

Beach Club Tans

I'm not touching this topic with a 10 foot pole!

delicateflower3663

LMAO Well, let me be the one to set it straight.

I suffer from PMS like you would not believe. 10 days before "George" comes to visit, I become this raving ******. (not always, but often enough) Then of course George will out-stay his welcome, too, and when he leaves a week after arrival well looky here... MORE THAN HALF THE MONTH IS GONE!!! This is no way to live. Gotta do something about it, I tellya!! [ this falls into the category of too much info, I know] The Vitamin D claims in this article are good, since it aids in the absorption of calcium. Calcium is also credited with lessening cramping (muscle relaxation).

But I tan regularly, 3 - 4 times per week, year round, and tanning has NOT helped my PMS. Sorry. I'd LOVE to be able to shout this from the rooftops, but, sadly, it ain't happenin' here. Dang-it!

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[ This Message was edited by: delicateflower3663 on 2005-06-19 10:37 ]

Sherin

Darn! Wishful thinking!