Foods and supplements to relieve premenstrual syndrome
Certain days of the month, women go through different hormonal changes that affect our well-being and we look for the best way to alleviate them.
One of the most frequent is premenstrual syndrome, which attacks some with strong symptoms and others hardly feel them.
So that those cloudy moments are forgotten, I invite you to continue reading and learn about the best foods and supplements to minimize premenstrual symptoms.
What is premenstrual syndrome?
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a condition that impairs a woman's emotions, physical health, and behavior during certain days of the menstrual cycle , usually before the regular period.
It is a very common condition, almost 90% of us tend to suffer from discomfort once a month.
Common symptoms of PMS
There are many premenstrual symptoms, but most women present only some of these.
The best foods to relieve PMS
When our period is about to come we usually turn to foods full of sugars, carbohydrates and fats, which only intensify our symptoms.
If we want to relieve premenstrual symptoms , it is key to eat a healthy and balanced diet. Below, we recommend some foods that you should include in your diet those days of the month:
Fruit
They help you avoid the feeling of bloating and fluid retention that we generally experience during menstruation. In addition, they contain fiber, which will help you avoid constipation that almost always appears before your period.
Some of the fruits that they recommend consuming are:
- Watermelon.
- Blueberries.
- Pineapple.
blue fish
These types of fish are highly recommended, especially when women have their period, because they contain omega 3, an oil that has an anti-inflammatory function that helps control pain caused by premenstrual syndrome.
Nuts
When we are in the days before menstruation, it is no secret to anyone that our mood changes are frequent and strange on many occasions. This is because our hormones are undergoing certain changes.
Eating nuts is a good option because they intervene in the production of serotonin , which is a neurotransmitter. And some researchers consider this chemical responsible for maintaining our balance.
In addition, they are rich in magnesium and help reduce the hormonal changes we have during our period.
Complex carbohydrates
These good carbs increase serotonin, which will help you fight mood swings, making you feel better, happier and awake.
Some of the complex carbohydrates that you should consume are:
- The oats.
- The quinoa.
- Brown rice.
Avocado
If you want to relieve PMS, your best friends should be healthy fats, specifically fatty acids , as they contain anti-inflammatory properties.
A recent study found that women who took an essential fatty acid and vitamin E pill (both compounds are found in avocado) significantly reduced their premenstrual symptoms, including breast bloating and tenderness.
In case you didn't know, healthy fats are satiating, which will help you feel more satisfied and keep away mid-afternoon cravings.
*It is important that you always get nutrients from food and then use supplements to enhance them. *
Yoghurt
Yogurt is rich in calcium , an important nutrient for women especially during those days of the month, because it improves certain symptoms related to mood and bloating.
Various research has shown that women with the lowest calcium levels during ovulation are more affected by PMS symptoms.
However, the study found that those women who add more calcium to their diet notice an improvement.
Dark chocolate
Do you have your period and want to eat chocolate? You can do it without any regrets, because there is a good reason to indulge, and that is that dark chocolate is rich in magnesium.
One study showed that magnesium levels tend to decrease around your period.
It also showed that incorporating high levels of magnesium into the diet can alleviate PMS, improving hormonal metabolism and the body's metabolic function.
Water
It is essential for our body in every sense, especially when fluid retention due to menstruation attacks us.
To combat this phenomenon, it is essential that you drink enough water. This way you will avoid feeling bloated.
If you want to know how to reduce fluid retention, I invite you to read this post: “ How to combat fluid retention .”
Avoid these foods during those days
Simple carbohydrates
When we have menstruation, the anxiety about eating unhealthy foods is always present. Try to eliminate sugar, bad fats, cereals, ice cream, etc. , since they will only make you feel more tired and sleepy.
Caffeine and/or energy drinks
Avoid them! They increase your state of nervousness and cause more anxiety and irritability.
Fats
Pickles, cured cheeses, supermarket chips, among other snacks, contribute to fluid retention and influence abdominal inflammation, due to their high sodium content.
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages generate irritability and reinforce anxiety; In addition, they increase your nervousness and do not allow you to rest correctly or sufficiently.
Don't consume them!
Recommendations to relieve premenstrual syndrome through diet
The best supplements to relieve PMS
If you include certain nutrients in your daily life, you could relieve PMS on a regular basis. These are some of the supplements you should start taking.
Water Less
It contains 7 herbs that will help you get rid of premenstrual water retention caused by hormonal fluctuations that make your clothes feel tight and accentuate cellulite.
You will feel less inflamed and lighter “on those days”, because you will eliminate the fluids accumulated in the abdomen, face and extremities, through urine.
Magnesium
It can be useful to avoid and relieve premenstrual syndrome, as well as reduce the annoying headaches that sometimes attack us. And above all, it is favorable for fluid retention.
Additionally, this mineral helps reduce stress, anxiety and nervousness.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the recommended amount of magnesium is:
Vitamin B-6
Consuming vitamin B6 daily could increase progesterone levels, reduce painful periods and the discomfort caused by premenstrual syndrome.
This supplement is more effective if combined with magnesium.
Vitamin E
Taking vitamin E, two days before menstruation and during it, helps reduce pain because it blocks the increase in prostaglandin levels, a substance that increases the intensity of contraction of the uterus.
Omega -3 and omega -6
These essential oils have an anti-inflammatory effect that improves symptoms associated with menstruation, such as abdominal pain, breast pain, and mood pain.
You do not need to take this supplement if you already add oily fish and healthy fats to your diet.
Spirulina
Spirulina has multiple benefits, but one of them is that it helps you on those days where fluid retention and inflammation take over; In addition, it acts as a cleanser in your body.
If you start consuming this supplement you will get vitamin A, B, K, proteins, iron among others. It is ideal that you consume it about 2 weeks before your period.
Cranberry + with Vitamin C
This supplement brings together the two most effective natural ingredients to relieve urinary tract infections and prevent them from appearing in the future. In clinically proven doses.
Thanks to them, it prevents and relieves urinary infections, prevents recurrent infections, helps keep your urinary tract healthy and strengthens your immune system.
Tips to relieve PMS
Focus on having a healthy and balanced eating plan. This way you will be giving your body a wide variety of nutrients, which will not only help you relieve PMS, but will also provide you with better health.
Furthermore, if you add the supplements, you will have energy and well-being every day.
Did you know these foods and supplements to relieve PMS? Comment us.