Philip J. Goscienski, M.D.
November 2006
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) wasn't much of a problem for women during the Stone Age. Just like the few remaining hunter-gatherers of today, most of their childbearing years were occupied with pregnancy or nursing. Few of them had more than a couple of dozen monthly periods in a lifetime so the last few days of their cycle were no great burden.
Modern women in Western societies may have hundreds of menstrual cycles in a lifetime. They begin to ovulate at an early age but many delay marriage and childbearing for 15 or 20 years. Breastfeeding seldom lasts longer than about 6 months and it doesn't occur enough times during the day to act as a contraceptive method. As a result, PMS, the phenomenon that late-night comedians poke fun at, has become an ordeal that tens of thousands of women and their families endure for years. Perhaps it doesn't have to be that way.
PMS is no joke. The physical complaints of headache, fatigue, bloating, weight gain and breast tenderness might be tolerated if they were not also accompanied by mood swings, anger, difficulties in concentration, cravings alternating with loss of appetite, poor sleep and disinterest in usual activities.
Some of those symptoms fade away among women who exercise regularly. All exercise is beneficial, especially walking, jogging, running, swimming and cycling.
Most Stone Age people lived in temperate areas where sunlight exposure caused their bodies to make vitamin D all year round. A high intake of plant foods gave them plenty of calcium. A deficiency of either or both of these factors is very common today but both vitamin D and calcium supplements relieve symptoms of PMS.
Three separate double-blind, placebo-controlled studies found that a particular form of omega-6 fat in primrose oil, gamma linolenic acid (GLA), decreases depression and irritability in women with PMS. GLA also prevents fluid retention and decreases breast pain and tenderness.
After decades of testimonials from women who claimed that an herbal preparation known as chasteberry relieves PMS symptoms, especially breast tenderness, researchers have found that it lowers a particular hormone that some women produce in excess. There have been no significant side effects in several well controlled studies.
Husbands who snicker at the suggestion that chocolate helps to relieve the symptoms of PMS should consider a well-timed gift of dark chocolate. Magnesium is one of the healthy nutrients in chocolate and it can help to relieve the symptoms of PMS. Chocolate also contains natural opioids that improve mood.
A diet that is high in carbohydrate tends to reduce symptoms of PMS. Vegetables, fruits and whole grain cereals provide plenty of carbohydrate and they help to avoid cravings as well. Sugar is a carbohydrate but it's not a healthy one. Women should also eliminate caffeine and alcohol during the last 2 weeks of their cycle.
Not all women get PMS and the symptoms vary widely in those that do. There isn't likely to be a simple answer. These suggestions won't work for everyone but they are safer and less expensive than the antidepressants that physicians often prescribe for this problem.
Philip J. Goscienski, M.D. is the author of Health Secrets of the Stone Age, Better Life Publishers 2005. Contact him at drphil@stoneagedoc.com.