Premenstrual Syndrome

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a disorder that affects a large number of women (up to 70%) during the one or two weeks before menstruation begins. It is a collection of several rather unpleasant symptoms affecting both the physical and psychological components, which can significantly disrupt women's lives, most commonly including:

• fatigue,
• depression,
• bloating,
• headaches,
• abdominal pain,
• mood swings,
• painful breast tenderness.

These symptoms, which recur every month, vary for each woman in their course and overall severity. Most women suffer from only a few of them or experience mild discomfort. However, for some women, premenstrual syndrome is so severe that it interferes with their ability to live and work normally.

One of the main causes of PMS is considered to be the imbalance of female hormones – estrogen and progesterone – in the second half of the menstrual cycle, after ovulation. Excessive estrogen combined with low progesterone levels can lead to changes in the balance of chemicals affecting brain processes, which can result in mood changes. These processes can also influence increased production of the hormone prolactin, which causes increased breast sensitivity. Such hormonal fluctuations then lead to fluid retention, affecting blood circulation and thereby reducing the amount of oxygen delivered to the uterus, ovaries, and brain.

The Influence of Diet on Premenstrual Syndrome

Diet has a significant impact on the course of PMS, with the following basic rules applying:

1. Adjusting the amount and quality of protein.
Excess animal protein (meat, cheese, cottage cheese, eggs) represents a large amount of arachidonic acid, which increases the production of type 2 eicosanoids (promoting cramps).

2. Balanced intake of calcium and magnesium.
Both elements regulate neuromuscular coordination. It is advantageous to maintain their optimal ratio, which is (Ca:Mg) approximately 2-2.5:1. A deviation from this balance (a deficiency of magnesium is more common) promotes the occurrence of cramps and imbalances on a psycho-emotional level.

3. Reducing the intake of sugars.
Excess sugars and technologically processed carbohydrates support a pro-inflammatory environment. This can further exacerbate the imbalance in eicosanoid production, resulting in cramps.

4. Adjusting the amount and quality of fats.
Key aspects to ensure:
- the correct ratio of saturated vs. unsaturated fats (approximately 1:2),
- the correct ratio of omega-3 vs. omega-6 (1:3-5),
- sufficient gamma-linolenic acid, which acts as a precursor to prostaglandins, thereby reducing breast tenderness and pain.

5. Increasing the intake of B complex vitamins.

6. Using herbs.
In the form of teas or directly supplements (pills, extracts). The most commonly cited are St. John's wort, valerian, lemon balm, yarrow, and others.