Once a month, many women experience the Mrs Hyde to their Dr Jekyll – that monster that emerges as soon as their hormones surge and their inner biological conveyor belt accepts that there will be no new babies in that month. For some reason, this makes some women completely unbearable: not only do they experience severe mood swings, but their tender breasts, bloated stomach, headache, tiredness and irritability seem to just aggravate the situation. Some women experience mild PMS and know how to keep it under control, while some women’s PMS has damaged their interpersonal relationships and inhibited regular daily activities.
A new study has shown preliminary results that suggest that calcium, as well as vitamin D(which regulates how much calcium is absorbed), could reduce the occurrence and severity of PMS. Women who consumed an amount of calcium equivalent to four servings of low-fat or skim milk or low-fat dairy foods per day had much less of a risk of experiencing PMS. This is the equivalent of 1 200 mg of calcium (from various food sources) and 400 IU of vitamin D.
In the past, previous studies have suggested that calcium tablets could treat PMS symptoms. However, this current study suggests that calcium and vitamin D won’t only treat symptoms, but will prevent them from developing in the first place.
It would be interesting to see what the conclusive findings of the study are, and whether PMS can really be prevented by milk and sunshine.
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Image courtesy of: www.ehow.com





