--- title: Does following a Mediterranean diet help prevent PMS? | Niyora description: Women who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely had lower PMS rates (55.4% vs 74.4%) compared to those who followed it least. Eating more bread and sna url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/association-among-premenstrual-syndrome-dietary-patterns-and-adherence-to-2022/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does following a Mediterranean diet help prevent PMS? Survey study, 2022 # Does following a Mediterranean diet help prevent PMS? Women who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely had lower PMS rates (55.4% vs 74.4%) compared to those who followed it least. Eating more bread and snacks increased PMS risk. Early or limited evidence 262 Korean women aged 20-49 ## What they did 262 Korean women aged 20-49 completed an online survey about their diet and PMS symptoms. Researchers assessed Mediterranean diet adherence using a screener and dietary patterns using a food frequency questionnaire, then analyzed whether diet scores were linked to PMS. ## What they found 55.4% of women in the highest Mediterranean Diet Score group had PMS compared to 74.4% in the lowest group (p=0.045). High bread and snack consumption was linked to higher PMS risk with an odds ratio of 2.59. Traditional dietary patterns and meat/alcohol patterns were not associated with PMS. ## What it means for you A Mediterranean-style diet with less bread and snacks might help prevent PMS. However, the study only included Korean women and used a cross-sectional design, so it cannot prove that diet causes the difference in PMS rates. 55.4% PMS rate in highest Mediterranean diet group 74.4% PMS rate in lowest Mediterranean diet group 2.59 Odds ratio for bread/snack pattern and PMS risk ## About the study Original title Association among Premenstrual Syndrome, Dietary Patterns, and Adherence to Mediterranean Diet Authors Kwon YJ, Sung DI, Lee JW Journal Nutrients Year 2022 Study design Survey study Participants 262 What was tested Mediterranean diet adherence and dietary patterns Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.3390/nu14122460](https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14122460) Original abstract Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) adversely affects the physiological and psychological health and quality of life of women. Mediterranean diet (MD) could be helpful for managing and preventing PMS, but evidence on the association between dietary patterns and PMS in Asian women is limited. This study aimed to investigate the association of dietary patterns and adherence to MD with PMS in Korean women. This cross-sectional study recruited 262 women aged 20-49 years via an online survey. PMS was diagnosed using the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists diagnostic criteria. MD adherence was assessed using the Korean version of the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener. Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) was classified into tertiles (T) (T1: 0-3, T2: 4-5, and T3: ≥6). Dietary pattern was assessed with the Food Frequency Questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the association between dietary pattern scores and PMS prevalence. The proportion of PMS was significantly lower in MDS tertile (T) 3 than in T1 (55.4% in T3 vs. 74.4% in T1, p = 0.045). After adjusting for confounders, participants in the highest tertile of the bread/snack pattern had a higher risk of PMS (odds ratio [95% CI]: 2.59 [1.32-5.06]), while traditional dietary pattern and meat/alcohol pattern were not associated with PMS. In conclusion, we found that low adherence to MD and higher bread/snack dietary pattern were associated with increased risk of PMS, respectively. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Systematic review, 2025 Do nutritional interventions help with emotional symptoms of PMS? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Randomised trial, 2026 Can nutrition education reduce PMS severity? Review, 2025 Do yoga and dietary changes help with PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2025 How much do lifestyle and diet affect PMS symptoms? Study, 2024 How do lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and stress affect menstrual health and PMS? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗