--- title: Is low zinc or low antioxidant levels connected to PMS? | Niyora description: Yes. Women with PMS had lower zinc and antioxidant levels in their blood than healthy women, and these levels were linked to how severe their symptoms were. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/comparison-of-serum-zinc-concentrations-and-body-antioxidant-status-between-2016/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is low zinc or low antioxidant levels connected to PMS? Case-control study, 2016 # Is low zinc or low antioxidant levels connected to PMS? Yes. Women with PMS had lower zinc and antioxidant levels in their blood than healthy women, and these levels were linked to how severe their symptoms were. Early or limited evidence 48 young women university students in Iran (23 with PMS, 25 healthy) ## What they did Compared 23 young women with PMS to 25 healthy women from a sample of 110 university students. Researchers measured zinc and antioxidant levels in blood and asked about their diet. ## What they found Antioxidant and zinc levels in blood were lower in women with PMS compared with healthy women (p<0.01 and p<0.05 respectively). Higher antioxidant and zinc levels were associated with fewer PMS symptoms. Healthy women ate fewer hydrogenated oils (p<0.05). There were significant differences in muscle mass between the groups (p<0.05). ## What it means for you Higher zinc and antioxidant levels may protect against PMS. However, this was a small study of university students in one country, so results may not apply to all women. This study does not show that zinc supplements will help PMS. 48 Total study participants p<0.01 Antioxidant levels lower in PMS p<0.05 Zinc levels lower in PMS ## About the study Original title Comparison of serum zinc concentrations and body antioxidant status between young women with premenstrual syndrome and normal controls: A case-control study Authors Fathizadeh S, Amani R, Haghighizadeh MH et al. Journal International journal of reproductive biomedicine Year 2016 Study design Case-control study Participants 110 What was tested None (observational) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.29252/ijrm.14.11.699](https://doi.org/10.29252/ijrm.14.11.699) Original abstract Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is one of the important health problems with high incidence in young women. The exact cause of this syndrome is not clear and some theories have been declared from hormonal factors to nutritional disorders. Objective: We investigated the correlation between serum zinc and antioxidant status with PMS. Materials and methods: In this case-control study, forty eight young girls were selected from a total sample of 110 students residing at university dormitories including PMS (n=23) and healthy (n=25) groups based on PMS questionnaire. Dietary intake questionnaire and blood samples were collected from all participants. Serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and zinc concentrations were also measured. Results: Serum TAC and zinc concentrations were lower in PMS patients compared with healthy groups (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively). Healthy controls consumed lower servings of hydrogenated oils (p<0.05). There were significant differences in terms of muscle mass between the PMS and healthy groups (p<0.05). Both serum TAC and zinc levels were negatively correlated to PMS scores (r=-0.39, p<0.05 and r= -0.36; p<0.05, respectively). Conclusion: This study shows that higher TAC and zinc serum levels are associated with lower risk of PMS. PMS cases have more hydrogenated oils than their normal counterparts. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Zinc and iron](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-zinc-iron/) 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 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Randomised trial, 2023 Does zinc supplementation reduce PMS symptoms in women? Non-randomised trial, 2026 Do dietary changes or sun exposure reduce PMS symptoms in adolescent girls? Survey study, 2026 What dietary, lifestyle, and psychological factors are associated with PMS in young women? Non-randomised trial, 2026 Does a lifestyle education program reduce PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2025 Is emotional eating linked to PMS in university women? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗