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Review, 1997

Are the eating changes some women get around their period part of a wider pattern of cyclic mind-body changes?

This review suggests yes: period-related eating changes may overlap with other cyclic conditions like PMS, seasonal mood changes, bipolar disorder, and binge eating, but it is an opinion-style review, not a trial, so it cannot prove cause and effect.

Early or limited evidence General discussion of eating behaviour patterns, referencing conditions including PMS, not one specific study group.

What they did

This is a review article (not a new study). The author looked at existing clinical and research findings, especially from chronobiology (the study of body rhythms), about how eating behaviour changes with hormonal and seasonal cycles.

What they found

The review states that eating behaviours have been changing in society for at least twenty years, and that beyond social and cultural causes, hormonal and seasonal changes clearly influence eating behaviour. It concludes that many of these cyclic eating disturbances overlap with other cyclic conditions, including premenstrual syndrome, seasonal affective disorder, bipolar disorder, and binge eating.

What it means for you

Eating changes around the cycle may not be a standalone quirk; they could share the same body rhythms seen in PMS, seasonal mood changes, and binge eating. The main limit: this is a review of existing ideas, not original data, so no participant numbers or study design are given to show how strong this link really is.

20 years

Timeframe over which eating behaviours are said to have been changing

About the study

Original title
[Cyclic oro-alimentary disorders]
Authors
Kochman F, Ducrocq F, Parquet PJ
Journal
La Revue du praticien
Year
1997
Study design
Review

Topics