--- title: Does eating less fat reduce menstrual and premenstrual symptoms? description: A low-fat diet reduced water retention symptoms during menstruation and the premenstrual week, and reduced arousal symptoms during the rest of the cycle. Howe url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/influence-of-dietary-fat-on-self-reported-menstrual-symptoms-1987/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does eating less fat reduce menstrual and premenstrual symptoms? Randomised trial, 1987 # Does eating less fat reduce menstrual and premenstrual symptoms? A low-fat diet reduced water retention symptoms during menstruation and the premenstrual week, and reduced arousal symptoms during the rest of the cycle. However, the type of fat (polyunsaturated versus saturated) did not matter. Moderate study design 30 healthy premenopausal women ## What they did 30 healthy women were randomly assigned to two diet groups with different ratios of polyunsaturated to saturated fats (1.0 versus 0.3). Both groups then ate a high-fat diet (40% of calories from fat) for 4 menstrual cycles, followed by a low-fat diet (20% of calories from fat) for 4 cycles. Women completed a menstrual distress questionnaire throughout. ## What they found No significant differences appeared between the two fat ratio groups. During the low-fat diet period, women reported significant decreases in water retention symptoms during both menstruation and the premenstrual week. They also reported decreased arousal symptoms during the rest of the menstrual cycle on the low-fat diet. ## What it means for you Eating less fat overall may reduce water retention and arousal symptoms, but it may not matter whether the fat is polyunsaturated or saturated. The benefit comes from lowering total fat intake. 30 Women enrolled 20% Fat in low-fat diet period 40% Fat in high-fat diet period ## About the study Original title Influence of dietary fat on self-reported menstrual symptoms Authors Jones DY Journal Physiology & behavior Year 1987 Study design Randomised trial What was tested Low-fat diet at 20% of calories from fat versus high-fat diet at 40% of calories from fat Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(87)90034-5](https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(87)90034-5) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/) 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 Cohort study, 2026 Do sleep, exercise, and diet quality affect period pain, heavy bleeding, and PMS in midlife? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Randomised trial, 2022 Does curcumin with piperine reduce PMS symptoms by lowering inflammation? Case-control study, 2014 How common is severe period pain and what causes it? Randomised trial, 2006 What herbs and dietary supplements have evidence for treating premenstrual syndrome? Cohort study, 2026 Are diet and lifestyle linked to premenstrual symptoms in college students? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗