--- title: Do women with PMS have different insulin sensitivity and food cravings at different times in their cycle? description: Insulin sensitivity was the same in both cycle phases. Women reported much higher food cravings in the second half of their cycle, even though they ate simila url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/insulin-sensitivity-food-intake-and-cravings-with-premenstrual-syndrome-a-pilot-2008/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with PMS have different insulin sensitivity and food cravings at different times in their cycle? Study, 2008 # Do women with PMS have different insulin sensitivity and food cravings at different times in their cycle? Insulin sensitivity was the same in both cycle phases. Women reported much higher food cravings in the second half of their cycle, even though they ate similar amounts of food. Early or limited evidence 7 women with premenstrual syndrome ## What they did Seven women with PMS were admitted to a hospital twice, once during each half of their menstrual cycle. Before each hospital visit, they recorded everything they ate for three days. During each stay, researchers tested how their body handled blood sugar by measuring their insulin response. ## What they found Insulin sensitivity did not differ between the first and second half of the cycle. Women ate the same amount of food and the same proportions of nutrients in both phases. However, they reported much higher food cravings in the second half of the cycle. The women ate carbohydrates making up 55 to 64 percent of their daily calories. Symptom scores dropped sharply from 186 in the second half to 16.6 in the first half of the cycle. ## What it means for you Even though women crave food more before their period, the craving doesn't match what they eat or how their body handles blood sugar. This suggests food cravings come from something other than insulin. The findings hint the real problem may be deeper in how hormones are regulated. This was a very small study with seven women and no comparison group. 7 women with PMS 55-64% of daily calories from carbohydrates 186-16.6 symptom scores (second to first half of cycle) ## About the study Original title Insulin sensitivity, food intake, and cravings with premenstrual syndrome: a pilot study Authors Trout KK, Basel-Brown L, Rickels MR et al. Journal Journal of women's health (2002) Year 2008 Study design Study Participants 7 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2007.0594](https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2007.0594) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)[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 Review, 2001 What causes PMS and PMDD, and how are they treated? Review, 1997 Does appetite and food cravings change during the menstrual cycle, especially in women with PMS? Randomised trial, 2026 Does training based on health promotion model reduce PMS symptoms, emotional eating, and stress? Survey study, 2026 How do pain, sleep quality, and appetite change across the menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2025 Is emotional eating linked to PMS in university women? Case-control study, 2025 Are emotional eating and dietary habits linked to PMS? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗