--- title: How much do lifestyle and diet affect PMS symptoms? | Niyora description: Strongly. Women who lacked daily dairy, calcium, vitamin D, and sunlight exposure had much worse PMS. PMS risk rose from 25% in women with no risk factors to url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/lifestyle-patterns-dietary-intake-and-symptom-burden-of-premenstrual-syndrome-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How much do lifestyle and diet affect PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2025 # How much do lifestyle and diet affect PMS symptoms? Strongly. Women who lacked daily dairy, calcium, vitamin D, and sunlight exposure had much worse PMS. PMS risk rose from 25% in women with no risk factors to 90% in those with four or more risk factors. Moderate study design 200 women aged 18-45 in District Sialkot, Pakistan ## What they did Cross-sectional survey of 200 women aged 18-45 in District Sialkot in Pakistan. Researchers recorded their daily diet, sunlight exposure, supplement use, and PMS symptoms using a questionnaire. ## What they found The most common symptoms were fatigue (70%), food cravings (68%), breast tenderness (65%), and mood swings (60%). Only 35% had daily dairy intake, 28% consumed calcium-rich foods, 20% consumed vitamin D-rich foods, 30% had adequate sunlight exposure, and less than 20% took supplements. As lifestyle risk factors accumulated, PMS prevalence rose from 25% in women with none to 90% in those with four risk factors. ## What it means for you Poor diet and lifestyle strongly increase PMS severity. Adding more dairy, calcium, vitamin D, and sunlight exposure might help reduce symptoms. The study was in one region of Pakistan so results may not apply to women in other countries. 70% had fatigue as a symptom 35% had daily dairy intake 25% to 90% PMS prevalence with increasing risk factors ## About the study Original title Lifestyle Patterns, Dietary Intake, and Symptom Burden of Premenstrual Syndrome among Women in District Sialkot: A Cross-Sectional Survey Authors Samina Dar, Saima Ashraf, Asad Shabbir et al. Journal Journal of Health Wellness and Community Research Year 2025 Study design Survey study Participants 200 What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.61919/xhd14k65](https://doi.org/10.61919/xhd14k65) Original abstract Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) imposes significant physical and psychosocial burden on women, with growing recognition of lifestyle and dietary behaviors as important determinants of its severity. However, data from South Asian populations remain limited. Objective: To assess the relationship between lifestyle patterns, dietary intake, and PMS symptom burden among women in District Sialkot. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 200 women aged 18–45 years using a structured questionnaire covering demographics, menstrual history, anthropometrics, dietary practices, sunlight exposure, supplement use, and PMS symptoms. Symptom frequency was recorded on a three-point scale, and associations between risk factors and PMS prevalence were analyzed using chi-square tests and odds ratios. Results: The most frequent symptoms included fatigue (70%), food cravings (68%), breast tenderness (65%), and mood swings (60%). Only 35% of women reported daily dairy intake, 28% consumed calcium-rich foods, 20% consumed vitamin D-rich foods, and 30% had adequate sunlight exposure, while supplement use was <20%. PMS prevalence rose progressively with the accumulation of lifestyle risk factors, from 25% in women with none to 90% in those with four, with significant dose–response trends. Conclusion: Lifestyle and dietary inadequacies strongly predict PMS symptom burden, highlighting the need for community-based nutritional and behavioral interventions to mitigate this condition. 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/)[Calcium](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-calcium/)[Vitamin D](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-vitamin-d/)[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? Review, 2023 Can diet and vitamins help reduce PMS symptoms? Randomised trial, 2025 How effective are non-hormonal treatments for severe PMS? Review, 2026 Can diet and nutrition help reduce PMS symptoms? Case-control study, 2026 Does vitamin D help PMS symptoms? Review, 2025 Do yoga and dietary changes help with PMS symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗