Review, 2021
Can diet help with PMS and other menstrual disorders?
Diet may help. Eating fresh whole foods while avoiding refined carbohydrates, salt, and alcohol is recommended. Evening primrose oil appears to have positive effects on PMS.
What they did
Reviewed scientific evidence about how diet and nutrition affect menstrual disorders including irregular periods, endometriosis, and PMS.
What they found
Diet seems to be an important factor for menstrual disorders but hasn't been studied rigorously enough to prove exactly how much it helps. Recommendations include eating fresh unprocessed foods and avoiding refined carbohydrates, fats, salt, alcohol, and stimulating drinks. Evening primrose oil appears to have positive effects on PMS. Each woman may need a different dietary approach based on her individual situation.
What it means for you
While diet may help PMS and other menstrual disorders, the scientific evidence is not yet strong. Women should try eating healthy foods with fresh ingredients and may consider evening primrose oil. More rigorous research is needed to understand diet's role.
3
menstrual disorders reviewed
Primrose oil
may help PMS
About the study
- Original title
- [Menstrual disorders: what we know about dietary-nutritional therapy]
- Authors
- Aguilar-Aguilar E
- Journal
- Nutricion hospitalaria
- Year
- 2021
- Study design
- Review
- What was tested
- Dietary modifications and supplementation
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.20960/nh.03358
Topics
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