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Review, 2000

Can calcium and vitamin D help with PMS symptoms?

Calcium supplementation effectively alleviates most mood and body-related PMS symptoms according to clinical trials, and women with PMS may have calcium regulation problems. However, this review does not provide specific trial details.

Moderate study design Premenopausal women with PMS (review of multiple studies)

What they did

Review of research on how micronutrients, especially calcium and vitamin D, relate to PMS symptoms and menstrual cycle changes.

What they found

Calcium and vitamin D levels change during the menstrual cycle. Estrogen regulates calcium metabolism and absorption, causing these fluctuations. Clinical trials found calcium supplementation effectively alleviates the majority of mood and body symptoms in women with PMS. Women with PMS may have underlying calcium regulation problems with vitamin D deficiency.

What it means for you

PMS may be related to how the body handles calcium, which changes with hormones. Calcium supplementation seems to help many women. The abstract does not provide specific trial numbers or effect sizes, so we cannot judge how strong the evidence is.

Millions

premenopausal women with PMS

Majority

of mood and body symptoms relieved by calcium

About the study

Original title
Micronutrients and the premenstrual syndrome: the case for calcium
Authors
Thys-Jacobs S
Journal
Journal of the American College of Nutrition
Year
2000
Study design
Review
What was tested
Calcium supplementation (reviewed, not tested in this article)

Topics