--- title: Does eating an inflammatory diet make PMS symptoms worse? | Niyora description: Yes. Women who ate more pro-inflammatory foods had significantly worse PMS symptoms (p = 0.001). However, this study cannot prove that diet causes PMS because url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/prevalence-of-premenstrual-syndrome-and-its-association-with-dietary-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does eating an inflammatory diet make PMS symptoms worse? Cohort study, 2025 # Does eating an inflammatory diet make PMS symptoms worse? Yes. Women who ate more pro-inflammatory foods had significantly worse PMS symptoms (p = 0.001). However, this study cannot prove that diet causes PMS because it only looked at one moment in time. Moderate study design 305 adult women, convenience sample ## What they did 305 adult women answered questions about their PMS symptoms and their food intake. Researchers calculated a score for how inflammatory each woman's diet was and looked for a link with PMS severity. ## What they found 93% of women had at least one PMS symptom. 33.7% had PMS (mostly mild to moderate). The average diet was inflammatory. Women with the most inflammatory diets had significantly worse PMS (p = 0.001). ## What it means for you A diet that triggers inflammation in the body may make PMS worse. Women could try eating less inflammatory foods to see if it helps their symptoms. The main limits are that this was a snapshot study (not following women over time), used convenience sampling, and involved women from one Arab country, so results may not apply everywhere. 305 Women studied 33.7% Had PMS p = 0.001 Statistical significance for inflammatory diet and PMS ## About the study Original title Prevalence of Premenstrual Syndrome and Its Association With Dietary Inflammatory Index Among Young Females: A Cross-Sectional Study Authors Faris M, Hashim M, Abdelrahim DN et al. Journal Journal of nutrition and metabolism Year 2025 Study design Cohort study Participants 305 What was tested Dietary inflammatory index examined in relation to PMS; no intervention Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1155/jnme/4189297](https://doi.org/10.1155/jnme/4189297) Original abstract This study investigated the prevalence and severity of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) among adult females and its relationship with the dietary inflammatory index (DII), which measures the inflammatory potential of a person's diet. The study employed a cross-sectional design, with participants recruited through convenience sampling. A structured questionnaire, including the Arabic Premenstrual Syndrome Scale, was used to assess the prevalence and severity of PMS. A self-administered food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary intakes and depict the DII of the participant's intakes. A total of 305 adult females participated; of these, 93% reported at least one PMS symptom, with a prevalence of 33.7% for PMS, primarily characterized by mild to moderate symptoms. The mean DII score was 2.52 ± 6.28, indicating a generally proinflammatory diet among participants. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that higher DII scores, particularly in Tertile 3, were significantly associated with increased PMS severity ( p =0.001). These findings highlight the importance of dietary modifications that aim to reduce inflammation as a potential strategy for mitigating the severity of PMS. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to establish causality and explore the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory dietary interventions in managing PMS symptoms. 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/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/) 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? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Case-control study, 2014 How common is severe period pain and what causes it? Survey study, 2026 How do pain, sleep quality, and appetite change across the menstrual cycle? Case-control study, 2026 Does vitamin D help PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2025 Do diet changes or supplements help PMS symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗