---
title: Does what you eat affect premenstrual symptoms? | Niyora
description: Eating more fat was linked with worse premenstrual symptoms, while eating more carbohydrate-rich foods was linked with fewer symptoms. Soy products had no cle
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/soy-fat-and-other-dietary-factors-in-relation-to-premenstrual-symptoms-in-2004/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Does what you eat affect premenstrual symptoms?

Survey study, 2004

# Does what you eat affect premenstrual symptoms?

Eating more fat was linked with worse premenstrual symptoms, while eating more carbohydrate-rich foods was linked with fewer symptoms. Soy products had no clear link to symptoms.

 Early or limited evidence

189 Japanese women aged 19-34 in colleges and nursing schools

## What they did

Researchers studied 189 Japanese women aged 19-34. They asked about diet using a food frequency questionnaire and measured premenstrual symptoms, comparing symptoms between different phases of the menstrual cycle.

## What they found

Soy products and isoflavones were not significantly linked to premenstrual symptoms. High intake of total, saturated, and monounsaturated fats was linked with worse total symptoms and more pain. Low intake of carbohydrate-rich foods was linked with worse symptoms.

## What it means for you

Diet may play a role in premenstrual symptoms, particularly fat and carbohydrate intake. The study only included Japanese women in colleges and nursing schools, so findings may not apply to other populations.

189

Japanese women studied

19-34

age range

High fat intake

linked with worse symptoms

## About the study

Original title Soy, fat and other dietary factors in relation to premenstrual symptoms in Japanese women Authors Nagata C, Hirokawa K, Shimizu N et al. Journal BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Year 2004 Study design Survey study What was tested Diet and soy intake (observed, not tested) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2004.00130.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2004.00130.x)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)

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

Survey study, 2019

What lifestyle and sleep habits are linked to PMS in teenage girls?

Survey study, 2026

Does eating more ultra-processed food make PMS symptoms worse?

Survey study, 2026

How common is PMDD in Russian medical students, and what are its symptoms?

Survey study, 2025

How common are period pain and PMS in Spanish university students, and do lifestyle choices affect them?

Survey study, 2024

What are the most common PMS symptoms in medical students and what lifestyle factors make them worse?

Survey study, 2022

Is nutritional status linked to premenstrual syndrome?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗