--- title: Does eating more antioxidant-rich foods help prevent or reduce PMS? description: Yes. Women eating the most antioxidant-rich foods had 64% lower odds of PMS than those eating the least, with the biggest improvements in anxiety, exhaustion, url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-association-between-dietary-total-antioxidant-capacity-and-prevalence-of-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does eating more antioxidant-rich foods help prevent or reduce PMS? Survey study, 2026 # Does eating more antioxidant-rich foods help prevent or reduce PMS? Yes. Women eating the most antioxidant-rich foods had 64% lower odds of PMS than those eating the least, with the biggest improvements in anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, depression and muscle/joint pain. Early or limited evidence 490 healthy women aged 18-38 with normal BMI ## What they did A cross-sectional study of 490 healthy women aged 18-38. Researchers measured diet using a food frequency questionnaire, calculated dietary antioxidant content using the ORAC method, and assessed PMS using the Arabic Premenstrual Syndrome Scale. Women were divided into three groups by antioxidant intake and compared after adjusting for age, BMI, energy intake and lifestyle. ## What they found 33.7% of women had PMS. Higher antioxidant intake was linked to better eating patterns (more fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains; less red meat, refined grains, salt). Moving from lowest to highest antioxidant intake, there was a substantial decrease in moderate-to-severe symptoms including anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, depression and muscle/joint pain (all p<0.01). Women in the highest antioxidant group had 64% lower odds of PMS than the lowest (OR=0.36, 95% CI: 0.23-0.56, p<0.001). ## What it means for you Eating more antioxidant-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains may help prevent PMS and reduce symptom severity in a dose-dependent way. However, this is cross-sectional, showing association not causation, and was done only in women with normal BMI, so results may not apply to all women. 490 women studied 33.7% had PMS 64% lower odds of PMS with highest antioxidant intake ## About the study Original title The association between dietary total antioxidant capacity and prevalence of premenstrual syndrome among women of reproductive age: a cross-sectional study Authors Hawal Lateef Fateh Journal Nutrition & Food Science Year 2026 Study design Survey study Participants 490 What was tested None - antioxidant intake was measured Read the paper [doi.org/10.1108/nfs-10-2025-0348](https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs-10-2025-0348) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/) 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, 2024 How do hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle affect gut health and mood? Case-control study, 2014 How common is severe period pain and what causes it? Survey study, 2026 What dietary, lifestyle, and psychological factors are associated with PMS in young women? Survey study, 2026 Is academic stress linked to PMS severity in university students? Survey study, 2026 How do pain, sleep quality, and appetite change across the menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2025 Do women with PMS have higher anxiety, stress, and different personality traits? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗