--- title: Does the menstrual cycle affect how much Chinese women eat and their taste preferences? description: Yes, some changes occur. In the first cycle studied, women ate less fat and preferred sweet taste less in the second half of the cycle. In the second cycle, s url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-influence-of-the-menstrual-cycle-on-energy-balance-and-taste-preference-in-2015/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does the menstrual cycle affect how much Chinese women eat and their taste preferences? Study, 2015 # Does the menstrual cycle affect how much Chinese women eat and their taste preferences? Yes, some changes occur. In the first cycle studied, women ate less fat and preferred sweet taste less in the second half of the cycle. In the second cycle, sweet taste preference was higher during menstruation. Early or limited evidence 31 healthy young Chinese women with regular menstrual cycles ## What they did Studied 31 healthy young Chinese women with regular menstrual cycles. Measured body weight, body composition, food intake, resting metabolic rate, PMS severity, and taste preference for sugar during three phases: menstruation, early follicular, and luteal. Some women were measured over one cycle and others over two cycles. ## What they found In the first cycle, all women had less energy and fat intake and less taste preference for sweet in the luteal phase compared to early follicular phase. No differences were found in carbohydrate or protein intake or PMS score in the first cycle. In women measured over two cycles, taste preference for sweet and PMS score were higher during menstruation in the second cycle. Energy and nutrient intake did not change in the second cycle. Resting metabolic rate was similar across all phases. ## What it means for you The menstrual cycle does affect eating and taste in Chinese women, but the changes are not consistent across cycles. It is unclear whether these eating changes cause weight gain. More research is needed in different groups of women and over longer time periods. 31 women in the study 18 women measured over one cycle 13 women measured over two cycles ## About the study Original title The influence of the menstrual cycle on energy balance and taste preference in Asian Chinese women Authors Elliott SA, Ng J, Leow MK et al. Journal European journal of nutrition Year 2015 Study design Study Participants 31 What was tested None (observational measurement across menstrual phases) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0812-y](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0812-y) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/) 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 Cohort study, 2026 Do sleep, exercise, and diet quality affect period pain, heavy bleeding, and PMS in midlife? 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? Systematic review, 2022 Do herbal medicines and nutritional supplements help premenstrual syndrome symptoms? Randomised trial, 2022 Does curcumin with piperine reduce PMS symptoms by lowering inflammation? Randomised trial, 2022 Do herbal medicines and nutritional supplements help relieve PMS symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗