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OUCH!
A double-blind, randomised, controlled, crossover study involving 38 women taking 200mg magnesium for 2 month, revealed that the mineral significantly improved premenstrual symptoms associated with fluid retention (weight gain, oedema, mastalgia, bloating).
Another double blind, randomised study involving 32 women with PMS found that taking magnesium (360mg/day) reduced premenstrual mood changes and total symptom scores. In addition, a small trial involving 20 women with premenstrual migraine found that taking magnesium (360mg/day) significantly reduced the number of days with headache compared with placebo.
• Magnesium-OK helps safeguard key nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin B6 and zinc, which play a role in maintaining a healthy hormonal balance
• Magnesium, one of the key nutrients in this product, is used for normal glucose metabolism and may help to maintain blood sugar stability in premenstrual women
• Latest Government survey shows women’s dietary intake of magnesium is lower than it should be
• Vitamin B6 and zinc are needed for those enzymes involved in hormone regulation, as well as metabolism of brain chemicals
PMS DOESN'T EXIST!
Well, that's what you'd think. Just another made-up syndrome? Around 80% of women would beg to differ - and the rest are just VERY lucky!
It's PMS Awareness Week 10th – 16th September. Women spend over two years of their lives - a staggering 18,480 hours, or 770 days – overwhelmed by the symptoms of PMS, according to a survey of over 1,000 women by Magnesium-OK, the nutritional supplement for hormone balance.
The survey revealed that almost 84 per cent of women in the UK suffer from PMS, with two thirds of the female population claiming that monthly hormonal mood swings made them irritable or aggressive. An astonishing 42 per cent said they had even started a fight or argument at that time of the month. I tend to lose things, forget what I wanted to say half way through saying it, and get uncontrollable urges to trip people up on pubic transport. Maybe that's just me?
Emotional
Almost half said that feeling emotional and low was by far the worst PMS symptom, while eight per cent said they felt that anti-depressants were the only long-term solution. They obvioulsy have a GP like mine, who has offered me Prozac on several occasions just because my hormones are out of wack.
One in four had resorted to taking the contraceptive pill to balance hormones, while 20 per cent relied on dietary supplements. 30 per cent said that getting regular exercise also helped to lessen their symptoms.
PMS at work
PMS is bad news for sufferers at work too, as well as their work mates, with 56 per cent saying they didn’t cope as well with the stresses of work, or made more mistakes in the office when suffering with PMS symptoms. One in three said they had burst into tears at work.
Supportive partners
And women are getting mixed signals from their partners – while 40 per cent say their partner is supportive, 21 per cent say that he avoids them, 14 per cent claim he gets angry and irritable and 13 per cent say he doesn’t notice!
Rita Stoffaneller from Magnesium-OK said: “PMS is often underestimated as a syndrome, but these results really go to show that it is a huge issue for many women, and one which interestingly involves emotional turmoil far more frequently than pain. Increased understanding of PMS is essential to help the thousands of women who are suffering in silence.”
A magnesium supplement such as Magnesium-OK could help boost levels of nutrients that have been shown in research to be of benefit for premenstrual mood changes and ease the symptoms of fluid retention (including weight gain and bloating) and premenstrual migraines. Magnesium concentrations (measured in red blood cells) are significantly lower in women with PMS than in the normal population.
Q - I’m not happy being on the pill long term, and was wondering how good magnesium is at controlling the symptoms of PMS? A - Magnesium is essential for the interaction of sex hormones with cells and, when over 800 hundred women took magnesium supplements (Magnesium-OK), that also included other vitamins and minerals (e.g. B6, zinc), 73% improved noticed irritability, 66% improved depression, 66% improved anxiety/tension, 48% improved tiredness and headaches, and 50% had less bloating. Evening primrose oil is especially helpful in reducing low mood, sugar cravings and cyclical breast pain. It contains hormone building blocks, that help to even out hormonal imbalances, but needs to be taken at doses of up to 3g a day, for at least three months, before an effect may be noticed. High dose vitamin B6 is helpful for fatigue and emotional symptoms, such as depression and irritability, while vitamin D and calcium appear to reduce headaches, negative emotions, fluid retention and pain. A trial of 170 women also found that Agnus castus extracts significantly reduce irritability, mood changes, headache and breast fullness. |
