12 Best Foods for PMS
What is PMS?
PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, is a set of symptoms experienced about two weeks before your period. Typical symptoms include tender breasts, cramps, mood swings, bloating, fatigue, cravings, gut issues, headaches, or insomnia. These symptoms can be extremely frustrating and put a damper on our daily lives (or at least those weeks leading up to your period).
Nutrition plays an important role to help reduce PMS symptoms. PMS may present due to certain nutritional deficiencies or imbalances in our hormones or mood chemicals (neurotransmitters). The goal with incorporating foods for PMS is to:
reduce inflammation
alleviate nutrient deficiencies
boost progesterone and GABA
promote proper estrogen metabolism
Here is a list of the 12 best foods for PMS:
1. Magnesium Foods for PMS
Magnesium plays a crucial role in the production of your hormones and can help to balance the stress response [1]. Food sources of magnesium include nuts, seeds, avocados, dark leafy greens, and dark chocolate (70% cacao). Including these magnesium foods for PMS can help to reduce symptoms.
2. Vitamin B6 Foods for PMS
Vitamin B6 is another crucial nutrient to help alleviate PMS [2]. There are a wide variety of foods that contain vitamin B6 like meat, fish, eggs, poultry, leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, bananas, and watermelon. Vitamin B6 in combination with magnesium has been shown to help alleviate PMS symptoms [3]. Prolonged vitamin B6 supplementation of 200 mg or above may lead to nerve damage [2]. Work with a healthcare provider to determine the best supplement protocol for your body.
3. Phytoestrogen Foods for PMS
Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like compounds found in certain foods. They attach to estrogen receptors in the body and can have estrogen balancing effects – they can help to raise estrogen levels if they are low (adding to the estrogen pool) or lower estrogen levels if they are high (binding to estrogen sites to blocking estrogen). Including phytoestrogen foods for PMS like organic non-GMO soy foods like tofu or tempeh and ground flaxseeds can help to balance estrogen levels in the body.
4. selenium Foods for PMS
Selenium is a nutrient that helps support the formation of the corpus luteum, which is crucial for proper progesterone production. Food sources of selenium include seafood, fish, and Brazil nuts. Incorporating these selenium-rich foods for PMS can help ensure adequate progesterone production.
5. Fiber Foods for PMS
Adequate fiber is crucial for regular bowel movements and can help to prevent PMS constipation. Appetite increases during the luteal phase (the week or two before your period when PMS symptoms tend to occur) and fiber helps to promote satiety, meaning it helps to keep you fuller longer, which can help with PMS cravings. Fiber is found in our plant foods. Include a variety of whole grains like oats or quinoa, lentils, beans, fruit, veggies, nuts, and seeds.
6. Omega-3 Foods for PMS
Omega-3s are essential fatty acids we must get from food (or supplement if we do not regularly eat the omega-3-rich foods). These fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties that help to remedy or alleviate PMS pain or cramping. Prostaglandins are inflammatory compounds released right before your period to stimulate the muscles to release your uterine lining (which is your period). Omega-3s help to balance out the inflammatory effects of prostaglandins. The best food source of omega-3s are fatty fish like salmon. Omega-3s are also found in plant foods like ground flaxseeds, walnuts, and chia seeds, but are not as readily absorbed. If you do not eat fish consider an algae-based omega-3 supplement.
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7. Iron Foods for PMS
According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences and Harvard, women who ate a diet rich in iron were 30 to 40 percent less likely to experience symptoms of PMS than women who consumed diets low in iron. Women who had the lowest incidence of PMS symptoms consumed about 20 mg of iron per day. Shellfish, red meat, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, and spinach are all excellent foods for PMS since they are rich in iron and many other vitamins and minerals. If you are consuming iron from foods that come from plant sources (non-heme) make sure to include a source of vitamin C in that meal, which makes it more bioavailable, meaning it can be better absorbed in the body for the most health benefits.
8. Calcium Foods for PMS
Calcium may help to alleviate PMS-related anxiety [source]. When estrogen starts to decline in the second half of your menstrual cycle after you ovulate, calcium decreases [source]. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in the absorption of calcium. We often associated calcium with dairy foods, which may or may not work for you (if you experience acne, removing dairy may help with this symptom). Other great food sources of calcium include seeds, leafy greens, broccoli, canned salmon, beans, lentils, edamame, and tofu.
9. Anti-Inflammatory Foods for PMS
Remember the prostaglandins we just talked about? They are the inflammatory compounds that are produced right before your period to help shed the uterine lining. Eating anti-inflammatory foods means incorporating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, omega-3 foods (as mentioned above), herbs and spices like turmeric and ginger, and being mindful about sugar, alcohol, and caffeine.
10. Complex Carbohydrate Foods for PMS
Complex carbohydrates, or what I like to call ‘slow carbohydrates’ are great foods for PMS because they help maintain stable blood sugar levels, which can alleviate mood symptoms and reduce food cravings. Complex carbohydrates are those that contain fiber such as grains like oats, quinoa, brown rice, fruit, vegetables, beans, and legumes. All these foods take longer to digest compared, which make them the perfect food for PMS since they will help maintain stable blood glucose levels. A stable blood glucose level will help prevent mood changes including mood swings and irritability.
11. Probiotic Foods for PMS
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that support your gut microbiome, or the collection of bacteria living in your digestive tract. With PMS it can be common to experience some digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea. You gut plays an important role in your overall hormone balance. Including probiotic foods like yogurt, kefir, fermented veggies like kimchi or sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, or apple cider vinegar can help to support healthy gut function during PMS. In some cases a probiotic supplement may be indicated.
12. Water for PMS
While we’ve been talking about all of the different foods for PMS to help your symptoms, it can be easy to forget one of the most important things to make sure you’re getting enough of: water! Water retention or bloating is a common PMS symptom. While it may seem counterintuitive to drink water while you feel so bloated, if we are dehydrated the body holds onto the water that is does have and we can feel bloated. A good goal is to aim to have one 32-ounce water bottle by the end of each meal, so 3 total each day. And it doesn’t just have to be water - herbal teas also contribute to your water intake for the day!
Take away message:
There are many foods for PMS to help alleviate your symptoms. If you’re looking to understand the root causes of your PMS, check out my hormone testing packages HERE.
