Originally published February 1 2006
Nutrition expert recommends vitamins and herbs for their relief of PMS
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Nutrition scientist Ed Blonz informs readers of the power of herbs and vitamins in combating the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
I don't get much from my doctor in terms of prevention but was wondering if you knew of any herbs that might help with the PMS.
These symptoms can include headaches, breast swelling and tenderness, bloating, water retention, mood alterations and food cravings.
Heavy periods are not unusual, especially in teens who are not yet ovulating regularly and in women approaching menopause.
Other factors can be involved, though, so if you routinely have heavy periods, especially those that last longer than one week, it's best that you check with your physician or gynecologist to make sure that there isn't anything else going on.
A study published in the April 2001 Journal of Family Practice found chasteberry to be effective in reducing PMS symptoms when compared with a placebo.
The June 13, 2005, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine found that higher intakes of calcium and vitamin D might be helpful in reducing PMS symptoms.
Significant decreases in the severity of PMS correlated with daily intakes corresponding to approximately 1,200 milligrams of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D from food sources.
Concerning iron, the most efficient way of getting this mineral into the body is through food.
The body does not efficiently absorb dietary iron, the one exception being the heme iron present in meats.
If you're a meat eater, a reasonable first step would be to include lean meat in your diet.
The difficulty with iron supplements is that iron doesn't dissolve easily, and it must be in solution before it can be absorbed.
Most bodies do a good job of regulating iron, as a specific protein is needed for iron absorption and it's less available when the body's iron stores are full.
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