Alleviate PMS Symptoms
Pharmaceuticals have always been used in managing this condition, but now researchers have discovered certain vitamins and minerals can offer excellent results in alleviating symptoms of PMS.
B6
According to a clinical test conducted on 900 women with PMS, British researchers report taking up to 100 milligrams of vitamin B6 daily may be effective in relieving the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), including depression. However, researchers felt the need to do a large scale trial on the effects of vitamin B6 on PMS before a definitive clinical recommendation is made.
British Medical Journal 1999;318:1375-1381.
Magnesium
Studies show that magnesium deficiency usually occurring before menstruation leads to premenstrual syndrome. Magnesium-rich foods such as nuts, fish, and green leafy vegetables help to reduce PMS symptoms. (Men, a dozen roses wouldn't hurt either.)
Journal of the American Dietetic Association,1999;99:1249-1256.
Pregnancy (nausea/vomiting)
Until recent studies were conducted in nutrition, nothing was thought to help alleviate this first trimester condition. Studies show that vitamin B6, either from a multivitamin or individual B6 supplement, may help reduce the number of vomiting and nausea episodes during the first 6 weeks of pregnancy. It was discovered that in a group of 555 women seeking advice for early pregnancy vomiting and nausea, those experiencing the highest frequency and most severe episodes also reported a lack of multivitamin supplementation.1
In a randomized, double-blind clinical study conducted in China, women given vitamin B6 for a period of 5 days experienced a significant decrease in nausea and vomiting compared to the placebo group.2
1 Clin Invest Med 1999 Jun;22(3):106-110
2 Am J Obstet Gynecol 1995 Sep;173(3 Pt 1):881-4
SOURCE: Foods for the Future (Foods for the Future provides factual information to the media concerning food products, health and nutrition. It is a project of the T. Dean Reed Company and is supported by U.S. agribusiness.)