LIFESTYLE NEWS - Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can be a monthly struggle for many women. The condition has a severe effect on work, education, relationships and general daily activities.
What many women don’t realise is that there are ways to relieve the unbearable burden of PMS and put an end to their monthly suffering.
World-renowned nutritional therapist Patrick Holford takes the guesswork out of managing and relieving these unwanted symptoms with advice on understanding the triggers of PMS and managing these with simple dietary changes.
PMS triggers
Patrick stresses that, in order to effectively treat PMS it is necessary to understand what causes it, but explains that “the reason so many women suffer through it is because the precise cause of PMS remains elusive and is, at best, quite technical to understand.”
Breaking it down, Patrick says, “Ovulation appears to be the common denominator, with evidence suggesting that the symptoms are generally a result of changes in brain chemistry triggered by fluctuations in ovarian hormones. Both oestrogen and progesterone levels tend to change sharply before a period and this sudden fluctuation is thought to trigger PMS.”
These hormones influence the production of some of our major brain chemicals such as the 'happy hormone', serotonin, the calming chemical gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopamine, the chemical that affects your emotions, movements and sensations of pleasure and pain. “If you consider some of the common symptoms of PMS including anxiety, depression and irritability, cravings, clumsiness and water retention, this makes sense,” says Patrick.
