Hundreds of thousands of women struggle with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) every month. PMS can make life more difficult. You snap at your partner for no real reason, your breasts are sore, and all this is happening during the dreaded 2-week wait to see if you are pregnant or not.
Many doctors will simply shrug and tell their female patients that this is “all part of being a woman”. That’s just not true! Women definitely don’t and shouldn’t have to have to live with extreme physical and emotional symptoms related to their menstrual cycle.
The symptoms of PMS:
PMS can occur in the days or even weeks prior to a period
They can experience any or all of the following:
• Breast tenderness and swelling
• Food cravings
• Stomach upset
• Cramping
• Headaches
• Mood swings / depression
Natural remedies for PMS:
The following herbs and supplements can help to reduce symptoms of PMS by regulating hormones.
• Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids are healthy fats that can also help manage pain, inflammation and PMS mood symptoms; eating fish is a natural way to get these (or take fish or krill oil).
• Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus castus) works by helping to rebalance oestrogen and progesterone levels, alleviating many symptoms of PMS.
• Vitamin B6 can help reduce anxiety, moodiness, irritability, sugar cravings, breast tenderness and abdominal bloating.
• Magnesium is helpful for stress management, energy production and mood control. In fact, people with PMS often can be tested and found to be low on magnesium! When their levels get within acceptable range, headaches, depression and irritability decrease.
• Dong Quai (Angelica polymorpha) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used to regulate the menstrual cycle and reduce period pain.
• Calcium is another mineral that can be in short supply, especially in vegans, leading to common PMS symptoms such as water retention, food cravings, muscle aches and moodiness. Find it in sesame seeds, dairy foods and sardines. Managing stress and making better food choices can help with both physical and emotional symptoms of PMS. Better gut and digestive health also help. When you rebalance your hormones in addition to these simple things, PMS could be a thing of the past!