How to Tackle PMS | Balance

Jamie
Sep 6, 2022
5 min read

Arguably the greatest difference between men and women, outside of women having a disproportionately greater amount of common sense, is their hormonal profile.

Men’s hormonal profile is essentially a fairly consistent level of testosterone which plays a role in the presentation of male traits, behaviours, body shape and composition.

Women’s hormonal profile is best described as a rollercoaster ride of oestrogen and progesterone; responsible for female traits, behaviours, body shape, composition and menstrual cycle (albeit there’s one or two other important hormones involved in this too).

The menstrual cycle is a roughly 28-day cycle in which levels of hormones fluctuate to ultimately produce an egg which is able to be fertilized and, when this happens, bish bash bosh 9 months later you have yourself a very small human being.

However, the menstrual cycle (and more so menstruation itself i.e., the period) is not always a fun roller coaster to be on and can, for many women, have a whole host of horrible changes to both their physical and mental state.

What is Pre-menstrual Syndrome (PMS)?

This not so fun time of the month / cycle is referred to as PMS and starts roughly a week before your period is typically due.

Common physical symptoms of PMS include breast tenderness, headaches, musculoskeletal pain, abdominal swelling, swelling of extremities, and weight gain.

Common psychological and or behavioural symptoms of PMS include depression, changes in appetite, fatigue, mood swings, irritability, sleep disturbances, tension, social withdrawal, and poor concentration.

Obviously, not the most fun in the world.

What’s almost worse is realizing that around 90% of regularly menstruating women will experience these symptoms. On top of that, most are left to their own devices to deal with it simply because there is a frustrating lack of information (and harmful misinformation) out there for managing PMS.

The past several decades has however seen an ever-increasing interest in tackling PMS symptoms, with researchers finding more and more means of mitigating symptoms.

From yoga, to mindfulness and even acupuncture, the list of treatments, therapies and strategies available that can alleviate PMS symptoms continues to increase.

One of the stalwarts of research focus in tackling PMS has been the use of various and complimentary forms of supplementation. In this article we’re going to give a breakdown of the “big hitters” that you may want to consider adding to your stack if you ever find yourself dealing with this wretched array of symptoms.

The supplementary supplement guide to tackling PMS

Here’s a quick overview of the main supplements found to be effective at reducing the severity and or frequency of PMS symptoms;

Magnesium

Magnesium is essential for the brain’s synthesis of dopamine (the “pleasure” neurotransmitter). A deficiency of dopamine (an imbalance) can lead to overwhelming anxiety. Studies have found that women who suffer with PMS have lower concentrations of magnesium possibly suggesting that it may play a key role in the presentation of PMS symptoms. Supplementation of magnesium has been shown to significantly improve PMS symptoms.