To Your Health March, 2007 (Vol. 01, Issue 03) |
|
|
Fighting PMS With Sound Nutrition
By Editorial Staff
As many as one in five women suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS). While symptoms might vary from person to person, common complaints include depression, irritability, cramping and headaches, any of which can be severe enough to interfere with a woman's ability to function throughout the day.
But take heart: A recent study involving 3,000 women, more than a third of whom had experienced symptoms of PMS over a 10-year period, showed that those women who consumed the highest amounts of calcium were 20 percent less likely to suffer from PMS than women who consumed the lowest amounts. And women with the highest levels of vitamin D intake were 41 percent less likely to develop symptoms compared to women taking the least amount of vitamin D.
Vitamin D and calcium also play key roles in the prevention of another condition many women are prone to develop as they age - osteoporosis. Here's how to ensure you get adequate calcium and vitamin D in your daily diet: