Survey study, 2025
Do PMS symptoms ease once your period starts, and does diet make them worse?
Yes, many PMS symptoms were significantly less severe after menstruation began, and eating more sugar or fat was linked to worse irritability and tension, while multi-nutrient supplements and higher education seemed to help, in this Bangladeshi study of 400 women.
What they did
Researchers surveyed 400 women aged 18 to 45 in Tangail, Bangladesh, chosen through purposive sampling, using a questionnaire covering demographics, diet, and psychological, behavioral, and physical PMS symptoms. They compared symptom severity before and after menstruation.
What they found
Common symptoms included irritability (62.81%), tiredness (71.32%), and abdominal pain (66.90%). Several symptoms, including irritability, nervousness, insomnia, tiredness, headache, and back pain, significantly decreased after menstruation (p<0.05). Older age (AOR=1.03) and higher BMI (AOR=1.02) raised the odds of severe irritation, while higher education was protective. High sugar intake raised the odds of severe irritability (AOR=2.26) and tension (AOR=1.63); high fat intake was also linked to tension and irritability. Multi-nutrient supplements appeared to protect against severe irritation.
What it means for you
This supports the idea that PMS symptoms are tied to the hormonal shift around menstruation, and suggests diet quality may affect how bad symptoms feel. However, it is a one-time survey from a single region in Bangladesh based on self-report, so it cannot prove that diet actually causes symptom changes, and the findings may not apply to other populations.
71.32%
Reported tiredness
62.81%
Reported irritability
AOR 2.26
Odds ratio for severe irritability with high sugar intake
About the study
- Original title
- Assessment of changes in premenstrual syndrome (PMS) before and after menstruation: A cross sectional study in Tangail, Bangladesh
- Authors
- Md. Rakibul Hasan, Ielias Uddin, Mesbah Uddin Talukder et al.
- Journal
- Journal of Public Health and Development
- Year
- 2025
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 400
- What was tested
- None tested directly; the study looked at associations between diet, nutrient supplements, and PMS symptom severity.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.55131/jphd/2025/230206
Topics
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