Survey study, 2022
Is PMS linked to body fat, weight, and diet?
Yes. Women with higher body fat percentage and higher BMI had more severe PMS. Eating too much fat and too few other nutrients was associated with worse PMS, while eating oilseeds seemed protective.
What they did
330 young Indian women completed questionnaires about their menstrual patterns, diet, and physical activity. Researchers measured their body mass index, waist and hip measurements, and body fat using skinfold thickness. PMS was assessed using two different questionnaires.
What they found
71.3% reported at least one PMS symptom: 46.9% had mild PMS, 31.5% had moderate, 8.3% had severe, and 13.3% had none. Mean BMI was normal (21.76) but mean body fat percentage was above normal (33.95%). PMS severity was significantly correlated with higher body fat percentage and BMI. Nutrient intake was lower than recommended except for fat, which was higher. Protein intake was higher in women with mild PMS than those with moderate and severe PMS. An inverse association was found between eating oilseeds and PMS.
What it means for you
PMS may be related to high body fat and imbalanced diet including too much fat and insufficient other nutrients. Eating oilseeds might help. This was a snapshot study in young Indian women, so findings may not apply to other groups or older women. The study cannot show whether diet and weight cause PMS or whether having PMS affects eating habits.
330
women studied
71.3%
with at least one PMS symptom
33.95%
mean body fat percentage
About the study
- Original title
- Association of Premenstrual Syndrome with Adiposity and Nutrient Intake Among Young Indian Women
- Authors
- Thakur H, Pareek P, Sayyad MG et al.
- Journal
- International journal of women's health
- Year
- 2022
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 330
- What was tested
- None
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.2147/ijwh.s359458
Topics
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