Case-control study, 2013
Does eating more minerals help prevent PMS?
Women eating more iron had lower PMS risk, but women eating more potassium had higher risk. This suggests some minerals might help prevent PMS, but the evidence was mixed.
What they did
Researchers followed nurses for 10 years starting in 1991. They compared women who developed PMS with women who didn't, and looked at what minerals they ate based on food questionnaires filled out in 1991, 1995, and 1999.
What they found
Women eating the most nonheme iron had lower PMS risk compared to those eating the least. Women eating the most potassium had higher PMS risk compared to those eating the least. High zinc from supplements was weakly linked to lower PMS risk. Salt, magnesium, and manganese made no difference to PMS risk.
What it means for you
Some minerals in food might help prevent PMS, especially iron. However, the results were mixed because potassium seemed to increase risk. The study was large and followed women over a long time, so the findings are fairly reliable. The main limit is that this was an observation study, so we cannot say minerals definitely prevent PMS.
1057
women who developed PMS
1968
women who did not develop PMS
10 years
length of follow-up
About the study
- Original title
- Intake of selected minerals and risk of premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Chocano-Bedoya PO, Manson JE, Hankinson SE et al.
- Journal
- American journal of epidemiology
- Year
- 2013
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 1,057
- What was tested
- Varied mineral intake from food and supplements.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1093/aje/kws363
Topics
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