--- title: Do women with PMS eat differently during different parts of their menstrual cycle than women without PMS? description: No major difference in overall eating patterns was found. However, women with PMS ate more sugars and alcohol during the premenstrual phase, and this correlat url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/modest-changes-in-dietary-intake-across-the-menstrual-cycle-implications-for-2006/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with PMS eat differently during different parts of their menstrual cycle than women without PMS? Cohort study, 2006 # Do women with PMS eat differently during different parts of their menstrual cycle than women without PMS? No major difference in overall eating patterns was found. However, women with PMS ate more sugars and alcohol during the premenstrual phase, and this correlated with symptom severity. Moderate study design 31 women with PMS and 27 control women without PMS ## What they did 31 women with PMS and 27 control women recorded everything they ate for 3 days during the postmenstrual phase and 3 days during the premenstrual phase. Researchers compared energy and nutrient intake between the two cycle phases and between the two groups. ## What they found In women with PMS, total energy and nutrient intake was similar between the postmenstrual and premenstrual phases. In control women, intakes were usually greater during the premenstrual phase, although not all differences were statistically significant. Women with PMS consumed more non-milk extrinsic sugars and alcohol in the premenstrual phase compared to the postmenstrual phase. Significant correlations were observed between the severity of premenstrual symptoms and the change in consumption of sugars and alcohol. ## What it means for you Contrary to some theories, women with PMS do not eat significantly more food overall during the premenstrual phase. However, they may eat more sugars and alcohol at this time, which correlates with symptom severity. This suggests food type may matter more than total amount. The study only captured 3 days of eating in each cycle phase, which is a limited snapshot. 31 women with PMS 27 control women 2 cycle phases studied ## About the study Original title Modest changes in dietary intake across the menstrual cycle: implications for food intake research Authors Bryant M, Truesdale KP, Dye L Journal The British journal of nutrition Year 2006 Study design Cohort study What was tested No intervention; observational study Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1017/bjn20061931](https://doi.org/10.1017/bjn20061931) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Review, 2001 What causes PMS and PMDD, and how are they treated? Review, 1997 Does appetite and food cravings change during the menstrual cycle, especially in women with PMS? Randomised trial, 2026 Does training based on health promotion model reduce PMS symptoms, emotional eating, and stress? Survey study, 2026 How do pain, sleep quality, and appetite change across the menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2025 Is emotional eating linked to PMS in university women? Case-control study, 2025 Are emotional eating and dietary habits linked to PMS? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗