--- title: Are zinc and copper levels linked to PMS in teenage girls? | Niyora description: The study found that girls with both irritable bowel syndrome and period pain had lower dietary zinc intake, but did not find a clear link between minerals an url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-association-of-trace-elements-with-premenstrual-syndrome-dysmenorrhea-and-2019/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Are zinc and copper levels linked to PMS in teenage girls? Case-control study, 2019 # Are zinc and copper levels linked to PMS in teenage girls? The study found that girls with both irritable bowel syndrome and period pain had lower dietary zinc intake, but did not find a clear link between minerals and PMS alone. Early or limited evidence 448 teenage girls divided by period and digestive symptoms ## What they did Researchers measured zinc and copper in blood and diet of 448 teenage girls. Girls were divided into four groups: PMS only (67), painful periods only (161), both PMS and painful periods (146), and no symptoms (74). Blood tests and food records measured mineral levels. ## What they found Dietary zinc intake was significantly lower in girls with irritable bowel syndrome (6.7 ± 2.8 mg/day) versus those without it (7.9 ± 3.1 mg/day). Irritable bowel syndrome was more common in girls with painful periods (19.9%) and those with both conditions (17.4%) than PMS alone (13.6%) or normal (8.1%). ## What it means for you Lower zinc intake may matter for girls with both period pain and digestive problems. Results are unclear about whether zinc helps PMS specifically since the study cannot prove causation from this observational design. 6.7 ± 2.8 mg/day zinc in girls with IBS 7.9 ± 3.1 mg/day zinc in girls without IBS 19.9% IBS in girls with painful periods ## About the study Original title The association of trace elements with premenstrual syndrome, dysmenorrhea and irritable bowel syndrome in adolescents Authors Bahrami A, Gonoodi K, Khayyatzadeh SS et al. Journal European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology Year 2019 Study design Case-control study Participants 161 What was tested No intervention - observational study of mineral intake Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2018.12.017](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2018.12.017) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Zinc and iron](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-zinc-iron/)[IBS and gut symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-ibs-gi/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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 Cohort study, 2019 How do exercise, diet and weight affect menstrual problems? Cohort study, 2006 How should severe period pain in teenagers be treated? Cohort study, 2025 How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it? Randomised trial, 2022 Does curcumin with piperine reduce PMS symptoms by lowering inflammation? Survey study, 2021 What factors affect premenstrual syndrome in teenage girls? Survey study, 2020 Is period pain common in Polish women and what causes it? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗