22 Foods That Help Fight PMS

If you’re bloated, cranky, and crampy each month, you’ve got company. About 40% of women of childbearing age experience physical and emotional symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that are severe enough to put a damper on their daily routines, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

If you’re lucky enough to be unfamiliar with it, PMS is a group of symptoms linked to the menstrual cycle that occur about a week before a woman’s period begins. Symptoms are variable and often resolve after menstruation begins. Common complaints include mood swings, irritability, breast tenderness, abdominal cramps, headaches, acne, bloating, food cravings, fatigue, and trouble focusing (or mental fog). Depressed, overweight, and perimenopausal women are hit hardest.

While PMS is a fact of life and the cause of monthly misery for many women, the exact reason for the symptoms is not completely understood but is thought to be related to fluctuating hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter. The ACOG reports that 85% or more of menstruating women have at least one PMS symptom. Most have symptoms that are fairly mild and don’t require treatment. However, since many women report that eating a more nutritious diet brings relief, we asked experts for tips on foods that may help fight PMS naturally. Here are 22 favorites:

Artichokes

Artichokes are “liver food,” says Laurie Steelsmith, ND, LAc, a naturopathic physician in Honolulu and author of Natural Choices for Women’s Health: How the Secrets of Natural and Chinese Medicine Can Create a Lifetime of Wellness. According to Chinese medicine and ancient healers, liver foods help cleanse and restore liver function so the organ can effectively sweep out excess toxins and hormones such as estrogen from the body. Plus they help break down estrogen in the liver. Since artichokes are also a natural diuretic, they help flush fluid and reduce swelling. The 60-calorie veggie is also loaded with magnesium, which may ease bloating and breast tenderness. A study in the Journal of Women’s Health found that the consumption of 200 milligrams of magnesium per day reduced PMS fluid retention, breast tenderness, and bloating by 40%.

Interestingly, magnesium also might help regulate the activity of serotonin, the so-called feel-good neurotransmitter. A medium artichoke contains 72 milligrams of magnesium. (Pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, black beans, and tofu are also good sources.)

Oatmeal, Brown Rice, and Whole Wheat Bread

PMS often goes hand in hand with many symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, such as gas, constipation, diarrhea, and bloating, so a high-fiber diet will keep digestive health in order, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, MPH, RD, LDN, an American Dietetic Association spokesperson. A lot of women complain of bloating, gas, and constipation thanks to PMS, so from a digestive health point of view, whole grains are tops. The high fiber content keeps the colon mildly distended, preventing spasms, and it retains water, which relieves constipation. For good health, eat three servings of whole grains daily.

Fish and Flax

Essential fatty acids, the omega-3 fats found in cold-water fish and flaxseeds, are important for decreasing the inflammation associated with menstrual cramping. Steelsmith explains that essential fatty acids are incorporated into cell membranes to help them become more flexible, improve liver function, and aid in the synthesis of prostaglandins, hormonelike substances that can keep cells from being inflamed. They also work to keep the immune system healthy and blood coagulating properly, which reduces the risk of blood clots. “It’s like a natural analgesic to eat salmon, tuna, mackerel, or sardines or take fish oil supplements, which may help to reduce cramps,” says Gerbstadt. (Another cold-water winner is halibut.)

Tofu, Soy Nuts, and Edamame

Two servings of soy per day can help mimic the action of estrogen and maintain estrogen levels, so that when you start your period, your estrogen level doesn’t drop as drastically. It’s that dive that causes sleep problems, mood fluctuations, and vaginal dryness. Gerbstadt recommends incorporating soy in your diet throughout the month, not just during your period. Women who have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer or have been treated for it should consult their doctors to find out whether

Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Bok Choy, and Broccoli

Cruciferous vegetables are not only a good source of fiber but also natural diuretics that flush fluid to reduce breast swelling, hand and feet puffiness, and stomach bloating. Plus, their fiber content may affect estrogen levels. Estrogen goes to the liver, where it’s broken down and then dumped into the gallbladder and coupled with bile salts for the route to the small intestine. Research suggests that a lot of abnormal bacteria in the gut can remove the estrogen from the bile salts, and the body will reabsorb the estrogen, creating an excess amount. “So by having a diet high in fiber, you literally make sure you escort that estrogen right out of your body, and it doesn’t have a chance to be reabsorbed by gut bacteria,” says Steelsmith. (Also try kale, collard greens, arugula, and cabbage.)

Chocolate

Cacao, while relatively high in fat, contains small amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and flavonols, which may nix cramps. Since cacao contains natural endorphins, which make you feel good at any point in the month, it may be a mind over matter pick-me-up. It’s important, when consuming chocolate, to choose high-quality darks because the benefits aren’t as evident in milk varieties. The most important advice is portion control—it’s not a license to load up. “A 1-ounce piece of chocolate, not a 1-pound bar,” says Gerbstadt.

Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who eat four dairy servings or more a day are less likely to develop PMS symptoms, including anxiety, loneliness, irritability, tearfulness, and tension. Compared with women who don’t have premenstrual symptoms, some women with PMS have lower blood levels of calcium around the time of ovulation, say researchers. Studies in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology report that 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day reduces symptoms of PMS by nearly one half. And when PMS sufferers consume 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily, mood and bloating improve after just a few months.

Yellow Fin Tuna, Chicken, and Bananas

Vitamin B6-rich foods help decrease inflammation and limit swelling, breast tenderness, and cramps, explains Gerbstadt. Foods high in this B vitamin help to increase the breakdown of estrogen and decrease the accompanying puffiness. B6 is also important because it works with different amino acids that act as precursors to serotonin. It actually aids the development of these neurotransmitters in your body, so it indirectly has an affect on mood. What’s more, B6 shuttles magnesium to the cells, so if you eat magnesium-rich foods along with B6 loaded choices, you’ll decrease cramps and food cravings. Women need 1.3 milligrams of B6 daily and more is better around the time of your period. (Additional sources include chinook salmon, cod, garbanzo beans, turkey, sunflower seeds, spinach, tomato juice, peanut butter, and walnuts.)

Wine and Grape Juice

The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation recently linked moderate alcohol consumption (one drink daily) to fewer period mood changes and headaches in 3,302 ethnically diverse women. It’s the antioxidant resveratrol that may play a role in stabilizing mood. But if you don’t drink, don’t start just for these perks. In fact, one quarter to one half cup of grape juice offers the same benefit because, Gerbstadt says, grape juice has the same properties as wine. Findings in a recent issue of Nutrition suggest that Concord grape juice may be beneficial for reversing or preventing effects of aging, including loss of short-term memory, coordination, balance, and strength. Plus, a daily drink of wine or juice may battle brain fog. Elderly women in the Nurses’ Health Study who drank moderately had better-than-average scores on cognitive and memory tests. The effect was the equivalent of being one or two years younger. (FYI: A wine serving equals 5 ounces.)

— Jennifer Nelson

Steer Clear of These Foods for PMS Relief

Caffeine: It’s associated with increased anxiety and mood changes.
Salt: The goal is no more than 2,300 milligrams per day and less is best during this time. “The minute you add any salt on the table or while cooking, you’ve gone over the limit,” says Gerbstadt. Cut back on canned or processed sauces, dressings, condiments, and smoked foods. You can’t possibly fight bloat and breast tenderness eating hefty amounts of salty foods.
Refined sugars: Reducing sugar may diminish mood swings. If you’re moody or tearing up over Meredith’s life on Grey’s Anatomy, limit foods like pastries, cookies, cakes, and crackers and also read labels. Sugars hide in soups, cereals, sauces, and many packaged foods. Code words for sugar include high fructose corn syrup, maltose, dextrose, and glucose.