Who does it affect?
About 3-5% of women have symptoms so severe that it affects their work, education, relationships and/or daily activities. This is equivalent to 500,000 women in the UK alone. The average age of onset of PMS is 26 and it generally gets worse with age, with the most severe form affecting more women in their forties. As women get older they spend more time in the premenstrual phase as the cycle gets shorter and shorter towards menopause, giving rise to more frequent symptoms.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a diagnosis used by psychiatrists and other mental health workers to describe a specific set of particularly pronounced mood symptoms, appearing the week before, and going away a few days after, a period starts. Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between a true depression and PMS. A telling difference is when your symptoms are only partially relieved when the period starts. In which case, it is worth exploring the possibility of an underlying psychiatric or physical health problem with your doctor or health care professional, as many conditions may give rise to similar symptoms. However, the good news is, once you have ruled out any other underlying condition, and you know that PMS is your problem, you can put an end to these unwanted symptoms after just a few months of following my optimum nutrition principles.
Case study
Elaine H is a case in point. She had suffered from PMS for as long as she could remember. Her moods were so bad in the week before her periods that her children would flee and her husband would cower. Here’s what she told me: “My PMS starts a week before a period. For the first two days I can handle it, my stomach starts churning, I get worse and worse, won’t listen to anyone, I go nuts, get breast tenderness, and have heavy painful periods.” Two months later here’s what she said: “I haven’t had any PMT – should be really bad right now. None of my outbursts. I’ve stuck to the diet completely. My energy has gone through the roof. I just feel like a completely different person. I can’t believe it’s happened so quickly. My husband can’t believe the change. No breast tenderness. My middle daughter said “what have you been doing to your skin. You look so much younger?” I’m really enjoying the diet. I’m trying new foods and the taste is great.”
What Causes PMS?
What is known is that PMS does not occur before the onset of the first period, during pregnancy or after natural or surgical menopause. Although the precise cause remains elusive, ovulation appears to be an important factor, with evidence suggesting that the symptoms are generally a result of changes in brain chemistry triggered by fluctuations in ovarian hormones. Both oestrogenOestrogen is one of the main female sex hormones…. and progesteroneProgesterone is one of the main female sex hormones…. levels generally fall sharply before a period and this sudden change is thought to trigger PMS.
Two major brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) seem to be affected by this change – serotoninSerotonin is a hormone found naturally in the brain and digestive tract. It is often referred to as the ‘happy hormone’ as it influences mood…. and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Serotonin – sometimes called the ‘happy hormone’ has been shown to help control appetite and carbohydrateCarbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the body as they can be broken down into glucose (sugar) more readily than either protein or… cravings. Oestrogen helps to improve mood by keeping up the levels of serotonin. Antidepressants like Prozac and Seroxat are thought to work by helping to maintain levels of serotonin, although there are more natural ways to achieve the same thing (see below).
Similarly a derivative of progesterone enhances the production of GABA, which is a calming neurotransmitterA neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger that carries signals between body...
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