PDF | Print | E-mail

User Rating: / 0
PoorBest 

Supplementation of Key Nutrients May Ease PMS Symptoms...

Research Supports Benefits Of Nutritional Lipids & Oils, Vitamins & Minerals For Maintaining Women's Health.

A supplement containing a blend of essential oils, including GLA (gamma linoleicacid) and specific vitamins may significantly reduce the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), according to new research.

The study, published in Reproductive Health, reported that women given capsulescontaining a combination of essential oils, including gamma linolenic acid, oleic acid,linoleic acid, other polyunsaturated acids and vitamin E, resulted in significantlyeased PMS symptoms at both 3 and 6 months after they began supplementation.

"The administration of essential fatty acids to patients with PMS resulted in asignificant decrease in symptom score in the patients evaluated," said the researchers conducting the study, based at the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil.

They added "The results of the current study present some evidence in support ofthe use of essential fatty acids in PMS patients."

Fatty Acid Link

The authors said that between 80-95 percent of women are estimated to suffer fromat least one of the symptoms of PMS in the premenstrual phase of the cycle, and ofthese around 35 percent have symptoms severe enough to affect their routine activities.

"The negative effect of symptoms on the woman's routine activities and quality of life may be significant, in addition to the repercussions on economic costs resulting predominantly from a reduction in productivity," the researchers explained.

Although the full physiological causes of PMS are yet to be fully clarified, the researchers said that one possibility is that women with the syndrome are abnormally sensitive to prolactin.

They said that some studies have suggested the use of essential fatty acids as a valid therapeutic option for women with PMS, adding that because such substancesdo not appear to trigger any hormonal or biochemical disruptions in women, they may be considered safe.

"The objectives of the present study were to compare the effectiveness and safety of six treatment cycles with two different doses of essential fatty acids on the severity of PMS symptoms, as evaluated clinically and with the use of a graded symptom scale," said the researchers.

Study details

The researchers conducted the randomized placebo-controlled trial with 120 female volunteers suffering from PMS.

The women were divided into three groups that were given either 1 or 2 grams of the supplement or placebo, and their symptoms were recorded over a 6-month period using the Prospective Record of the Impact and Severity of Menstruation (PRISM) calendar.

In the group treated with 1 gram of the supplement, a significant reduction in PRISMscore was found, whilst for the 2-gram group, the authors reported the differences to be even more significant.

They also said that there were no statistically significant differences in prolactin or total cholesterol levels between baseline values and those recorded after six months of treatment.

Significant Clinical Improvement

The researchers noted that a significant improvement in PMS symptoms was achieved in volunteers using the supplement containing the essential oil active ingredient.

"Prolonged use of the supplementation for 6 months appears to result in a better clinical improvement compared to the results found after three months of treatment ... This reinforces the hypothesis that its effects on PMS symptoms are the result of its interaction with prolactin receptors through the action of prostaglandin E1 whose metabolism is directly affected by essential fatty acid levels," they concluded.

Source: Reproductive Health (Volume 8, Issue 2)
"Essential fatty acids for premenstrual syndrome and their effect on prolactin and total cholesterol levels: a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study"

Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Administrator's Note: This article is reprinted here with the permission of Vitamin Power.