By: Laurie Edwards for Fibroids1By now, most of us know eating foods high in calcium and vitamin D is good for our health, but a new study suggests that a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D may actually lower the risk of developing an all-too familiar female affliction: Premenstrual syndrome. If you’re one of many who dread that time of the month and the upheaval it brings, preventative measures may be a lot easier than you think. Got milk?
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The Skinny on Calcium-Rich Foods:
1 cup of milk = 300 milligrams
½ cup of broccoli = 35 milligrams
½ cup of spinach = 120 milligrams
8 ounces of low-fat yogurt = 300 - 415 milligrams
1 cup of fortified orange juice = 300 milligrams
Women ages 19 - 50 need 1,000 milligrams daily
Women 51 and older need 1,200 milligrams daily |
Most women would tell you they experience at least some level of physical or emotional symptoms when they are premenstrual, but as from 8 to 20 percent of women suffer full-blown PMS. Depression, fatigue, irritability, stomach cramps, headaches and breast tenderness that are severe enough to noticeably interfere with everyday activities and relationships are the typical hallmarks of PMS.The new study, published in the June 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, tracked nurses over the course of 10 years. More than 1,000 of these women had PMS.
“We found women with high intakes of both calcium and vitamin D did have significantly reduced PMS risk. Those who ate about four servings of low-fat dairy or yogurt or drank fortified orange juice had a 40 percent lower risk of PMS than those who did not,” said University of Massachusetts researcher Elizabeth R. Bertone-Johnson, ScD.
So how much calcium is enough? According to Bertone-Johnson, it’s about 1,200 milligrams of calcium (see sidebar for amounts found in typical foods). As for vitamin D, the necessary amount is 400 international units (IUs) a day, which is also the standard recommended daily allowance.
Lest you assume you’re already getting enough dairy to meet this requirement, keep in mind that all of the women in the study were nurses – and only one in five of them were getting close to the standard recommended amount of vitamin D or calcium. If the thought of endless milk and dairy makes you queasy, leafy greens and fruits also have calcium.
In case you’re still not convinced, consider the fact that women in the age group facing the highest risk for PMS are the very same women who need increased calcium regardless.
“Women in the 18-30 age group at risk for PMS are in the prime of their bone mineralization years. Every woman of childbearing age should be on calcium for her bones. Every woman needs to be doing this to build up bones so she has less chance of dangerous fractures in her later years,” said Emory University gynecologist Dr. Stephen Bashuk.
While only a clinical trial can prove if this combination actually prevents PMS, it does offer a chance for doctors and patients to discuss ways to add calcium and vitamin D to their diets.
“What this study says is that if you take an 18-year-old women without PMS – who has a 20 percent lifetime chance of getting it – if she takes her calcium she has less chance of getting PMS,” said Bashuk.
Until further studies are conducted, experts caution against assuming drinking more milk or juice signals the end of PMS.
“I think it is something every woman can talk about with their doctors, whether they are thinking about increasing calcium and vitamin D to prevent PMS or to strengthen their bones. It is premature to suggest that this is going to be the magic bullet to prevent PMS,” said Bertone-Johnson.
