The influence of diet and supplementation on premenstrual syndrome: narrative literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62827/nb.v24i2.3065Keywords:
Women's Health; Premenstrual Syndrome; Diet; Dietary Supplements.Abstract
Introduction: Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) affects a large proportion of women during their childbearing years, manifesting itself through varied symptoms that precede menstruation and can compromise different aspects of daily life. Objective: The influence of diet and nutritional supplementation in reducing the symptoms associated with PMS, as well as their clinical implications, was described through recent scientific evidence. Methods: This is a narrative literature review, carried out based on publications indexed in the SciELO, PubMed, LILACS and ScienceDirect databases, with a time frame between 2019 and 2024, using DeCS (Health Sciences Descriptors) and MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) descriptors. The combination occurred through Boolean operators AND and OR. Results: The importance of a low glycemic index diet, rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains for PMS is highlighted. Diets rich in sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods have been associated with worsening PMS symptoms. Supplementation with magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin D, calcium, omega-3, zinc, and turmeric has been shown to be effective in modulating mood, reducing pain, and improving physical fitness. It was found that personalized nutritional interventions integrated with multidisciplinary clinical care offer safe and low-cost alternatives for managing PMS. Conclusion: Functional nutrition and nutritional supplementation should be considered relevant strategies for promoting women's health, contributing to physical and emotional well-being during this period of the menstrual cycle. Continuing research with robust methodologies, longer intervention times, and representative samples is essential to consolidate this evidence.
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