Can Diet Relieve a Womans Premenstrual Symptoms?
Premenstrual symptoms affect up to 40 percent of women of reproductive age, with approximately 5 percent of women reporting symptoms sufficiently severe to disrupt work and normal daily activities. Because diet is known to influence serum sex-hormone levels, a great interest in dietary management of premenstrual symptoms has arisen. Low-fat and vegetarian diets reduce serum estrogen levels and have been reported to reduce menstrual pain in selected women. Barnard and associates studied the impact of a low-fat vegetarian diet on dysmenorrhea, premenstrual symptoms and serum sex-hormone concentrations. Study participants were recruited through newspaper advertisements and notices in the offices of private gynecologists. To be included in the study, volunteers had to be at least 18 years of age and have menstrual periods characterized by moderate to severe abdominal pain causing significant distress and impaired social or occupational functioning. Volunteers were excluded if they had irre
