By Honorine Hélot, naturopath
Premenstrual syndrome, commonly known as PMS, affects between 50% and 80% of women and is thought to encompass hundreds of symptoms.
You are not alone!
The array of symptoms that can signal the arrival of menstruation affects nearly nine out of ten women to varying degrees. PMS is often trivialized or accepted with inevitability. " 80%. That's the percentage of menstruating women who are affected by premenstrual syndrome," according to Dr. Francesco Bianchi-Demicheli of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Geneva University Hospitals. " Around 50% experience moderate symptoms, but 35% of women have symptoms that disrupt their social, professional, or family life."
"When a woman frees herself from her troubles, the changes are spectacular. She is reborn."
“ But many do nothing, as if it were normal,” adds Dr. Bianchi-Demicheli. “ Yet these symptoms were already known in antiquity, since Hippocrates described suicidal thoughts and other symptoms around the time of menstruation in some women,” recalls Dr. Florence Gressier, a psychiatrist at Bicêtre Hospital (APHP). Premenstrual syndrome was first described in 1931. No effective treatment has improved women’s condition since then.
"Scientists do not understand what causes premenstrual syndrome, which means that research on this topic is thin, and there is less funding for new studies," according to a note from the ResearchGate website.
Thankfully, today, women are talking about it, including Leslye Granaud, who has suffered from PMS since she was 16. She recently created a supportive and reassuring Instagram account, " SPM ta mère" (Your Mother's PMS ), which now has 56,000 followers. "Ever since I was little, I often wondered why I was in such a bad mood before my period. But my mother just told me that's how it was. I discovered PMS online by chance, in a video." It was at that precise moment that she realized that behind the percentages revealed by numerous scientific studies were women like her, you, and me, who sometimes suffered greatly on a daily basis.
What is premenstrual syndrome?
" Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a set of psychological and physical signs that occur between 7 and 10 days before the onset of menstruation, and which disappear with the onset of menstruation ," says Alain Tamborini, a gynecologist at the Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris.
Symptoms vary from woman to woman, but what they all have in common is that they significantly impact daily life. Do you have only one desire: to hide under the covers and not emerge for a few days before your period? You are likely suffering from this syndrome and its accompanying physical and emotional discomfort.
For some, the approach of menstruation is difficult to cope with, as is the case for Mathilde, 25, who has been menstruating for 10 years and is on the pill, and who also suffers a few days before her period arrives. " The closer my period gets, the more of a mess I am, " she says. " For about three days, I feel much more on edge. I cry a lot for no apparent reason."
Louise, 38, tells us about the difficulty she experiences almost once a month: " I feel like I suddenly fall into a major depression, quite abruptly. It completely overwhelms me, as if my personality and way of seeing things change. " Amélie wishes someone had warned her: "I thought PMS was just a myth. It took me ten years to make the connection between my cycle and my mood swings."
And what are the causes in all of this?
For Carole Maître, a gynecologist and physician at the National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (INSEP), hormones are the main culprit: "The menstrual cycle is accompanied by hormonal fluctuations. Just before menstruation, progesterone levels drop while estrogen levels remain stable; this is a state of hyperestrogenism, and we are more affected by estrogen," she explains. This is just one cause among many. Given that all hormones are interconnected, several can be involved: the thyroid gland may be underactive, or cortisol levels (the stress hormone) may be too high.
Premenstrual syndrome is a multifactorial condition that can be influenced by nutritional deficiencies, lifestyle factors, and hormonal fluctuations that affect neurotransmitter concentrations in the brain (serotonin, GABA, dopamine).
According to Dr. Bérangère Arnal, a specialist in women's natural health and author of the book "Premenstrual Syndrome: Natural Solutions," "magnesium deficiency seems to be common to almost all forms of PMS. Magnesium, due to its direct action on neurotransmitters and fatty acid metabolism, can indeed be the first area to address."
A decade-long study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows that women who consume plenty of iron-rich plant-based foods reduce their risk of experiencing premenstrual symptoms (pain, migraines, stress, etc.) by a third compared to those who consume less iron. It appears that iron from plant-based foods and supplements protects women from PMS, rather than iron from animal sources (red meat and poultry). (Note that a blood test is recommended before taking iron supplements.)
New studies propose another hypothesis: they have observed significant inflammation in many women during this period, with an increase in C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory protein that helps maintain hormonal balance, regulate neurotransmitters, and control pro-inflammatory prostaglandins involved in the physiology of premenstrual syndrome. The scientific journal *Journal of Women's Health* confirmed this finding by publishing, in May 2016, a study conducted on more than 3,300 women by researchers from the University of California, Davis. According to their research, premenstrual syndrome is accompanied by inflammation in the body, itself linked to a specific type of protein: C-reactive protein (CRP).
The 3 rules to follow to prevent and mitigate it!
1. Eat healthily
We limit trigger foods: saturated fats, refined sugars and dairy products, and we prefer fresh, seasonal and organic foods.
A diet rich in omega 3 is preferred: small oily fish (anchovies, herring, sardines), walnuts, flax, lamb's lettuce, purslane and first cold-pressed oil (flax, camelina, hemp...) for their anti-inflammatory action.
We load up on vitamins and minerals: B2 (soy, eggs, cereals, hazelnuts…), B3 (fish, fats, legumes, dried fruits…), B6 (oily fish, banana, brown rice, lentils…) and D (oily fish, egg yolk…) but also calcium (seafood, cabbage, almonds, sesame seeds, walnuts…) and magnesium (whole and semi-whole cereals, legumes (beans, peas)), oilseeds (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts), rapeseed oil, oily fish, crustaceans.
Animal or plant proteins: they should be consumed every day because they allow the body to produce hormones, enzymes and neurotransmitters.
Plenty of fruits and vegetables to get your fill of fiber and enzymes.
2. Move
Regular exercise can alleviate PMS pain while promoting relaxation and stress reduction. Of course, it can be difficult to move if you're not feeling well… Simple activities like walking, gentle yoga, or swimming are enough to help you unwind. If you have severe pain, it's recommended to engage in more moderate physical activity (walking, not jogging) and to stretch thoroughly afterward.
3. Relax
The more relaxed you are, the better you'll be able to manage the unpleasant experiences that assail you. Try paying attention to how you live your life and learn to distinguish what is external to you from what you can control and change. Several options are available to you: breathing techniques, meditation, sophrology, yoga, massage, etc.
In this syndrome, many things revolve around the psyche, observes Dr. Juliane Berdah, a gynecological endocrinologist. "Women with a very tense temperament see their symptoms worsen before their period. Moreover, women with good self-awareness generally have fewer problems. They don't let these worries overwhelm them." Each woman's emotional and hormonal history, her daily experiences, and her ability to manage stress all play important roles in how she approaches this period leading up to her period.
CBD contains essential fatty acids that can help restore hormonal balance. When applied topically to the abdomen, it provides instant relief from painful cramps.
