diet

Diet and Premenstrual Syndrome

By Dr. Roberto Uliano

Fight the Desire of Sugar

During the premenstrual phase and the cycle it is almost obligatory to feel an increase in hunger and the preference for certain foods that could dangerously affect the weight. In fact, during this period there is a marked decrease in the metabolism of serotonin, a hormone implicated in mood. It is produced at the level of the brain starting from a simple amino acid called tryptophan, which after being processed by an enzyme easily crosses the encephalic barrier increasing the levels of this hormone.

Increasing the availability of simple sugars, increasing insulin levels, induces greater storage of tryptophan inside the cells to synthesize serotonin. That's why it's easy to feel an overwhelming desire for sweets and chocolate, which you can't always control. In this case it is necessary to favor the increase of serotonin and avoid the decrease of sugars. Important elements for the synthesis of serotonin are vitamin B6 and magnesium. In fact, from these elements the cells obtain a greater efficiency in synthesizing the molecule. The foods that meet the needs of these substances are integral complex carbohydrates (cereals, legumes, potatoes). Eating fish, in particular the blue one (due to the presence of omega 3), instead helps to keep under control the cramps and the muscular contractions that are felt during the cycle due to the cleavage of the endometrium. Obviously, giving in to a few pieces of chocolate should not generate feelings of guilt, maybe just follow some tricks to avoid making the damage irretrievable! The ideal, in fact, is to have breakfast, lunch, a snack and a light dinner. Those who eat at regular times have more control over the hunger cycle. We must avoid eating sweet foods in the afternoon because too high a level of insulin is circulating which would increase even more by introducing sugars, so it is better to limit ourselves to an apple or other fruit. If you don't succeed, you need to take the time with lucrative activities that tend to distract the brain from the craving for sugar.

A valid help is to engage in an aerobic sport, such as aqua aerobics, etc., which increases the circulating levels of serotonin and dopamine (the happiness hormone). In fact, a study recently published in the American Journal of Nutrition has shown that sports women have higher levels of these hormones and feel less hungry.

Since this symptom also has psychological motivations, you can help yourself with herbal tea, lemon balm, passion flower - which helps to calm anxiety states - and with some yoga lessons.

Against the Hunger Attacks

The tastes and the same food preferences show a discrete variability during the menstrual cycle. The four main tastes - sweet, salty, bitter, acid - are influenced by variations in the plasma levels of different female sex hormones. Sensitivity to sweetness, for example, increases with increasing estradiol, while sensitivity to bitterness increases with increasing levels of progesterone. There does not seem to be any significant correlation between hormone levels and acid taste; modest correlations have so far been highlighted with the salty taste. Food preferences tend to change during the menstrual cycle, especially with regard to meat and fruit. At higher levels of estradiol, as happens with ovulation, there is a tendency to reduce the caloric intake, mainly provided by carbohydrates. In the premenstrual phase, especially in women suffering from premenstrual syndrome, the "need" for sweet and chocolate foods increases: this happens due to the effect that the changes in hormones and the levels of serotonin they have on the neurobiological system that regulates the appetite and the sense of taste. Precisely for this reason the search for sweet foods is particularly strong. There are women who in the menstrual phase are able to eat a whole can of chocolate! To achieve a sense of satiety by controlling this "abnormal" hunger, you need to rely on complex carbohydrates, preferring whole grains (pasta, rice) and legumes rich in fiber like chickpeas and lentils. An excellent piece of advice, which does however turn up the nose of numerous nutritionists, is to separate the carbohydrates from the proteins to favor a greater cerebral availability of tryptophan, and therefore of serotonin. During the same meal, in the days preceding the cycle or during the menstrual phase, pasta should never be associated with meat, fish or cheese. Moreover, it would be right to stock up on foods rich in natural serotonin such as tomatoes, avocado and pineapple (the latter with a mild diuretic effect) during the day.

If the hunger is particularly strong, it is possible to take extracts of valerian with a calming action or extracts of griffonia, a plant particularly rich in tryptophan useful for maintaining constant levels of endogenous serotonin.

Foods to Stabilize Humor

Consequent to the abrupt drop in the levels of progesterone and estrogen, in the hours preceding menstruation there are changes at neuronal level that translate into mood swings and irritability. Condition already known to Hippocrates who probably referred to it when he spoke of the 'stormy temperament' of women ". The latest research tells us how the cerebral cortex is rich in estrogen receptors and how their decline during menstruation can induce variations neurobiological similar to anxiety and depression.In addition, blood loss induces a loss of iron with a consequent sense of fatigue.

To stem the phenomenon, we need to focus on a global approach that includes lifestyle and nutrition. We must prefer foods rich in serotonin and avoid nervine drinks such as coffee, take foods rich in iron such as oats, muesli, lentils and bran, to always associate with foods with a good amount of vitamin C, which allows absorption of iron (orange juice for example). An effective aid is to increase the proportion of omega-3 through the intake of oily fish, so as to improve the fluidity of the neuronal membranes, thus the transmission of the hormones involved in the mood. Moderate physical activity is recommended which, by raising the levels of dopamine, acts on the mood, improving it. Acquiring breathing and meditation techniques can be useful to reduce the sense of anxiety and irritability.

If irritability is particularly strong, extracts of valerian, passion flower and lemon balm are useful.