Help for Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) with Vitamins and Herbs
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is caused by an imbalance of hormones, mostly an excess of oestrogen in relation to progesterone. Many women experience a number of symptoms in the run up to menstruation, including headaches, tender breasts, bloating, irritability, depression and lack of energy. There are many things that you are able to do to relieve the symptoms. These include eating little and often prior to your period to stabilize blood sugar levels, taking moderate exercise in the week before a period is due to improve circulation and reduce stress levels, taking vitamin and mineral supplements and using herbal remedies.
What you can do to help PMS
There are a number of things that you can do to improve the symptoms associated with PMS. These include dietary and lifestyle changes and vitamin and mineral supplements and herbs. The following should help the situation:
Cut out or drastically reduce the consumption of sugar, alcohol, salt, tea and coffee, and chocolate. These adjustments will help to balance your blood sugars, water and hormones.
Do not smoke. Smoking reduces the effectiveness of all the other treatments and uses the vitamins and minerals in your diet to clean your system - this means that there are fewer nutrients available for the important functions in the body. If you smoke join Growerz for the support and assistance you need to quit for good.
Cleanse your body to remove the build up of toxins. Toxins are often at the base of hormonal problems and therefore of PMS.
Make sure that your diet is as good as you are able to get it. Try to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, vegetable and seed oils. This should assist in making sure that you get the nutrients that you need, but most people, especially if you also smoke, don't get sufficient - so also take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement. Make sure that you take:
50 mg of vitamin B6 and take the vitamin B 6 once or twice daily in the second half of the cycle. Vitamin B6 regulate the sex hormones.
Vitamin B 12 will improve the mood levels.
Omega 3 fish oil as this helps to even out the hormonal imbalances.
Vitamin D as this assists with the absorption of calcium.
Co-enzyme Q10 as this will boost the energy levels.
Vitamin E to reduce the symptoms.
magnesium daily may also be of assistance as it will relieve tender breasts.
calcium will reduce headaches and pain and prevent moods swings.
zinc is needed to produce prostaglandins, which help to balance hormone levels.
If you do suffer from symptoms associated with low blood sugar levels, such as sugar cravings, increased appetite, faintness, irritability, or headaches before a meal eat some unrefined carbohydrates for example, carrot or a piece of fruit about every two hours. Be careful not to miss meals particularly within the two weeks of commencing your period. Missing meals will increase any tendency you may have to low blood sugar levels.
You need to try to take time to relax. Relaxation, deep breathing, yoga, music or meditation may be of assistance.
Herbal treatments for PMS
This revolves around using herbs to restore the hormone balance. These herbs can include any of the following:
chaste tree,
false unicorn root,
vitex berries,
wild yam and
black haw.
In addition to the hormonal balancers the following herbs con be used to treat specific symptoms.
- skullcap,
- wild oats,
- verain,
- chamomile,
- woodbetony.
- valerian,
- passionflower.
- rosemary,
- cinnamon,
- St John's wort,
- ginger,
- lemon balm.
- corn silk,
- burdock,
- dandelion leaf.
- cleavers,
- poke root,
- calendula.
For tension, anxiety or depression:
For extreme tension:
To lift the spirits:
For fluid retention, bloating or breast tenderness:
For breast swelling:
All PMS treatments should include remedies to stimulate the liver so that it will function most efficiently. Herbs for this include:
- burdock,
- dandelion root,
- yellowdock,
- rosemary,
- calendula.
Herbal formula
A hormone balancing formula designed to deal with PMS would be of assistance. It contains the follwoing herbs, as well as additional nutrients.
- Black Cohosh
- Chasteberry
- Piperine
- Damiana
- Red Clover
- Sarsaparilla
- Tribulus Terrestris
Premenstrual tension is a common condition that is caused by an imbalance of the hormones. The condition can be treated with a range of measures including: dietary changes, vitamin and mineral supplements and herbal remedies.
29.09.2007. 21:29
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