PMS week can be a rough time of the month for many women. Symptoms like bloating, irritability, headaches, anxiety, and depression are definitely a drag and can add major stress to our already hectic and complex lives. However, research shows that magnesium supplements can help lessen PMS symptoms.
The Mayo Clinic reports that PMS is super common and that as many as three out of four women experience PMS symptoms during their childbearing years. Studies show that the effects of magnesium are far more potent when combined with vitamin B6, as opposed to a placebo, in helping to reduce the symptoms of PMS.
Why magnesium helps
Magnesium has got some pretty legit credibility when it comes to boosting our health and addressing various health issues. From helping with muscle cramps, insomnia, and migraines, to alleviating PMS symptoms and amping up your skin’s glow, magnesium supplements are definitely a mighty addition to your daily health regimen. About half of the U.S. population (48%) are consuming under the daily recommended amount. One study found that 10 out of 11 apparently healthy women were magnesium-deficient based on the oral magnesium load test. Magnesium deficiencies can have a major impact on how well we feel during our menstrual cycles as low magnesium levels can cause some intense period cramps.
Magnesium also helps regulate the stress hormone cortisol and is often recommended for chronic stress, tension, and anxiety. And as magnesium is a powerful way to soothe the nervous system, it can do a lot to help ease the mood swings and headaches that often show up before and during our periods.
How can it help me
Researchers also suggest that magnesium supplements, in addition to reducing exposure to environmental toxins and eating a healthy diet, can relieve a lot of the suffering associated with PMS symptoms. By helping to gently detoxify the body, relieve stress symptoms, and soothe cramping muscles, magnesium supplements have also been shown to reduce breast tenderness, fluid retention, sugar cravings, dizziness, and poor sleep often associated with severe PMS. Researchers also note that since modern-day farming and food processing practices leave our soil and foods depleted of this vital mineral, taking a good magnesium supplement is key.
In addition to magnesium supplements, it’s also helpful to emphasize magnesium-rich foods in our diets for optimal absorption. Low-sugar dark chocolate, dark green leaves and veggies, nuts and seeds, bananas, avocados, and wild salmon are all full of magnesium and can be great additions to your PMS healing plan. And remember that once you start taking magnesium supplements and eating more magnesium-containing foods, it can take some time for the magnesium levels in your body to build up. Correcting a magnesium deficiency can take days to weeks to feel the full benefits of your new supplements. So give your new routine a little time, and you’ll be feeling calmer, more relaxed, and less crampy before you know it.
Written by Carolyn de Lorenzo
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