8 Foods That Help Fight PMS

When you’re hungry for a filling and high-nutrition snack, think yogurt. An 8-ounce cup of low-fat or fat-free yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, often delivering 25 percent or more of your daily requirement. “I consider calcium-rich foods an absolute must for women with PMS,” Bauer says. And there’s science to back her up. According to a joint study by researchers from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and other institutions, which analyzed the calcium and vitamin D intakes of nearly 3,000 women, eating a diet with calcium-rich dairy products, especially those with added vitamin D, lowered the risk for developing PMS by as much as 40 percent.

Women might benefit from getting more vitamin D in their diet, the University of Massachusetts researchers say. Among 186 participants between the ages of 18 and 30, those with PMS reported fewer symptoms when they had at least 100 IUs of vitamin D a day. One of the best food sources of vitamin D is wild salmon (also a good source of vitamin B6, which may help reduce irritability and breast tenderness). Don’t like salmon? Try mackerel, sardines, or herring. The milk you drink is also likely fortified with D, and you can look for fortified yogurt, too. Also note that your body isn’t able to absorb or use calcium without vitamin D. “That’s why the two are so often mentioned together,” Bauer explains.

Put broccoli at the top of your list of veggies that fight PMS. A nutrition staple for every diet, broccoli has many health benefits and several nutrients that have been shown to help women battling PMS — calcium; vitamins A, C, B6, and E; and the minerals calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Like some other vitamins, vitamin A may help regulate the effects of fluctuating hormones, says Mache Seibel, MD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and an expert in women’s health and nutrition. Broccoli is also a good source of dietary fiber, which helps regulate your estrogen levels and digestive system — and who needs constipation on top of other PMS symptoms? Steam some broccoli with your grilled salmon and you may kiss PMS goodbye.

When you’re fighting PMS, Bauer advises grabbing a handful of pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are rich in a number of nutrients that have been shown to reduce PMS symptoms, serving up to 75 percent of the daily recommended amount of magnesium and 85 percent of the daily recommended amount of manganese, she says. Magnesium can help lift your mood and fight water retention, while manganese has been shown to reduce the irritability and tension that comes with PMS. With nutrition-rich pumpkin seeds in your diet, you also get iron, fiber, zinc, and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Eggs are nutrition powerhouses, and new research shows that people who are healthy can add an egg yolk a day to their diet and stay within the recommended guidelines for cholesterol. Eggs can help fight PMS because they are good sources of vitamins D, B6, and E. A study involving more than 116,000 nurses showed that, like a diet rich in vitamin D, a diet rich in vitamin B can reduce PMS symptoms. Vitamin E is yet another nutrient that can bust PMS symptoms, Dr. Seibel says. The thinking is that these vitamins help control brain chemicals that can cause PMS.

Peanuts and peanut butter are among the best foods for vitamin B6 and magnesium. “Magnesium-rich foods are second only to calcium-rich foods for improving your chances for PMS symptom reduction,” Bauer says. Magnesium helps regulate serotonin, one of the feel-good chemicals in your brain. Getting extra magnesium may help lift your mood and prevent bloating, Seibel adds. Just skip the salted varieties to avoid retaining water, and watch your quantities — peanuts are calorie-dense, and you don’t want to replace PMS symptoms with extra pounds.

Don’t monkey around — add bananas to your PMS diet. Bananas are rich in vitamin B6 and potassium, which can stop you from retaining water and feeling bloated. Too little potassium can cause muscle cramping — the last thing you want when menstrual cramps loom. A single banana will replace the potassium you lose from one to two hours of exercise, but if you’re not a fan, oranges are also a good source.

Bauer recommends chamomile tea because it has properties that may help relieve muscle spasms and reduce the severity of menstrual cramps. A warm cup of naturally caffeine-free chamomile tea can be soothing when PMS strikes, easing the anxiety and irritability that hormonal shifts can cause in the days leading up to your period. If your tastes run to other herbal teas, that’s fine — as long as you’re sipping decaf, Seibel says. Caffeine has been shown to cause greater breast tenderness and can make you more irritable, especially around period time.