Association between Dietary Habits and Severity of Symptoms in Premenstrual Syndrome

Cinzia Quaglia, Immacolata Cristina Nettore, Giuseppe Palatucci, Fabiana Franchini, Paola Ungaro, Annamaria Colao and Paolo Emidio Macchia ()
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Cinzia Quaglia: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Immacolata Cristina Nettore: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Giuseppe Palatucci: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Fabiana Franchini: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Paola Ungaro: Istituto per l’Endocrinologia e l’Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS) “Gaetano Salvatore”, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 80131 Naples, Italy
Annamaria Colao: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Paolo Emidio Macchia: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: Background. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a set of physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms that occur during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The etiopathogenesis of this condition is not fully understood, and several studies suggest a possible role of environmental factors, such as diet. The aim of this work was to investigate the relationship between dietary habits and the occurrence and severity of PMS. Methods and Results. Forty-seven women were enrolled in the study. Participants were asked to complete the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) to diagnose PMS and to complete a three-day food record during the perimenstrual phase. Thirty women completed the study (16 with PMS and 14 controls). An analysis of the food diaries revealed no differences between the women with PMS and the control subjects in terms of total energy intake (1649 vs. 1570 kcal/day), diet composition, and the consumption of macro- or micronutrients, except for copper, whose consumption was higher in women with PMS than in the control subjects (1.27 ± 0.51 vs. 0.94 ± 0.49 mg/d, p < 0.05). Conclusions. The data presented here are very preliminary, and only a significant difference in copper intake was found when comparing women with PMS and controls. Larger studies are needed to better define how diet may contribute to the exacerbation of the psychological and somatic symptoms associated with PMS and whether PMS itself may influence macro- or micronutrient intake by changing dietary habits.

Keywords: premenstrual syndrome; diet; diet composition; copper; prevention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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