Positive Effects of Nutritional Interventions for Psychological Symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects nearly 48% of women of reproductive age globally, leading to functional difficulties, reduced quality of life, and decreased work productivity. Although medical treatments are available, many women prefer alternative therapies due to concerns about side effects and the limited effectiveness of pharmacological options. Current high-quality research on dietary and nutritional interventions for PMS remains scarce. This systematic review aimed to assess the impact of nutritional interventions on the psychological symptoms associated with PMS.

Five electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English up to October 2022. Eligible studies included nutritional interventions targeting women of reproductive age and measuring psychological outcomes related to PMS.

The results showed the following:

The review included 32 articles reporting on 31 RCTs with 3,254 participants aged 15 to 50 years.
Only one study was assessed as having a low risk of bias.
The findings indicated that treatment with vitamin B6, calcium, and zinc had significant positive effects on PMS-related psychological symptoms.
However, there was insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of other nutrients such as vitamin B1, vitamin D, whole-grain carbohydrates, soy isoflavones, dietary fatty acids, magnesium, multivitamins, or specific PMS diets.

To conclude, there is some evidence suggesting that nutritional interventions may improve psychological symptoms of PMS. Nevertheless, further research with standardized protocols, measures to reduce bias, intention-to-treat analysis, and clearer reporting is necessary to establish definitive nutritional recommendations for enhancing psychological outcomes in PMS.

Source: Robinson J, Ferreira A, Iacovou M, Kellow NJ. Effect of nutritional interventions on the psychological symptoms of premenstrual syndrome in women of reproductive age: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Rev. 2025 Feb 1;83(2):280-306. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuae043. PMID: 38684926; PMCID: PMC11723155.

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