PMS

Natural Relief for PMS

The Other Time of the Month

Does your life come to a screeching halt once a

month? You get mad for no reason, cry easily,
and eat way too much junk food in front of the TV
every night. Your family and friends tend to go the
other way if they see you before you see them.
Youve caught them in the act! But you cant really
blame them.
Thats not all. Youre in pain. Youre crampy.
Youve got that headache that just wont go away.
Youre bloated. You have intense breast pain.
Its that other time of the month the week or
so before your period arrives. Youre irritable,
crampy, and bloated. Maybe you get headaches
every month. Youre definitely not alone. Up
to 75% of women of childbearing age have
experienced symptoms of PMS.
Many women just pop some ibuprofen and try
to deal with the rest. Thats a risky choice and
doesnt bring real relief. But there is hope, and
its the subject of this Terry Talks Nutrition.
Natural remedies, especially chasteberry, can
help alleviate PMS symptoms, including those
crying spells; so you feel more like yourself.

Hormones and the Menstrual Cycle

In the first half of your cycle (the start of your

period marks day 1), levels of estrogen rise.
Estrogen drives the menstrual cycle, signaling
to other hormones. Estrogen is essential to egg
production and helps prepare your uterus for
a pregnancy. At about the midway point in
your cycle, hormone levels increase, signalling
your ovaries to release an egg. If the egg is not
fertilized, hormone levels drop, and menstruation
will begin within about two weeks. Then the
whole cycle begins again.

Are you PMSing?

PMS triggers a wide range of psychological and

physical symptoms that can change you from a
mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll into a raging Ms. Hyde.

PMS SYMPTOMS
Psychological Physical
Mood swings
Headaches
Irritability or anger
Breast tenderness
Poor concentration Fatigue
Trouble sleeping
Cramping and bloating
Food cravings
Acne flare ups
General sadness
Constipation

Symptoms generally occur in a predictable

pattern, typically beginning one to two weeks
before your period begins and diminishing within
a day or two after the start of menstruation. The
list of PMS symptoms is long, but most women
only suffer from a few of them, and can have
different levels of severity on different months.

To your good health,

Terry... Naturally

Chasteberry Real Tested Relief

Chasteberry (Vitex agnus castus), from the chaste

tree native to the Mediterranean region, has a
long history of use as a natural remedy and is
referred to in texts dating back to ancient Greece.
Although researchers are still learning about the
medicinal properties of chasteberry, its use as a
traditional treatment for PMS and perimenopause
symptoms has been documented for centuries.
Now scientific research has finally begun to
validate the effectiveness of chasteberry in
relieving PMS symptoms. The key compounds
in chasteberry include flavonoids, essential
oils, diterpenes, and glycosides. Chasteberry
is not a phytoestrogen, but investigations
into its physiological effects suggest it works
by balancing hormones released by the
pituitary gland. Scientific studies indicate that
chasteberry may affect dopamine, a
neurotransmitter involved in regulating emotional
responses, and suppress prolactin release.
Breast tenderness during PMS has been linked to
prolactin production. It has been found that most
women with PMS have decreased progesterone
production in the two weeks prior to menstruation,
and chasteberry is very effective in promoting
healthy levels of progesterone in women.
Doctors in Germany widely prescribe
chasteberry, and the German Commission
E, which regulates supplements in Germany,
approves it for irregularities of the menstrual
cycle, cyclical breast discomfort, and PMS. Its
no wonder. Results from clinical studies have
been impressive, showing it to be effective for
most PMS complaints, such as mood swings,
irritability, headaches, cramping, and bloating.
In one randomized, placebo-controlled study,
170 women were evaluated for the effectiveness
of chasteberry on the symptoms of premenstrual
syndrome. The women were divided into
treatment and placebo groups and were given
20 mg of standardized chasteberry extract or
placebo over three consecutive menstrual cycles.

TERRYS BOTTOM LINE:

Chasteberry is an effective treatment
for PMS. Chasteberry provides relief
for a wide range of PMS symptoms:
Mood swings
Irritability and anxiety
Headache
Breast tenderness
Cramps
Fatigue
Dont just suffer with your symptoms
or mask them with over-the-counter
pain relievers. Natural therapies, like
chasteberry, can help you feel more
like yourself!
I recommend this formula:
Chasteberry (Vitex agnus
20 mg
castus L.) 6:1 Fruit Extract

standardized for casticin
Compared to the placebo group, those in the
chasteberry group found significant relief for their
symptoms of irritability, mood alteration, anger,
headache, and breast fullness.
The authors noted that over half of the women
in the chasteberry group had a 50% or greater
improvement in their PMS symptoms. Thats
great news for women whove tried over-thecounter remedies without success.
A Belgium observation study looked at
chasteberry specifically for relieving migraines
that occur or worsen during PMS. One hundred
women took 40 mg of chasteberry daily for three
months. Sixty-six women reported a dramatic
difference in PMS symptoms and 92 percent
of women reported at least a mild reduction in
More...

TerryTalksNutrition.com
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Natural Relief for PMS

Chasteberry Symptom Relief

Pg. 2

and lots of fruits and vegetables. You may want to

avoid excessive salt during that time of the month
as well. Too much sodium can lead to bloating.
Beware of chemicals that adversely affect
hormone levels. Americans use tens of thousands
of chemicals that may have toxic effects on our
health and environment. Endocrine disruptors,
like dioxins, phthalates, and bisphenol A (BPA),
are especially concerning because they mimic
or block your bodys natural hormones. They can
alter hormone levels or change the way hormones
work in the body. So kick the canned vegetables
(BPA is a common ingredient in can linings),
reduce your use of household chemicals, and
choose organic foods when possible.

symptoms. For migraine symptoms specifically,

57 percent reported at least a 50 percent reduction
in monthly days with headache. Likewise, the
frequency of monthly attacks was significantly
reduced in 42 percent of patients.

The longevity of chasteberry as a traditional

remedy for PMS underscores its safety, and
clinical studies confirm it. In the studies Ive
mentioned here, chasteberry was well-tolerated.

Chasteberry has been shown to be particularly

effective for breast tenderness, a common
complaint during PMS. A double-blind, randomized
clinical trial of 97 women looked at the effects
of chasteberry on cyclical mastalgia. Intensity
of pain was recorded once per cycle for three
consecutive cycles. The study concluded that
chasteberry significantly reduced pain in 54% of
the women taking chasteberry.

Other natural helpers for PMS include fatty acids,

calcium, and B vitamins. Recent clinical trials
have found that fatty acids, like those found in
salmon, reduce both physical and psychological
symptoms of PMS. Calcium has been shown
to reduce symptoms of PMS in some cases,
lowering the severity by 48% overall. For the
aches and pains associated with PMS, the
individuals using calcium reported a 54% decrease
in symptoms compared to a 15% increase for
those using a placebo. I recommend calcium
lactate for its beneficial effects on muscle.

Its important to note that when using chasteberry

for the treatment of PMS, more doesnt necessarily
mean better. In one 2012 study, participants
who were given 30 mg of chasteberry extract
did not show greater improvement in symptoms
from those in the 20 mg group. A 2014 study
examined over 20 different chasteberry products
and found wide variation in the key components
of chasteberry, such as casticin. Some were
so low as to not be clinically effective. Others
were so high that the researchers suspected they
were adulterated with other chasteberry species.
The researchers were also concerned that the
high levels could cause troublesome side effects.
Youll find chasteberry products with dosages of
hundreds of milligrams. I recommend a 20 mg 6:1
extract that would be 120 mg of the dried herb.
Science has shown there isnt a need for more than
that it wont work better and it may be harmful.

Other PMS Heroes

B vitamins, particularly B6 in the form of pyridoxal5-phosphate, or P5P, are also helpful. Vitamin
B6 helps the liver process hormones more
efficiently and balance sodium levels, leading
to a reduction in symptoms like bloating. In one
study, supplemental vitamin B6 helped reduce the
breast tenderness, headaches and weight gain
associated with water retention in 215 women.
Diet and lifestyle changes can also make a difference
in easing PMS symptoms. That chocolate cake you
normally resist is like a blinking beacon when
youre PMSing. The trouble is that sugar and simple
carbohydrates can wreak havoc on your blood
sugar levels and make PMS worse. So aim for
healthy proteins and fats, complex carbohydrates,

TerryTalksNutrition.com
2015

Finally, even moderate exercise can help

improve mood and release tension. Exercise
also stimulates endorphin activity, which relieves
pain. Some studies have shown that exercise can
reduce fatigue as well.
PMS is no joke for some women the symptoms
can be debilitating. But they dont have to
be. Simple things, like using a chasteberry
supplement, mean natural PMS relief is possible!

When in doubt, always consult your physician or

health care practitioner. This column is to provide
you with information to maintain your health.

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