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Calcium-
The PMS Remedy
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Calcium supplements are
a true PMS remedy reducing
the symptoms of PMS by almost half. That's the finding of a study by Susan Thys-Jacobs,
MD, of Columbia University in New York. The randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled study was conducted on 441 women, ages 18 to 45, at
12 health centers nationwide. Every women that took part in the study
had confirmed PMS.
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The women either took 1,200 mg
chewable calcium supplements or a placebo every day for three months.
They kept a PMS diary to measure 17 symptoms on a four-point scale.
Symptoms monitored included mood swings, irritability, water retention,
food cravings, headache and cramping. At the end of the study symptom
scores were averaged to give each woman a general score for each
menstrual cycle.
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| The results showed that the
women taking the PMS
treatment (calcium supplement) experienced an overall 48% reduction
in symptom of PMS
severity during the third cycle, while those taking the
placebo had a 30% reduction. |
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| Nearly all the symptoms were
found to be significantly improved in the group taking the calcium
supplement. Emotional symptoms dropped by 45% (vs. 28% for placebo),
water retention by 36% (vs. 24%), food cravings by 54% (vs. 34%) and
pain by 54% (vs. a 15% pain increase). |
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| Recent studies have
shown that abnormal calcium regulation may be responsible for PMS, this
study appears to back these findings. |
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American Journal of
Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1998 Aug;179: 444-52
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