A new study by researchers at Harvard University and the University of Massachusetts finds that eating a diet that is high in iron can prevent the development of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). The data showed that women who ate a diet rich in iron or who took iron supplements were 30 to 40 percent less likely to develop PMS. Iron may be related to PMS because it is involved in producing serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood, according to the study’s authors.
Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, an associate professor at the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a senior author of the study, stated, “We also saw some indication that high intake of zinc was associated with lower risk.” But the authors caution that very high intake of iron or zinc can have adverse health consequences, so women should not take in more of these minerals than the recommended upper intake level.
The study was published on the website of the American Journal of Epidemiology. It can be accessed here.