Diet rich in calcium and vitamin D can help lower the risk of premenstrual syndrome, says a study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a condition that occurs as a consequence of hormonal changes in women before menstruation.

The changes lead to moderate to severe emotional or physical disturbances and often hamper the social life of at least one out of five women.

The study, led by Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson from the University of Massachusetts, looked at 3,025 women of age 27-40 for dietary effects on PMS.

The researchers divided the subjects into two groups. The first group consisting of 1,057 women had had the history of PMS for the last 10 years, but the second group had had no such history for the same period. The researchers compared the diets of both the groups.

The results showed that women taking high amounts of vitamin D and calcium from their dietary sources (low-fat milk, fortified orange juice or yogurt) stayed at a significantly lower risk of catching PMS.

The metabolic effects of calcium and vitamin D were cited for this association. “Clinical trials of this issue are warranted,” writes Bertone-Johnson in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

“In the interim, given that calcium and vitamin D may also reduce risk of osteoporosis and some cancers, clinicians may consider recommending these nutrients even for younger women.”

3 problems averted by calcium in the diet

1: US researchers suggest that calcium in low-fat dairy products can reduce weight and control obesity. In a study presented at the experimental biology meet in San Diego recently, Hang Shi, from the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee, said that low-fat dairy products (containing calcium) activate the fat-burning system in the body and aid weight loss.

2: Calcium and vitamin D reduce the risk of colon cancer, says a study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers from the University of North Carolina Sch-ool of Medicine found that those who consume calcium suppleme-nts decrease polyps in colon by 24 per cent, and so minimise the chan-ces of developing colon cancer.

3: A study in Gastroenterology suggests that calcium intake through milk or oral pills can help protect from traveller’s diarrhoea, a common bacterial infection caused by the notorious bug E. coli.