Premenstrual Syndrome Part IV - What to Avoid

Premenstrual syndrome effects over 70% to 90% of women before menopause in US and less for women in Southeast Asia because of their diet. It is defined as faulty function of ovaries related to women menstrual cycle, it effects the women physical and emotional state and sometimes interference with daily activities as resulting of hormone fluctuation. The syndrome happens in one or two weeks before menstruation and then declining when the period starts. It is said the symptoms can be so severe that between 10-15% of women have to take time off work, costing businesses millions of dollars a year. In this article, we will discuss what to avoid

A. Artificial Sweetener
1. Is artificial sweetener safe?
We always think that sweetener helps to control weigh and misled in believing that sweetener is better that sugar. In fact, it is not true. Sugar helps to provide energy for our body need, over consumption is the problem while sweetener contains aspartame, the substance causes more harm than good to our body including weigh gain and symptoms of pre menstrual syndrome such as depression and anxiety.

2. Serotonin
Artificial sweetener depresses the nervous system in fighting against stress resulting in less levels of serotonin being produced leading to mood swing and depression.

3. Amino acids
Amino acids are important for liver in protein metabolism. Artificial sweetener contains high levels of aspartic and phenylalanine and it is over 150 times sweeter than sugar, taking artificial sweetener may cause over dose of such amino acids resulting in increasing the risk of nervous tension leading to memory lose, mood swing, depression and symptoms of PMS.

4. Methanol
Artificial sweetener when digest, methanol in the sweetener converts to formaldehyde which is toxic to our body resulting in unbalancing the protein metabolism of the brain leading to symptoms of PMS such as mood swing, anxiety and depression, if it is over dose.

5. Addictive
The chemical aspartame is so addictive. It is wise to stop taking artificial sweetener slowly or ask your doctor for help. Abruptly stop taking aspartame may cause withdrawal symptoms.

B. Caffeine
1. Vitamins and minerals deficiency
Food containing caffeine also contain tannin which block the digestive system in absorbing of vitamins and minerals in the digestive tract including vitamin B6 and magnesium. the vitamin and mineral which are vital for women with PMS.

2. Unbalance of blood sugar
Caffeine is a stimulant, it helps to improve the function of nervous system if it taken in a right dose. Over dose of caffeine causes suddenly surge and fall of blood sugar in the blood stream resulting in over production of adrenaline hormone leading to symptoms of PMS such as mood swing, depression and irritation.

3. Methylxathines
Methylxathines in food containing caffeine besides helps to inhibit the actions of sleepiness inducing adenosine and treat symptoms of asthma , it has been proven to have side effects such as breast tenderness, begnin lumps and breast pain.

4. Theophylline and theobromine
Foods containing caffeine also contains methylxathines and theobromine which besides help to relax muscle and increase blood, if they are taken in small dose. Over dose of methylxathines and theobromine may increase the risk of blood sugar unbalance leading to over production adrenaline hormone resulting in food and sugar craving.

5. Addictive
Caffeine is so additive and it narrows your blood vessels when taken, if you stop it completely and suddenly, you blood vessels will widen causing spitted headache. It is wise to stop it slowly over a period of time.

C. Alcohol
1. Liver functions
Moderate intake of no more than 2 glasses of wine is helpful in liver fat and protein metabolism by increasing the blood flow and awareness of the nervous system. Excessive drinking damages the liver function
a) Detoxifying
Liver is a first line defence of our body besides in fighting against foreign invasion such as forming of free radical and bacteria and virus, it also helps to detoxify our body toxic caused environment toxins accumulation or any harmful substance coming into our body through diet or the air we breath, etc. Without strong liver , it causes over production of estrogen resulting in premenstrual syndrome.
b) Essential fatty acids metabolism
Without strong liver function, it causes over production of bad prostaglandins hormone PGE2 resulting in increasing the symptoms of PMS including Menstrual pain and cramps.
c) Food craving
Liver is essential in regulating the pancreas in production of insulin. Abnormal function of liver in crease the risk of over production of insulin resulting in over production of adrenaline hormone which causes stress and nervous tension.

2. Nutritions and minerals deficiency
Alcohol inhibits the breakdown of vitamins and minerals into usable molecule by decreasing digestive enzymes secretion and damage the lining of stomach in absorbing vital nutrients by blocking the transportation of nutrients into the blood stream resulting in nutrients deficiency including vitamin B complex, zinc, magnesium, potassium etc. leading to symptoms of PMS.
Example : Low levels of zinc causes over production of prolaclin resulting in breast tenderness
Low levels of potassium causes abnormal lymphatic function and high levels of
sodium resulting in fluid retention.

3. Liver disease
Moderate drinking alcohol generally produces feelings of relaxation and cheerfulness, but excessive drinking has the opposite effects as fatty acids build up as plaques in the capillary around liver cells causing liver disease resulting in increasing the severeness of PMS.

D. Dairy Foods
1. Saturated fat
Most dairy food contains high amount of saturated fat which is one form of triglycerides which deceases the function of liver in secreting bile and lessens the function of liver in fat and protein metabolism resulting in lessening the oxygen transportation to the nervous system causing nervous including depression and emotional and physical stress.

2. Magnesium
Dairy foods contain substances which block the digestive in magnesium absorption. Since magnesium is vital for women with PMS, because magnesium deficiency causes nervous tension resulting of anxiety, depression and mood swing.

3. Arachidonic acid (AA)
Diary foods also contains high amount of arachidonic acid which is converted to bad prostaglandins hormone resulting in interference with our body in production of good prostaglandins hormone causing hormone imbalance and menstrual pain and cramps.

4. High levels of sugar
As we mentioned before, high levels of sugar may interfere with normal functions of pancreas resulting in over production of insulin leading to over production of adrenal hormone causing depression, symptoms of PMS. you can avoid this, by choosing diary product with no or little sugar in it.

5. Good bacteria
Some dairy product contains live and good bacteria such as lactobacillus acidphilus and bifidus, they helps to control the production of bad bacteria in our body and increase the immune system in fighting against the forming of free radicals and bacteria and virus thereby, it reduces the risk of symptoms of PMS caused by over production of bad bacteria and immune weakness.

E. Salt
1. Water retention
Increasing intake of sodium (salt) not only reduces the lymphatic function in regulating the fluid in the body tissues and is also harm your kidney in urinary secretion resulting in increasing the risk of water retention.

2. Potassium
Sodium in the salt works together with potassium to maintain the fluid in the body. Over intake of sodium disturbs the ratio of potassium and sodium resulting in increasing the fluid retention in the body tissues for some women with PMS.

3. Adrenaline hormone
As the levels of sodium increasing, it not only causes weight gain but also increases the risk of over production of adrenaline hormone as resulting of lowering levels of blood sugar triggering the symptoms of PMS including bloating and puffing.

4. High blood pressure
As all we known intake of more than daily recommendation of salt for a prolong period of time causes high blood pressure resulting in lessening the function of our in regulating the blood flow in the arteries triggering the abnormal function of cells in the nervous system that increases the risk of nervous disorder including mood swing, anxiety and physical and emotional stress for some women with PMS.

F. Smoking
1. Hormone imbalance
Smoking besides increase the risk of lung cancer, it also depletes the levels of good estrogen and exhibit the levels of bad estrogen causing hormone imbalance resulting in increasing the risk of pre menstrual syndrome for some smoking women.

2. Immune system
Since cadmium is very toxins, it has an ability to attach to arteries wall and make the wall thinker that decreases the function of blood in transportation of nutrients and oxygen to our body cells need resulting in decreasing the body in hormone manufacturing that leads to hormone imbalance including pre menstrual syndrome.

3. Toxin accumulation
Cigarette contain high levels of toxic chemical compound that may danger to your health including increasing nervous tension and weakening the immune system such as negative allergic reaction and energy depletion.

4. Mineral deficiency
Cigarette contain high levels of cadmium which inhibits the mineral zinc causing minerals deficiency leading to symptoms of PMS.

5. Vitamin deficiency
Vitamin C and E besides is important for our body in fighting against forming of free radical and foreign invasion, it also helps to increase immune system in allergic reaction caused by hormone imbalance during menstrual. Smoking reduces the levels of vitamin C and E resulting in weakening the immune system and increasing the risk of negative allergic reaction leading to symptoms of PMS.

Since PMS is treatable and manageable by natural remedies and a self help course, if you have PMS, please look on the bright side. FOR EMOTIONAL STRESS RELIEF SELF HELP COURSE

I hope this information will help. If you need more information or insurance advices, please follow my article series of the above subject at my home page at: http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com http://lifeanddisabitityinsuranceunderwriter.blogspot.com

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