Adams Media - Food Remedies--Pre-Menstrual Syndrome: The most important information you need to improve your health

Today, the terms nutraceutical, meaning a nutrient-rich food or food component, and functional food, describing a food that has nutrients added to it to increase health benefit, are used widely in the food and nutrition industry. As research continues to identify the specific components of foods responsible for health, the drive increases to isolate these nutrients, add them to other commonly eaten, less-nutritious packaged foods (thus making functional foods), and create supplements and pills. This often results in a marketing campaign promising a miracle cure for what ails you.

The problem is that an isolated nutrient is often less effective than a nutrient that comes from real food. There are issues with an isolated nutrient being absorbed after digestion, dangers of toxicity when high doses of a vitamin or mineral are consumed, and risks of unhealthy interactions with high doses of other nutrients. These risks of overconsumption are not often an issue when obtaining nutrients through whole, complex foods. Healthy foods give you a balanced supply of nutrients when you eat a varied diet.

Nutritional science continues to uncover links between nutrients and health, but there seems to be little or no benefit when the nutrient is in the form of a supplement. For example, recent research has linked adequate vitamin D levels to brain health and reducing risk of dementia. Yet researchers did not find the same outcome in a group that used vitamin D supplements instead of food, and recommended that people increase their intake of food rich in vitamin D rather than add supplements to their diet.

While vitamins and minerals are known to protect against disease, they are best consumed in their natural form in food. Food is the original source of healing nutrients. So if it is known that vitamins and minerals protect against disease, yet supplements arent the answer, what is the answer? Food. Food is the original source of healing nutrients.

If youd like to learn more about food remedies, check out The Everything Guide to Food Remedies , available in print (978-1-4405-1100-4 and eBook (978-1-4405-1157-8) formats.

The symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and their severity are different for every woman. Research shows that specific nutrients have an influence on these symptoms and relieve the discomfort associated with PMS.

PMS is a group of varied symptoms that occur one to two weeks prior to the start of a womans menstrual period. Acne, breast tenderness, fatigue, insomnia, bloating, aches and pains, irritability, and anxiety are all symptoms of PMS. For some women, these symptoms are barely noticeable; for others, they are severe and can affect physical performance and mental focus during this time.