Zhiqiao Guest Blogs: Mineral Diet Associated with PMS

This Guest Blog Post is from Zhiqiao Dong, one of Dr. T’s Health Psychology students:

Diet and nutrition are significant factors in the overall function of the body, and dietary supplements of various minerals have become increasingly popular with consumers. This new article on a women’s health study suggests some minerals, including iron and potassium, have been linked to the development of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The 10 year study on over 3000 women was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology and found that iron may reduce the risk of PMS while potassium may increase the risk. In the study, women with the highest intake of iron were 40% less likely to be clinically diagnosed with PMS compared to women with the least intake of iron. Potassium, however, had the opposite effect. Women with the most intake of potassium were 43% more likely to be diagnosed with PMS than those with the least. On the other hand, researchers noted that too much iron or too little potassium may also harm the body. Therefore, a balanced diet with a variety of food, vitamins and minerals is still key to health!