I don’t know about you but my life is busy enough that I can’t be bothered with PMS craziness that tries to hold me back. I learned quite a while ago that I had choices to ease or get rid of these nasty PMS symptoms and that’s what I do!
All of the following have been personally experienced: bloating, breast tenderness, cramps, backache, headaches, mood swings, angry feelings and even some depression. I know these are all ‘normal’ – yes normal. Maybe not all at once although that has been reported!
Some women seem to breeze through ‘that time of the month’ each month and have little or no PMS symptoms such as fluid retention, bloating, cramps, mood swings, food cravings, anxiety, anger, depression.
Other women struggle with one or all of the above nasty problems and it’s not pretty! The months seem to go by quickly and women can suffer from symptoms before during and after their period. This accounts for way too much time of the month when you may feel ‘crappy’.
How can magnesium help? First we should acknowledge that diet and lifestyle choices do play a role with what happens in your body and what causes PMS symptoms. And we also need to listen to our bodies because they can tell us what we need.
Certain nutrients in foods and supplements can impact things like getting less water retention, improving moods, reducing or eliminating pain from cramps and even cravings. Things your body lacks will produce these symptoms. So giving the body what it needs to perform the regular body processes each month will make a difference in how you feel.
Affiliate Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links for products we have used for 43 years and receive compensation, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links provided. We appreciate your support so much and we’re here to help in any way we can.
This article is about magnesium – one such nutrient associated with PMS. If you have low levels of magnesium in your body, you may retain fluid, have bloating and/or breast tenderness, and be tense or moody. Scientists are studying whether deficiencies in magnesium cause PMS or if PMS can deplete magnesium in your body.
What we do know is that if you have enough magnesium it can help reduce or eliminate PMS symptoms that you suffer from each month. Today women eat a lot of processed foods and magnesium is lost in the processing. Even cereal, a popular breakfast food, can contain grains that are heavily processed and therefore low in magnesium.
Do you get chocolate cravings as part of PMS? Chocolate is rich in magnesium and craving it can be a sign you may be low in magnesium. The problem with eating chocolate is that it contains caffeine that might make your PMS symptoms worse. Chocolate also does not provide much nutritional value but can add significant calories.
When women can’t get the magnesium they need from their diet, a supplement can provide the extra they need to help the body manage PMS better and reduce symptoms. Magnesium supplements work best when consumed with calcium. A quality calcium supplement will contain magnesium as well, in smaller amounts.
If you need more magnesium than you can get in your diet or with your calcium supplement, a balanced supplement of magnesium, potassium and boron helps with nerve transmission and muscle contraction that can provide relief from PMS symptoms like water retention, breast tenderness and bloating. A high quality brand will contain a gel-diffusion delivery system that won’t upset gastrointestinal issues because nutrients are released slowly in the body.
The brand we use is the Shaklee brand and have since 1982. Below is the overview of their magnesium supplement that we love so much (especially taking it before bed every night to support nerves and muscles while we sleep) from their website and you can see more here: Shaklee VitalMag.
Vital to heart health, magnesium helps to keep a steady heart rhythm and retain normal blood pressure. It’s also critical for helping maintain normal muscle and nerve function, supporting a healthy immune system, and keeping bones strong. Magnesium has also been linked to reduced symptoms of PMS.
Sustained Release VitalMag is a proprietary blend of elemental magnesium from three different sources and added potassium for proper nerve transmission and normal muscle contraction, plus boron to aid in bone metabolism and magnesium utilization.*
VitalMag:
- Promotes cardiovascular health and steady heart rhythm*
- Helps retain normal blood pressure and blood sugar*
- Helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function*
- Strengthens bones*
May provide relief from PMS symptoms, including water retention and breast tenderness.*
Other nutrients excellent for supporting PMS symptoms:
Gamma linolenic acid, sunflower seed oil, and vitamin E to help ease discomfort and promote well-being.*
Ashwagandha and L-theanine for the stress that comes that time of the month (or any time of the month).*
If you need to perk up and want an added bonus of an extra glow, one of Shaklee’s newest dual benefit nutrition supplements are some caffeine in the form of a vanilla latte along with collagen, biotin and vitamin C included to glow on.
A second new dual benefit supplement is Shaklee’s Flora and Flow. “These once-daily capsules contain a clinically proven blend of probiotics and lactoferrin to balance your vaginal microbiome and pH levels plus D-mannose, which is scientifically shown to guard the urinary tract and help manage unwanted bacteria.*”
Before we had some of these newer products we used the supplements we had and were happy with the results they provided as well. B-Complex is one and it’s known as ‘the HAPPY vitamin’ for things like moods, food cravings, and even fluid retention.* Vitamin E was my go-to for natural support of fibrocystic lumps, anxiety, and carb cravings.* A soy or lean plant source of protein supplement has so much nutrition goodness including to help balance blood sugar levels and help regulate body processes.*
Throughout your life you will experience changes as your body goes through the phases of puberty, child-bearing years and menopause. Having the power to impact the way we feel through each stage, in order to feel energized and symptom-free, is great knowledge to have.
The natural nutrition brand we recommend here on the blog are products we have personally used for the past 43+ years – the most clinically proven wellness company in the world. We are not medical professionals. We are on a personal health journey to live younger, energized and healthy longer.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.