Between 70-95% of women suffer from PMS symptoms, depending on which set of statistics are the most accurate. And if you're one of them, there could be good news on the horizon.
Taking a natural supplement could relieve PMS symptoms. Photo: Getty
According to Brazilian experts writing in the journal Reproductive Health, taking a natural supplement could slash your symptoms in the week leading up to your period by up to two thirds. If you get monthly abdominal cramps, bloating, headaches and breast tenderness, not to mention mood swings, irritability, lack of energy and depression - to name just some of the symptoms associated with PMS - that should be music to your ears.
The researchers studied 120 women who claimed to suffer from PMS, 80 of whom were given a supplement containing the fatty acids gamma linolenic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid along with vitamin E. The rest received a dummy pill. All volunteers were instructed to take two capsules every night before bed.
Those who took the fatty acids/vitamin E pill claimed their symptoms had clearly eased after three months, but after six months some of the volunteers rated their symptoms as two-thirds lower than before.
And the only side effects recorded were a stomach ache in one woman and another's period starting later than normal.
The researchers have a theory why the natural oil supplement works. It could make you less sensitive to a hormone that's linked with bloating and breast tenderness called prolactin, they say.
Do you suffer from PMS - and if so, have you found something that gives you relief?