With PMS, or pre-menstrual syndrome, affecting almost 30% of all menstruating women, it's no wonder that looking for a way to alleviate the symptoms is a high priority for females. Instead of having to wait for PMS to be over, women can take a more proactive approach to managing this time of the month. And for those 5 to 10% of women that also have more severe forms of PMS, any additional things they can do to help offset their signs help not only them, but everyone in their lives.
What is PMS
PMS is a syndrome that occurs once each month for many women. It can vary from being barely noticeable to being something that's a bit more obvious in some cases. With over 150 symptoms associated with PMS, it can be hard to make an official diagnosis. Some of the more common symptoms include:
Water retention Weight gain of up to ten pounds in some women Moodiness and crankiness, angry outbursts Abdominal pain and bloating Food cravings and appetite changes Breast tenderness Acne Headache
These symptoms signal a change in the body's hormone levels preceding menstruation. As the body begins to get ready to produce an egg during the cycle, the body temperature can increase and these symptoms can occur until the egg is released into the fallopian tubes for fertilisation. When the egg is not fertilised, it is shed along with the built up lining of the uterus to produce a period. When this happens, hormones return to normal levels and PMS symptoms subside in most women.
For many women, the symptoms begin about a week before their period or even earlier and for a longer period of time. In some severe cases, women can experience extreme changes in mood and ability to reason. Those cases require prescribed medications in order to help the woman feel better during this time.
Treatments Used to Treat PMS
It's not necessarily possible to treat PMS without eliminating the menstrual cycle altogether. Since PMS occurs when hormone levels fluctuate, in order to prevent it, you would need to create a cycle in which hormone levels are steadier. During pregnancy, for example, this can occur.
To mimic the hormonal effects of pregnancy, some women will begin to take birth control pills as a way to lessen their PMS symptoms. These pills are synthetic hormones that create the idea in your body that hormone levels are steadier and can reduce any ill effects from the menstrual cycle in addition to preventing pregnancy.
There are also prescription medications that are being used to help in severe cases of PMS as well as some over the counter medications that can help reduce moderate PMS symptoms.
The Usefulness of Fish Oil in PMS
Some studies on the effectiveness of fish oil seem to indicate that something other than hormones might be playing a role in PMS symptoms. Chemicals called eicosanoids seem to be produced in higher amounts during the onset of PMS, the discovery of which might lead to more effective treatments. That said, in fish oils, there is a chemical compound called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) that is derived from the Omega 3 fatty acids. This seems to help regulate the levels of these chemicals in the body, thus reducing the effects of PMS.
In one study, women were given fish oil or a placebo for two months, nothing their PMS symptoms and then the two groups switched pills to see what would happen. The women that took fish oil in both parts of the study reported less pain and fewer PMS symptoms.
The anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil in the body can also help in PMS pain as well as cramping during the actual menstrual cycle. By helping to reduce the inflammation in the body, the pain can be lessened dramatically. But instead of using fish oil as a sort of analgesic, it's best taken on a regular basis throughout the cycle to balance the levels of EPA in the body.
What Women Need to Know
The female body is often more difficult to understand as the reproductive cycle can affect other parts of the body so easily as evidenced by the issues with PMS. Fish oils can help in other ways as well. Women who are going through menopause will also experience dips in their hormone levels, often resulting in problems that look and feel a lot like PMS. To help reduce these effects, taking fish oil has become a more popular piece of advice from doctors and gynaecologists.
Conclusion
The use of fish oil in the prevention and regulation of PMS symptoms has been proven effective in a number of studies. While the female body might still be difficult to explain, nature seems to have provided its own answer to the problems of the menstrual cycle. Fish oil is side effect free and inexpensive to use without a trip to the stirrups of the doctors office.
It is well known that stress can potentially have a negative effect on both physical and mental health, but recent research conducted by the University of Valencia in Spain indicates that high-grade ethyl-epa fish oil could possibly prevent some of the adverse effects associated with chronic or prolonged stress. Ethyl-epa is a concentrated and purified form of the Omega 3 essential fatty acid Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA. Researchers found that ethyl-epa helps transport the stress hormone cortisol through the blood brain barrier. This indicates that ethyl-epa fish oil could help cortisol to return to normal levels, which is important when we consider that during periods of prolonged stress, cortisol levels can remain very high and pose a significant risk to health.
Previous Research
Previous studies have already shown us that Omega 3 fatty acids can help us deal with stressful situations. For example, an Israeli study by Yehuda and colleagues reported in 2005 that Omega 3 fatty acids appear to lower cortisol levels, reduce anxiety and improve test anxiety responses. Stress and anxiety related to tests and exams is quite common and can be a major problem for some people and the implications are that increasing intake of Omega 3 fatty acids by supplementing with fish oil might offer some relief. But it's when we are under sustained pressure that we are most at risk of the negative effects of stress, particularly when we cannot relax and allow the body to return to normal afterwards.
A study at Lausanne University published in 2003 found that after giving fish oil for 3 weeks, there was a reduction in stress hormones. Also in 2003, Dr David Horrobin reported that EPA was effective for reducing cortisol and anxiety levels. According to Robert Sapolsky, a neuroendicronlogist and expert on the effect of stress on the body, sustained high levels of cortisol can actually damage the neurons in the hippocampus, the part of our brain we use for learning and memory. Indeed, a recent study conducted by the University of Edinburgh and published in February 2006 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, suggested that high levels of cortisol could be a cause of Alzheimer's disease later in life.
What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is an important chemical that is produced by the body to help us cope with stress. It is part of the "fight or flight" mechanism and without it we would not survive. It is at its highest level first thing in the morning and at its lowest last thing at night. Problems arise when we are subjected to prolonged or continuous periods of stress when cortisol levels are likely to remain very high for some time. Some of the health problems associated with prolonged stress include: ? cardiovascular disease ? depression ? skin problems ? digestive problems ? memory loss ? high blood pressure ? inability to concentrate ? decreased immunity ? mood swings ? fatigue ? anxiety ? feeling of negativity
How can EPA fish oil help?
Research has shown that people under stress have an increased ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids in their blood. Omega 6 fatty acids are known to be pro-inflammatory and result in an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines and eicosanoids which can not only lead to many new health problems arising, it can significantly worsen any existing health conditions.
Fish oil that is high in the Omega 3 fatty acid EPA helps the body to produce anti-inflammatory cytokines and eicosanoids, reducing the risk to health and at the same time can provide some relief for many existing health problems. The following list represents just some of the other health benefits of EPA fish oil:
? Helps the blood flow more efficiently through the body and to the brain ? Increases serotonin levels, the ?feel good' hormone, the opposite one to Cortisol, the ?stress hormone' ? Stabilises mood and alleviates depression ? Alleviates symptoms of skin problems such as psoriasis, eczema and acne ? Improves memory, concentration and mental processing ? Lowers high blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides ? Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis and stroke ? Lowers risk of sudden death in heart attack patients ? Boosts the immune system ? Reduces inflammation and associated pain of arthritis
Conclusion
Stress is a natural and necessary part of life and can be described as any event, external or internal, that causes us emotional worry and/or physical distress. It is when it is sustained and prolonged that it becomes a major risk factor for illness and disease. Increasing our intake of Omega 3 fatty acids by supplementing with fish oil can play a role in helping us to face and deal with stressful situations. However, ethyl-epa fish oil in particular, would appear to be an effective, natural and safe option not only to help us deal with stress as it arises, but to reduce the risk posed by the potentially serious effects of prolonged stress.
Both Simon Jones & David Mcevoy are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Simon Jones has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cure Anxiety, Credit Cards and Depression Cure. Simon jones is an expert in fish oil. For more information about fish oil and how it can help please come and visit our site