Oral magnesium successfully relieves premenstrual mood changes

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Women's Health
• Gynecology

Background:

• Lower magnesium (Mg) levels are associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
• PMS affects women of reproductive age, causing significant distress.
• Understanding the role of Mg in PMS pathophysiology is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of oral magnesium (Mg) supplementation in alleviating premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms.
• To assess the impact of Mg on specific PMS symptom clusters, including pain and negative affect.
• To evaluate changes in Mg levels within different blood cell types following supplementation.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 32 women diagnosed with PMS.
• Participants received either magnesium pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (360 mg Mg) or placebo daily from day 15 of the cycle until menstruation onset for four cycles.
• The Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) and blood samples for Mg analysis were used to measure outcomes.

Main Results:

• Oral Mg treatment significantly reduced the total MDQ score and the 'negative affect' cluster.
• A significant increase in Mg levels was observed in lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear cells during Mg treatment.
• While pain scores improved in both groups, Mg specifically targeted mood-related symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Magnesium supplementation is a potentially effective treatment for premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
• Mg treatment positively impacts mood-related symptoms and overall distress associated with PMS.
• Cellular Mg levels increase with supplementation, suggesting improved Mg uptake in specific immune cells.