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Guy E. Abraham, MD, former Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Endocrinology at the UCLA School of Medicine, and Ruth E. Rumley, MD, former Physician in Charge of the Student Health Department at the University of Colorado at Fort Collins, wrote in their June 1987 article "Role of Nutrition in Managing the Premenstrual Tension Syndromes," published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, that:

“A nutritional survey of 14 normal women and 39 PMTS [premenstrual tension syndromes such as PMT-A] patients revealed a significant difference in the consumption of some macronutrients. The PMTS patients consumed more refined sugar, refined carbohydrates and dairy products than did the normal women. Women with PMT-A [anxiety, irritability and nervous tension] symptoms consumed more protein, more dairy products and more refined sugar than did PMTS patients without PMT-A…

Low red cell magnesium levels have been found in PMTS patients. In an open trial of 192 PMTS patients, magnesium supplementation during the week preceding menses significantly improved nervous tension, mastalgia and weight gain in 89-96% of the patients.

PMT-A patients consume excessive amounts of calcium, mainly from dairy products. Since calcium interferes with the absorption and utilization of magnesium and other nutrients and the main source of calcium in PMTS patients is dairy products, our dietary goal is to lower the intake of dairy products and increase the magnesium and potassium intake from vegetable sources. Limitation, but not restriction, of sodium is also advised.”

June 1987