Changes in nutrient intake during the menstrual cycle of overweight women with premenstrual syndrome

This study presents the nutrient data collected from women who were being s creened for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) for entry into an intervention stud y. Screening was by the Steiner self-rated questionnaire. One hundred and f orty-four overweight women completed the screening process and eighty-eight met the criteria for PMS. All women kept 4 d diet diaries pre- and postmen strually over two menstrual cycles. The mean energy and macronutrient intak es were compared between the pre- and postmenstrual phases. Energy and macr onutrient intake was also calculated according to food categories. Goldberg 's cut-off limit for the ratio of energy intake to estimated basal metaboli c rate was used to exclude data that was incompatible with predicted energy requirements. The diet diaries were also used to determine the mean number of meals or snacks eaten pre- and postmenstrually. Nutrient analysis of th e diet diaries of the women with PMS showed a significant increase (P < 0.0 01) in total energy and all macronutrients premenstrually when compared to nutrient intake postmenstrually. Women who did not meet the criteria for PM S showed a significant increase in energy and fat intake (P < 0.05) but not in the other macronutrients. When adjusted for energy, data collected from women with PMS showed a premenstrual significant increase in fat, carbohyd rate (P < 0.05) and simple sugars (P < 0.001). There was a significant decr ease (P < 0.001) in protein premenstrually. Women not meeting the PMS crite ria showed no significant difference between pre- and postmenstrual intakes when adjusted for energy. Analysis according to food categories in women w ith PMS showed a significantly greater intake premenstrually of energy and all macronutrients for cereals, cakes and desserts and high-sugar foods (P < 0.001). In women with PMS there was a significantly greater number of 'ep isodes of eating' premenstrually (P < 0.001). This study provides further e vidence, to support the very limited number of earlier studies, that there is a group of women with PMS who increase their nutrient intake during the premenstrual phase. This could potentially be a contributing factor for som e women experiencing difficulties adhering to suggested dietary modificatio n and should be considered when counselling premenopausal women.