Major outcomes of premenstrual syndrome associated with food: a prospective observational cross-sectional study

Abstract

The present study developed a cross-sectional observational research, in which eating habits and behaviors of women were collected, focusing on changes present during periods of the menstrual cycle, such as the follicular and luteal phases. The correlations present in the literature with subsequent hormonal variations and their outcomes (estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, serotonin, and endorphin) were also described. The variations mentioned above are correlated with emotional and concomitant eating disorders, in general these disorders are developed due to the lowering of serotonin levels and the increase in cortisol; Thus, eating sweet and high-calorie foods is done in search of “pleasure”, due to the release of endorphins and consequently the reduction of cortisol. To this end, information on habits and lifestyle was collected from 50 women, aged between 18 and 45 years, through a questionnaire validated by the reliability of Cronbach's alpha coefficient and developed on the Google Forms platform, to evaluate the perception of these about the association of food according to the phase of the menstrual cycle in which they are. As a result, there was a reduction in the consumption of foods such as citrus fruits, meat, eggs, milk, and proteins in general, and vegetables during the luteal phase. The interviewees were asked about the symptoms noticeable during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, including increased appetite, depression, cramps, edema, satisfaction with appearance, emotional instability, anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, excessive sleep, constipation, and headache. All interviewees reported having at least one of the symptoms described above. It was concluded that premenstrual syndrome is characterized by symptoms that cover the physical, behavioral, and emotional spheres. In this way, the intensification of consumption of foods from groups such as fats, processed foods, fried foods, chocolates, candies, ice cream, and sweets in general during the Premenstrual Syndrome phase is visible, in addition to the various behavioral changes that involve emotional and perception changes. of the corporeal image. Thus, it confirms the need for nutritional monitoring of these women, to provide dietary adjustments during the menstrual cycle and, therefore, reducing drastic changes that directly impact their behavior.