Because there are many things going on behind the scenes. Trying to figure what could trigger your sinister PMS side? Luckily, we have found evidence that excludes a favourite every-day high.
You know the monthly drill: tearing up over the banking ad, snapping at your mom. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects 15-20% of premenopausal women, which could reduce quality of life. With women often being told to minimise their caffeine intake (bleh), although the evidence supporting this recommendation was limited.
READ MORE: Your Body On PMS
A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; which followed women 25 years and older over a period of 14 years did not find that caffeinated coffee or tea were a trigger for PMS. Neither did it have an influence on PMS symptoms such as tender breast, irritability, or fatigue…Yay
You’ll be pleased to know that, the actual case of your swollen and tender boobs along with irritability and anxiety is your ovaries unleashing the hormone progesterone.
Furthermore, researchers assessed that none of the women had PMS at baseline and women with conditions that might mimic symptoms of PMS (such as endometriosis, or infertility) were excluded from study participants.
However the initial results did link caffeine and PMS, (read carefully) when other variables were considered (age, smoking, BMI) the association was not statically significant. This evidence refutes a study conducted in 1985 that found PMS to be 7 times more likely in women consuming 8-10 cups of caffeinated beverages daily.
READ MORE: Coffee: Are You Pre-Wired To Need More?
As far as research goes, the only crime caffeine is guilty of…is making us feel good on the inside. So, the next time your body decides to throw a welcome parade in honour of that lovely time of the month…rest assured that you can drink as many joe’s as you need.
Seeing as coffee is excluded from the blame list, you might want to check out the other weird things you can blame on PMS. Plus, here are four ways to up your energy without drinking coffee.
