Premenstrual syndrome is associated with many well-known symptoms, but University of Massachusetts Amherst epidemiologists have determined that caffeine intake does not exacerbate them, indicating that following advice to reduce intake may not actually diminish discomfort.
Advised by Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, Ph.D. candidate Alexandra Purdue-Smithe led a study of over 3,600 women to evaluate whether coffee consumption affected PMS. Clinically significant symptoms — such as irritability, mood swings, anxiety, depression, bloating, food cravings, breast tenderness and difficulty concentrating — affect between 15 and 20 percent of pre-menopausal females, often compromising quality of life.
The researchers assessed several groups of women, evaluating
their caffeine intake with a special focus on three of the common symptoms — breast
tenderness, fatigue and irritability. After adjusting variables, they discovered
that even among those women consuming four or more cups of coffee daily,
chances of PMS or the major symptoms were not substantially increased.
Purdue-Smithe and her team compared their findings to
previous studies and noted minor differences, but suggest that they are not significantly
at cross-purposes because of slight discrepancies in the variables used. In
fact, they suggest, “ample evidence indicates that moderate daily coffee intake
is associated with lower risks of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and all-cause
mortality.”
“Our results, in conjunction with those of other studies, suggest that current recommendations to reduce or eliminate caffeine to prevent PMS may be unnecessary,” Purdue-Smithe said.
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