Got PMS? Try a Glass of Milk to Ease Symptoms

A new ad campaign, “Everything I Do Is Wrong”, is stirring mixed emotions and a number of curious readers to answer the question: Can milk really be the answer to alleviating PMS?

According to the Office of Women’s Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this alternative therapy is already a well-known fact. Calcium and vitamin D, found in milk, have been found to help relieve some PMS symptoms in women. Depending on age, some women may require higher doses of calcium each day, ranging between 1000-1300 milligrams.

However, women should be careful to watch their fat content intake if they are opting for this alternative therapy—along with caffeine, salt, sugar, and alcohol—as these substances may actually worsen symptoms of PMS.

The easy fix: opt for reduced-fat or fat-free milk instead of whole.

Other vitamins and minerals that may help reduce symptoms include: folic acid (400 micrograms), magnesium (400 milligrams), vitamin B-6 (50 to 100 mg), and vitamin E (400 IU).

As for these new ads that skirt the line of sexism and chauvinism with a sense of humor and wit, it may actually be doing us more good than harm to turn the attention over to the dairy aisle rather than the pharmacist; especially with a light-hearted chuckle along the way.