Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and vitamin B3
PMS affects more than 70% to 90% of pre-menopausal women in the US and fewer women in Southeast Asia due to their difference in lifestyle and social makeup. It is defined as a defective function of the ovaries related to a woman’s menstrual cycle, affects a woman’s physical and emotional state, and sometimes interferes with daily activities as a result of hormonal fluctuation. The syndrome occurs a week or two before menstruation and then subsides when the period begins. In this article, we will discuss how vitamin B3 helps treat PMS.
Vitamin B3, also known as nicotinic acid or niacin, is one of the members of the vitamin B complex that works and interacts to promote the effectiveness of each member. It has 2 other forms, niacinamide (nicotinamide) and inositol hexanicotinate, which have different effects than niacin.
II. How Vitamin B3 Affects Women With PMS
1. Carbohydrate metabolism
Vitamin B3 is important to help our body convert carbohydrates into energy, which is vital for the daily activity of our body. Vitamin B3 deficiency causes irregular function of enzyme formation, leading to fatigue, tiredness, and nervous symptoms in women with PMS.
2. Glucose metabolism
In addition to helping our bodies metabolize carbohydrates, vitamin B3 also helps convert glucose into energy. Vitamin B3 deficiency slows down glucose metabolism in our body, resulting in an imbalance of sugar levels in the bloodstream, leading to food cravings and nervous symptoms.
3. Regulation of blood sugar
It also helps regulate the level of sugar in the blood and assists the liver in the elimination of toxins, which improves liver function by regulating the function of the pancreas in the production of insulin.
4. Nervous system
The researchers found that most women with PMS and children with autism are deficient in vitamin B3, which causes nervous tension including irritability, aggressiveness, depression, and learning difficulties.
5. Improve the circulation system
Vitamin B3 is also essential to improve the function of the circulatory system in transporting vital nutrients and oxygen to our body by lowering the levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides, which promotes general health and therefore reduces symptoms of the Premenstrual syndrome.