Omega 3, allies against PMS and period pain

Omega-3, allies against PMS and period pain

The pains associated with menstruation are a bitter reality for many women. Fighting them is essential to improve the quality of life, but could it be that painkillers are the only solution? Fortunately, no: Omega-3s are also valuable allies against menstrual pain, and not only that: even those who find themselves struggling with PMS every month can feel better by taking supplements based on these naturally derived fats.

A disabling problem

The situation is there for all to see, so much so that it has come to the center of parliamentary debates: in Italy, dysmenorrhea (a technical term for menstrual cycle pain) affects 60 to 90 percent of women, with impactful consequences both at work and on school attendance. In fact, it is estimated that 13 to 51 percent of absences from school and 5 to 15 percent of absences from work are due precisely to menstrual pain.  

In the case of secondary dysmenorrhea, the complaints are associated with even serious health problems, such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids. The pains may begin before menstruation, continue even after the discharge ends, and worsen with time.

Most women, however, are dealing with primary dysmenorrhea, that is, not associated with any pathology. In this case, the uterus produces a very high amount of prostaglandins, molecules that cause its muscles to contract, leading to the appearance of painful cramps.

Primary dysmenorrhea may appear as early as one or two days before the onset of menstrual discharge. Usually the pain lasts for a few days, but for some women it is definitely worse: for them, the discomfort is severe and persistent.

How to combat dysmenorrhea

There are no specific remedies or medications against primary dysmenorrhea. Hot packs on the lower abdomen or equally hot baths are often used to combat it. Some women also find relief by practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation, or physical activity. Finally, resting and doing without smoking and alcohol can also help.

Among drugs, the most commonly used against menstrual pain are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen. Active ingredients of this type counteract the proinflammatory action of prostaglandins, which increase in inflamed tissues causing typical signs such as pain. NSAIDs alleviate their effects and reduce their production by the uterus.

Omega-3 against inflammation

Precisely because it is inflammation that comes into play, Omega-3s have long been considered potential allies against menstrual pain. In fact, these fats are characterized by strong anti-inflammatory properties:

- are the precursors of several molecules involved in inflammation that, compared with those derived from other fats in food (particularly Omega 6s, which are very abundant in modern Western diets), tend to have less inflammatory potential;

- are also the progenitors of molecules that help terminate inflammatory phenomena (the maresins, resolvins, and protectins);

- They activate anti-inflammatory genes and inhibit pro-inflammatory genes;

- They control the activity of immune system cells, counteracting inflammation.

Just like NSAIDs, Omega-3s also regulate the production of prostaglandins. In short, there is no shortage of reasons to think that they may also be useful when inflammation and pain are dependent on the menstrual cycle.

Omega-3s against dysmenorrhea

According to an analysis of the results of randomized controlled trials (which are high-quality clinical trials) that analyzed the efficacy of Omega-3 intake against primary dysmenorrhea, conducted by Iranian researchers and published in theEuropean Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, "Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may have a mild effect on the severity of primary dysmenorrhea."

The severity of menstrual pain was found to be associated with how many Omega-3s are taken per day. Omega-3s seem most beneficial to younger women and, surprisingly, when taken in low doses.

Not only dysmenorrhea

But there is more, because several studies suggest that Omega-3s may also reduce the severity of the premenstrual syndrome, that is, the condition that can make its appearance one to two weeks before the onset of menstrual losses and that triggers many symptoms other than pain, such as bloating, irritability, fatigue and weight gain.

In this case,Omega-3 intake seems to be the more effective the longer it is prolonged in time.

How to take Omega-3 against period discomfort?

Omega-3s are naturally present in various foods of plant (such as walnuts, flaxseeds and their oil) and animal (fatty fish and their derived oils) origin. However, not all food-derived Omega-3s are equivalent.

The biologically active ones areEPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), i.e., the marine-derived Omega-3s found infish, fish oil,krill oil andalgal oil. Unfortunately, the human body is not a proficient producer of these molecules, so it is good to take them in adequate amounts with food or, if particularly high doses are needed or one does not eat enough fish, with dietary supplements.

Women who want to test their effectiveness against cycle disorders can take them in two different ways:

- low doses if the problem they are dealing with is primary dysmenorrhea;

- for long periods if they want to counteract PMS symptoms.

Bibliographic references:

Brenna JT. Efficiency of conversion of alpha-linolenic acid to long chain n-3 fatty acids in man. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2002 Mar;5(2):127-32. doi:10.1097/00075197-200203000-00002

Calder PC. Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory processes: from molecules to man. Biochem Soc Trans. 2017 Oct 15;45(5):1105-1115. doi: 10.1042/BST20160474

House of Representatives. https://bit.ly/3tHwd6O

Mohammadi MM et al. Effect of omega-3 fatty acids on premenstrual syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2022 Jun;48(6):1293-1305. doi: 10.1111/jog.15217

Mohammadi MM et al. The impact of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2022 May;78(5):721-731. doi: 10.1007/s00228-021-03263-1

MedlinePlus. Period Pain. https://bit.ly/406cVnV. Last viewed 20/10/23.