Vitamin B6 is important when tackling PMS symptoms. But how do you get enough of it? And how can certain foods, like bananas, help?

Dutch nutritionist Lisa Goudzwaard gives advice about how nutrition can help you tackle PMS symptoms. She knows what she’s talking about, because she also suffers from premenstrual syndrome. One of the posts on her website is about vitamin B6, an important vitamin in the battle against PMS. A B6 deficiency might lead to depression, irritability, tiredness, tender breasts and a swollen tummy.

However, be careful when taking B6 as a supplement, she says. A supplement containing only B6 is often of a too high dose and this could lead to other health problems. It’s better to take a combination of B6 and magnesium, potentially with added multivitamins.

10 bananas?

If you don’t want to take supplements, you could also eat bananas as they contain a lot of vitamin B6. To get your recommended daily allowance, you’ll have to eat six bananas. That’s quite a lot. However, two bananas, some meat, fish, eggs, pulses, potatoes and a few wholemeal products will get you pretty close to the recommended daily allowance as well.

You can never have too much magnesium during your PMS days. Bananas contain a lot of magnesium, but, again, you’ll need to eat about ten of them. Therefore combine bananas with other food that’s rich in magnesium: cocoa powder, winkles and whelks (sea food), cashews, almonds, Brussels sprouts, purslane and chard.

Want to read more? Visit voedingsadviesrotterdam.nl

Read also:
Anti-pms chocolate cake
5 things you should eat
Feel fat?

Period! is an independent, online magazine about all aspects of menstruation. Period! is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. If you’re suffering from medical complaints, always visit your doctor or GP. Editorial articles can contain affiliate links. Sponsored collaborations can be found in the category Spotlight. Do you have any questions? Check our contact page.