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It is estimated that as many as 85% to 90% of pre-menopausal women regularly experience mental and/or physical symptoms before the onset of menses. While symptoms are mild in most women, 8% to 20% experience symptoms that meet the clinical definition of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), a disorder characterized by moderate to severe symptoms of depression, irritability, fatigue, abdominal cramping, breast tenderness and headaches.

So, perhaps more people talk about the weather than about PMS, but, while we may not be able to change the weather, I think we can do something to help women successfully overcome PMS.

Research has shown nutritional supplementation to be very effective in helping deal with PMS. In one study, women who supplemented with 1200 mg per day of calcium carbonate for three months reduced PMS symptoms by 48%. Other studies have also seen 'significant' improvements in women with 1000 mg and 1336 mg per day of calcium supplementation.

Now a new study has found that another supplement for bone health, vitamin D, may also help improve PMS symptoms.

One study, dealing with about 3,000 women over the course of 10 years, has some hopeful results. The study was with 1,057 women aged 27 to 44 years old who reported developing PMS and 1,968 women who reported no diagnosis of PMS

It was found that women with the highest intake of vitamin D (over 700 IU per day) were 41% less likely to suffer from PMS compared to women with the lowest intake of vitamin D (100 IU per day). In addition, calcium intake was also found to decrease PMS symptoms, with an intake of nearly 1300 mg per day from food sources found to decrease PMS symptoms by thirty percent compared to women with the lowest intakes of calcium (529 mg per day).

So, to the researchers, the results suggest, 'that a high dietary intake of vitamin D and calcium may lower the risk of incident PMS.'

Other, more general, comments by researchers say that sometimes exercising helps. Sometimes dietary changes help and sometimes supplementation with B-vitamins, calcium or vitamin E help. But they stress that the effect that any of these have on PMS hormone levels is unknown.

Yoga and relaxation techniques are also known to be helpful.

Some studies have shown that women who suffer from the most severe form of the PMS blues (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) have lower levels of serotonin circulating in the blood stream.

Serotonin is a compound that helps to transmit signals among nerve endings in the brain and body and is believed to play an important role in the regulation of mood, sleep, sexuality and appetite.

So, increasing the level of serotonin in the body may help. There are various drugs on the market to help women to do this. However, because numerous unwanted side effects are associated with these drugs, researchers have investigated the effects of natural substances used by the body to create serotonin, thus, increasing the levels of serotonin circulating in the blood stream.

Because PMS hormone levels are a possible cause of the PMS blues, many doctors suggest synthetic forms of the hormones estrogen and/or progesterone, to stabilize hormonal levels, prevent ovulation and thus eliminate most symptoms of PMS.

Instead of synthetics, though, there are good natural alternatives.

Phytoestrogens are considered by many to be a natural substitute for synthetic hormones. Phytoestrogens are simply plant components that have an estrogen-like effect on the body. Found in soy beans, red clover and other plant foods, researchers believe that in women who have less PMS symptoms and a diet high in soy and other vegetables, phytoestrogens are responsible.

So it would seem that natural remedies are a great help in relieving PMS. A healthy, balanced lifestyle is of course important. But today's active woman may not be able to spend much time each day to deal with her diet, or with exercise, as much as she would like to. Thus, as we see above, a good supplement, containing natural ingredients (which won't cause any side effects and which are completely safe for the body) is a good, healthy option for relieving the PMS blues.

Though we don't seem to be very near to a scientific understanding of PMS, there are remedies to help a woman to overcome PMS.