04 Feb 2 vitamins to beat premenstrual breast pain
Do you get hit with breast pain and tenderness during the two weeks leading up to your period that make it uncomfortable to run, walk down a flight stairs, sleep on your stomach or simply put on a bra?
A new study from Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in Iran has found two vitamins have the power to cut your discomfort dramatically: vitamin E and vitamin B6.
In their study, two groups of women with high breast pain took either 200 IU of vitamin E or 40 mg. of vitamin B6 daily for two months.
Within one month, the women in both vitamin groups experienced a reduction in pain by about half. By the end of the second month, their pain was reduced by about two-thirds. Not too shabby, right?
How do these nutrients work? It may be that they’re inflammation and the production of pain-causing chemicals–prostaglandins–that contribute to premenstrual breast discomfort.
Now, it’s important to point out that the number of participants in this study was small–just 40 women in each group. And previous research has been less definitive about how effective these nutrients are at reducing breast pain.
However, if you’re looking for a natural remedy to try to ease your breast pain, taking either of these vitamins might work for you.
Note: Always ask your healthcare provider before starting any new vitamin or supplement to make sure it doesn’t interact with medications, supplements or herbs you’re currently taking or affects a health condition you have. You can learn more about vitamin E here and vitamin B6 here.
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[Photo credit: Sabine]
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