Broccoli may help women fight PMT

Women who eat food rich in non-heme iron - found in plants food like Broccoli – are less likely to suffer from premenstrual tension (PMT), researchers have claimed.

They said iron might be related to PMS as it is involved with the production of the brain chemical serotonin, which helps regulate mood.

The researchers looked at the health of about 3,000 nurses, who they followed for 10 years.

At the start all the nurses said they did suffer from PMT but by the end of the 10-year period, a third had been diagnosed with it and two-third had not.

When researchers at Massachusetts University and Harvard looked at their diets, they found a link between high consumption of non-heme iron and a lower chance of developing PMT, a media report said.

Specifically, those whose intake exceeded 20mg a day were 30 to 40 per cent less likely than those with low intakes to suffer from PMT.

Broccoli has 1mg per 100g while toasted sesame seeds have 14.8mg per 100g and dried apricots have 6.3mg per 100g.

The study has been published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

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