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Tired of the Monthly Bloating and Irritability? |
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by Cathleen London, M.D.
Tired of the Monthly Bloating and Irritability?
Safe, Effective Relief from PMS Symptoms is Possible
 If you suffer from symptoms of
pre-menstrual syndrome ( PMS)
every month, you’re not alone. More than
70 percent of American women of childbearing
age cope with the anxiety, fatigue,
pain, irritability, bloating, and other symptoms
typically associated with PMS.
Over the years, a number of PMS causes
have been identified, and probably just as
many solutions have been tried. If you
have noticed that your symptoms are
worsening, it’s probably a sign that your
body’s nutrients—particularly iron and
B vitamins—are depleted. (Which is not
surprising since we have a source of
blood loss each month.) That’s enough to
sap your energy and make you crabby.
Taking a good multivitamin with iron
and the entire B-complex of vitamins will
help. The B-complex also can help with
mood stabilization and bloating. Pay
close attention to the iron source, though.
Stay away from ferrous sulfate, because
your body can’t absorb it. Instead, look
for iron picolinate, ferrous picolinate, or
ferrous glucanate. And remember that
your body also needs vitamin C to help
absorb the iron; so look for that combination.
That’s my pet peeve with doctors
who put patients on iron supplements
without anything else.
But what does “calming” have to do
with pain, crabbiness and bloating? A lot
of the reason for bloating is eating. You eat
because you have cravings. You have cravings
because you are moody. It’s a viscous
cycle. These are real physical symptoms
that originate in the brain. That’s why Ltheanine
may also help with cramping.
This is the whole mind-body connection.
In a study performed at the University
of Shizuoka and The Family Planning
Institute of Japan, women who took
200 mg of Suntheanine® daily reported
reduced anxiety. They also experienced
fewer of the physiological and social
symptoms (such as self dislike and desire
to be alone) often associated with PMS.
Marshall Blum, LLC, in Bangor, Maine,
also recently completed a double-blind,
placebo-controlled study that demonstrated
similar positive results.
Suntheanine’s effects are generally
felt within 30 minutes and have
been shown to last up to 8–12 hours.
Numerous clinical studies also have
shown Suntheanine to:
Reduce stress and support immune function
Since stress is so brutal on the immune
system, it would be helpful to have a compound
that helps to reduce stress and
support immune function. Suntheanine
may hit two birds with one stone.
Recently, a laboratory study published in
the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences demonstrated that Suntheanine
helps prepare the immune system to fight
against foreign substances such as bacteria,
viruses and fungi.
Promote relaxation with drowsiness
L-theanine crosses the blood brain barrier,
which allows it to work on brain
neurotransmitters. One of the reasons
that Suntheanine helps to relax the body
is that it has been shown to stimulate
alpha brain waves. This causes deep
relaxation, but with the ability to maintain
mental alertness. Both animals
and humans produce brain waves on
the brain surface. Of the four types of
brain waves that demonstrate individual
mental conditions, alpha waves have
been shown to be an expression for
relaxation. Human studies have shown
an increase in alpha waves in 30 to 40
minutes after consuming 50 to 200 mg
of Suntheanine in foods, beverages and
supplements.
Improve quality of sleep
A recent clinical trial conducted at the
National Institute of Mental Health in
Japan has proven L-theanine’s ability to
promote quality sleep. When 200 mg of
L-theanine was taken before bedtime, it
enhanced the quality of actual sleep of
all the test subjects. In fact, all the participants
reported a significant absence
of “feeling exhausted” and a reduced
need for sleep when using Suntheanine.
In addition, the study showed that
L-theanine produced a notable improvement
of what is known as sleep efficiency,
an index of actual sleep time enjoyed
between the time of falling asleep and
the final morning awakening.
The study confirmed that Suntheanine
does not promote sleep or increase the
duration of sleep, but rather it improves
the quality of sleep by allowing the mind,
while in a sleep state, to fully relax and
recuperate.
Improve learning performance and concentration
Suntheanine has been shown to influence
the brain neurotransmitters, possibly
normalizing levels of dopamine
and serotonin. These compounds affect
learning and memory. Dopamine effects
the emotions, and serotonin effects the
central nervous system. This is a great
combination of effects since they will
promote a good mood while keeping one
alert and focused. Animal studies have
shown that Suntheanine improves the
ability to learn and strengthen memory.
The good news is that it takes away
the edginess without making you drowsy,
the way some other common herbs like
valerian do. I tell people it will give you
“calm energy.”
It can be used for that boost you might
need later in the day without having to
resort to caffeine. Besides, you’d have
to drink approximately 20 cups of green
tea to equal one dosage of Suntheanine.
Just who wants to consume THAT much
liquid?
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