Every girl knows the struggles of surviving the dreaded visit from Aunt Flo.
Once a month, we're plagued with a week full of unpleasant PMS symptoms that range from cramps and bloating to fatigue and mood swings. But what do you do when Midol and a pint of Ben & Jerry's simply isn't cutting it anymore?
Apparently, the only common treatments for severe PMS symptoms at the moment include diuretics, birth control pills, antidepressants and ibuprofen.
However, there's been a lot of buzz about a promising new method for alleviating some of your period woes.
It's a non-prescription supplement called "Serenol," and it contains a secret PMS fighting ingredient: Bee pollen.
It turns out that a similar anti-PMS product, called "Femal," has been on the market in Sweden for some time now. The Cut reported that, "A 2002 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of 29 women on Femal showed that it improved PMS symptoms like irritability and bloating." However, it's important to note that findings of the study also revealed Femal had a pretty high incidence of the placebo effect.
If you're wondering how Serenol works, it's quite simple.
According to Serenol's website, the supplement is "theorized to have a mild serotonergic effect on the hypothalamus. " Or in simpler terms, this stuff is basically happy pills that are intended to make you feel good.
So, while this bee pollen supplement won't totally cure your pesky PMS symptoms, there's a good chance it will at least make you feel better.
Citations: Could Bee Pollen Be a Cure for PMS? (Cosmopolitan)
