Premenstrual syndrome has a wide range of symptoms and signs, including mood fluctuations, sensitive breasts, food cravings, exhaustion, irritability and anxiety. It’s estimated that up to 4 of every 5 menstruating women have go through some form of premenstrual syndrome. Treatment solutions — including krill oil supplements — can serve to help women reduce or manage the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

Premenstrual Syndrome Signs and Symptoms

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) troubles about 85% of women. It’s defined as a mix of signs and symptoms that are felt a week or so before a woman’s menstrual cycle begins. The list of potential signs and symptoms for premenstrual syndrome is long, but many women just have a handful of these problems.

For some, the physical pain and emotional stress and anxiety are severe enough to have a bearing on their daily lives. Whatever the symptom severity, the signs usually end gradually within three or four days following the beginning of the menstrual period for most women. Yet a small number of women with PMS have disabling symptoms on a monthly basis. This sort of premenstrual syndrome is called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD. PMDD symptoms can include tension, depression, feeling overwhelmed, mood swings, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating.

The emotional and behavioral symptoms and signs may include some of the following:

  • Tension or anxiety
  • Appetite changes
  • Depression
  • Poor concentration
  • Crying spells

Physical symptoms and signs may possibly include any combination of these:

  • Muscle or joint pain
  • Breast painv
  • Abdominal bloating
  • Weakness
  • Headache
  • Acne flare-ups

Krill Oil Compared to Fish Oil

Fish oil, which is taken from fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel, is among the most popular dietary supplements in the world. Fish oil’s health and wellness perks mostly result from two varieties of omega-3 fatty acids — eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These two omega-3s have been proven to improve heart and brain health, among other benefits. The human body does not make a lot of its own omega-3 fatty acids, which might explain why omega-3 nutritional supplements have become so common.

Krill are tiny red-colored crustaceans, related to shrimp, that live in the very cool waters of the Antarctic Ocean. These tiny ocean creatures are a nutritional staple for a lot of animals, including whales, seals, squid, penguins and other birds. Krill oil is derived from these tiny crustaceans.

Lately, supplements that include krill oil have become another product full in DHA and EPA. Because krill are sea creatures, and krill are abundant in omega-3 s, krill oil is frequently grouped with fish oil as though the two were synonymous. However, people should not mistake krill oil with fish oil (or cod liver oil, algal oil, or shark liver oil) — these oils are definitely not the same supplements.

Like fish oil, krill oil is rich in DHA and EPA. However, the fatty acids within krill oil are different structurally than that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, and this may well affect the process by which your system processes them. While fish oil and krill oil are both superb suppliers of DHA and EPA, multiple studies indicate that the human body can absorb and utilize the fatty acids in krill oil far better than the fatty acids in fish oil. The omega-3s that are in fish oil are found in the form of triglycerides. On the other hand, much of the DHA and EPA in krill oil are found in the form of phospholipids, which quite a few nutritionists think helps increase their potency and absorption.

krill in ocean

How Krill Oil Reduces PMS Signs and Symptoms

It can significantly lessen menstrual aches and cramps and emotional negative side effects and is shown to be really useful for the complete regulation of premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Krill oil supplements can also help lessen inflammation, which can aggravate premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Unlike fish oil, krill oil also contains phospholipids, antioxidants, and various other chemicals which function together to ease not just the emotional symptoms of PMS, but the physical symptoms as well.

Krill Oil Reduces Mood Swings and Depression Associated With PMS

Many women having extreme PMS suffer from undiagnosed depression, although depression on its own won’t be the cause all of the symptoms. There is significant data definitely correlating omega-3 fatty acid quantities with brain health, and there are a variety of medical studies identifying a positive effect of dietary supplementation with them in terms of improving depression, anxiety, joint pain, and enhancing mood.

Specialists feel that the omega-3 in krill oil can benefit mood fluctuations caused by PMS due to the fact that the fats are rich in EPA and DHA content for brain phospholipids, structures that favorably influence the female’s emotional state. Omega-3 fatty acids are commonly used for mood related issues, and females suffering from premenstrual syndrome typically have lower levels of DHA in their brain membrane. Clinicians believe that a modest increment in krill oil dosage in the course of premenstrual syndrome could decrease emotional annoyances that take place immediately coming before a period.

These two omega-3s (EPA and DHA) have been shown to play crucial purposes in regulating mood and sleep by strengthening brain cell performance and letting the brain produce more of the hormone serotonin, which is typically lower in the premenstrual week from lowered estrogen. These fatty acids also lessen pain by holding down the production of specific pain-causing chemicals (such as leukotrienes).

Krill Oil Lessens Inflammation Associated With PMS

The explanation to omega-3s’ effectiveness at decreasing period pain likely hinge on the manner in which the omega-3 fatty acids impacts the body. In particular, omega-3s lessen inflammation, which most likely may be bringing about the pain and cramping a lot of women with PMS suffer with. In particular, the two main omega-3s in krill oil (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) are understood to be strong anti-inflammatories. The natural anti-inflammatory action of the omega-3s found in krill oil are able to eliminate menstrual pain.

Omega-3 has been known to help lessen pain and inflammation. However, a study was done to compare the effects of fish oil vs krill oil in females struggling with premenstrual syndrome. The study revealed that both nutritional supplements noticeably lessened the PMS symptoms of the females, but women using krill oil requested dramatically fewer pain meds than the women using fish oil.

Antioxidants are substances that help shield the body from oxidative stress, a kind of cell damage triggered by a type of molecule known as free radicals. Oxidative stress will increase inflammation. Krill oil includes a effective antioxidant called astaxanthin, which is not found in most fish oils. Astaxanthin more than seven times more potent than beta-carotene (a red-orange pigment found in vegetables and fruits, and is itself a rich antioxidant), and an amazing 7,000 times more powerful than vitamin C.