Premenstrual syndrome : food preferences, increasing brain serotonin availability and mood in women / Giordana Bruna Cross.

Abstract

This study investigates the food consumption of overweight women over three menstrual cycles within a randomised double blind placebo controlled design. The aims of the study were: 1) to determine whether women identified as exhibiting PMS symptoms including increased appetite, have a preference for carbohydrate; 2) to determine if low brain levels of serotonin are involved in contributing to increased carbohydrate intake, and whether increasing the availablility of serotonin by using dexfenfluramine reduces total food intake or solely selectively reduces carbohydrate intake in women with PMS; 3) to determine whether there is a link between changes in food consumption, and the severuty of PMS symptoms.