Do you ever suffer from unbearable symptoms right before that time of the month? Well, a new population-based study– published in Environment International– has found that living near green spaces could help reduce symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome, or PMS.
As many as three in four women experience PMS-related symptoms, which can take you on a physical and emotional rollercoaster.
For years, women across the globe have tried everything from at-home remedies to over-the-counter medicines to curb their symptoms– which can include bloating, mood swings, anxiety, headaches, tenderness, sleep problems, tiredness, and more.
So, these researchers considered the possible environmental impact on women’s natural cycle.
Over one thousand women between the ages of eighteen and forty-nine were surveyed in this study. These women lived throughout Sweden and Norway and responded to survey questions regarding their lifestyle habits, health, location, and the kind of PMS symptoms that they experienced.
This study is the first of its kind to investigate the relationship between PMS and green space. The study found that women living near green spaces are less likely to experience intense PMS symptoms.
They reported having less anxiety and depression, lower tenderness and bloating, and less trouble sleeping.
While the results sound promising, the study also noted that you would have to live near a green space for most of your life in order to experience the benefits. Any short-term stays would not produce the same results.
The benefits are also not easily explainable. However, the researchers assume that lower stress levels in these environments contribute to the lessened symptoms since they are primarily psychological.
millaf – stock.adobe.com
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This conclusion makes sense since earlier studies have found that living in green spaces can dramatically lower stress levels.
Still, the researchers hope that further studies will be conducted to confirm their findings and enact change.
They said, “Our findings could provide an evidence base for implementing policies aimed at reducing the personal, familial and societal burden of this prevalent condition in our rapidly urbanizing world.”
Until such a grand-scale policy change happens, though, you could always try spending more time outdoors or even creating a garden getaway in your backyard. After all, relieving stress is the key to coping with PMS.
To read the completed scientific study, visit the link here.