Women with high intakes of both calcium and vitamin D were less likely to have severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS), according to a report published on Monday.

In the study, Dr. Elizabeth R. Bertone-Johnson and colleagues at University of Massachusetts analyzed data from 1,057 women aged 27 to 44 who participated in the Nurse Health Study II and developed PMS during a 10-year period and 1,968 women who did not develop PMS.

"We observed a significantly lower risk of developing PMS in women with high intakes of vitamin D and calcium from food sources, equivalent to about four servings per day of skim or low-fat milk, fortified orange juice or low-fat dairy foods such as yogurt," the authors write.

PMS is a collection of symptoms that come between ovulation and a woman's menstrual period. Symptoms include depression, irritability, fatigue, abdominal cramps, breast tenderness, and headaches. PMS is common among women, and up to 20 percent of women can experience severe PMS.

The findings appear in the June 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

(Xinhua News Agency/Agencies June 14, 2005)