Eating too much ultra-processed food? A study links it to worse PMS symptoms

By Hugo Francisco de SouzaReviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc.Nov 10 2026

Could what women eat, and how they respond to food cravings, influence premenstrual symptoms? Researchers examined diet quality, ultra-processed foods, and four dimensions of mindful eating in 607 young women, revealing a complex relationship between eating behaviors and PMS severity.

Study: Associations of ultra-processed food consumption and mindful eating with premenstrual syndrome severity in young adult women. Image Credit: studiostoks / Shutterstock

In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at the University of Health Sciences in Ankara, Turkey, conducted a cross-sectional investigation to examine associations between dietary patterns, mindful eating, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) severity among young adult women.

The researchers evaluated 607 women (aged 18 to 30 years) to examine whether ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and mindful eating dimensions were associated with premenstrual distress.

The study’s findings revealed that higher UPF screening scores were independently associated with greater PMS severity in the sampled cohort, while non-judgmental and non-reactive mindful eating facets were independently associated with lower symptom scores.

Together, these findings suggest that specific mindful eating behaviors warrant further investigation to determine whether they could help manage premenstrual symptoms.

Background

Premenstrual syndrome is a common gynecological condition, with previous estimates suggesting that nearly half of reproductive-aged women experience PMS symptoms. The condition is typically characterized by recurrent somatic and psychological disturbances that emerge during the luteal phase (the post-ovulatory stage of the menstrual cycle) and subside with menstruation.

The exact etiology of PMS remains elusive, with scientists currently attributing symptoms to patients’ abnormal neurobiological sensitivity to cyclical ovarian hormone shifts, particularly involving serotonergic and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) pathways.

PMS is commonly managed with medications, such as oral contraceptives or antidepressants.

Previous research suggests that systemic low-grade inflammation may contribute to symptom expression, and diets high in industrial UPFs have been associated with inflammatory markers. Refined carbohydrates and food additives are among the proposed explanations, but this study did not measure inflammatory markers.

Yet the combined associations of food processing, overall diet quality, and multidimensional eating awareness with PMS severity remain insufficiently understood.

About the study

The present study aimed to address this knowledge gap by evaluating food processing levels, diet quality, and mindful eating facets in relation to premenstrual symptom burden.

The sample cohort comprised young adult women in Turkey (607 participants; mean age 21.50 years; mean body mass index [BMI] 22.39 kg/m²) recruited through university networks, social media platforms, and participant referrals using non-probability snowball sampling. Women using hormonal contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy, and those who had recently used certain medications, including antidepressants, were excluded. Approximately 80% of participants reported university-level education.

The study used four validated instruments: the Premenstrual Syndrome Scale (PMSS), measuring nine somatic and psychological symptom domains; the Screening Questionnaire of Highly Processed Food Consumption (sQ-HPF), which assessed reported UPF consumption patterns; the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS); and the Four-Facet Mindful Eating Scale (FFaMES).

The FFaMES further analyzed data across four subscales: Non-reactance (experiencing food-related thoughts, urges, and emotions without automatically acting on them), Non-judgment (accepting eating experiences without self-criticism), Internal Awareness (sensing hunger and fullness cues), and External Awareness (noticing environmental food cues).

The study’s statistical analysis used multivariable linear regression models to assess associations with PMS severity while adjusting for participants’ age, BMI, menstrual regularity, pregnancy history, marital status, education, and income.

Study findings

For descriptive purposes, 82.9% of participants exceeded a commonly used PMS screening threshold, although this did not establish a confirmed clinical diagnosis.

The study’s fully adjusted regression model explained 19% of the variation in PMS severity scores and identified independent statistical associations involving dietary and mindful eating measures, including a small positive association between UPF screening scores and symptom burden.

Each one-point increase in the sQ-HPF score was associated with a 1.14-point higher PMSS score. The researchers cautioned that the association was small and its clinical significance uncertain.

The four mindful eating facets showed different relationships with PMS severity. Higher Non-judgment and Non-reactance scores were independently associated with lower PMS severity.

The analyses also found that neither Internal Awareness nor External Awareness showed independent associations in multivariable models, although both were positively correlated with PMS scores in initial analyses.

Finally, Mediterranean diet adherence showed a weak initial association with lower PMSS scores, but this did not persist after adjustment and was not statistically significant in a supplementary sensitivity analysis.

The analysis also found that income falling short of expenses was associated with higher premenstrual symptom scores compared with income matching expenses.

Conclusions

The present study is among the few to examine UPF consumption, Mediterranean diet adherence, and individual mindful eating dimensions together in relation to premenstrual symptom severity.

The findings show the value of examining individual mindful eating facets rather than relying on composite scores, with non-judgment and non-reactance showing the most consistent inverse associations with PMS severity. Because the study was cross-sectional and relied on self-reported questionnaires, it could not establish causation. PMS symptoms were recalled retrospectively rather than tracked across repeated menstrual cycles. More severe symptoms may influence food choices, while unmeasured factors such as stress, sleep, and physical activity could partly explain the results. The overall mindful eating scale also showed limited internal consistency.

Further prospective longitudinal studies and randomized controlled trials testing UPF reduction and targeted mindful eating interventions are needed to determine whether these approaches can reduce PMS symptoms.