New Survey Reveals Premenstrual Syndrome (Pms) Affects Both Women And Men Pms Escape Provides New Hope For The More Than 25 Million Women Who Experience Pms And Their Significant Others Who Are Affected By It

March 31, 1998

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., March 30 /PRNewswire/ via NewsEdge Corporation -- PMS has long been thought of as exclusively a woman's issue, however, according to the PMS Escape/Roper Starch Worldwide Survey, PMS also affects a woman's personal relationships.(A)

According to the survey, 72% of women who experience PMS feel that PMS negatively affects their relationships with their husbands/significant others, while 49% of men say that PMS negatively affects their relationships with their wives or significant others.

Although the effects of PMS may take a toll on relationships, men appear to be understanding and supportive. Ninety percent of the men surveyed believe that they are "very" to "somewhat" supportive of their wife/significant other when she experiences PMS. And, the women polled felt "very" to "somewhat" supported by their husbands/significant others (79%).

PMS is the term used to describe a group of physical, emotional or behavioral changes that many women experience one to 14 days prior to their menstrual cycle. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), 25 million women in the U.S. experience PMS each year and more than 150 changes are associated with PMS.

Fortunately, there's hope. Scientists have associated a natural chemical in the brain called serotonin with the regulation of mood and appetite. It is believed that a drop in serotonin levels during the two weeks prior to menstruation may increase irritability, anger, mood swings and junk-food cravings, among other PMS changes.

Although many prescription and non-prescription products are available to treat the physical symptoms of PMS, such as bloating and cramping, products specifically designed for the normal emotional and behavioral changes associated with PMS have been extremely limited until now.

PMS Escape -- a first-of-its-kind dietary supplement that effectively helps manage normal changes in mood and appetite associated with premenstrual syndrome -- was recently introduced by InterNutria, Inc. Available in most pharmacies nationwide, PMS Escape is a flavored, powdered drink mix made from a blend of natural carbohydrates and select vitamins and minerals that is believed to act by boosting the normal level of serotonin in the brain.

"In the past, women with PMS have not been able to control or diminish monthly changes in mood and appetite that affect their work, eating habits and interpersonal relationships," notes Judith Wurtman, Ph.D., research scientist, Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), director of the Nutrition and Behavior Studies Group at the MIT Clinical Research Center, and developer of PMS Escape. "Now, with the development of PMS Escape, women (and men) have a nutritional alternative to the 'grin and bear it' way of thinking, and do not have to fear the next month."

The PMS Escape/Roper Starch Survey about attitudes and awareness of PMS was completed among 1,011 women and 502 men aged 18-45. Telephone interviews were conducted from July 14 to July 30, 1997 by Roper Starch Worldwide. The margin of error for the sample of women is +/- two to three percentage points, and the sample of men is +/- three to four percentage points, both at the 95% confidence level. Roper Starch Worldwide is a leading global marketing research and consulting firm.

InterNutria, Inc. is developing several other specialized dietary supplements and medical food products for the management of common health conditions. InterNutria's products are clinically-tested and evaluated for safety and effectiveness under the guidance of leading medical institutions and university hospitals.

NOTE(A): This press release or the data contained herein may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form or by any means without being clearly attributed to the PMSEscape/Roper Starch Worldwide Survey. For a copy of the PMS Escape/Roper Starch Worldwide Survey, please contact Kate Conti at 617-227-2111, ext. 356.

SOURCE InterNutria, Inc.

CONTACT: Katy Gaenicke or Kate Conti of Cone Communications, 617-227-2111