Review: VH Essentials PMS Daytime Symptom Relief – what is it and what does it do?

This product is a vitamin supplement that contains vitamin C, B6, calcium and magnesium, plus carbohydrates which are sugars. It is designed to work in conjunction with the PMS Nighttime Formula, which costs US$9.99. It is not approved by the FDA.

Dose: 1 scoop (25g) with 14 servings per container (350g), though clinical trials were done with two scoops (47.5g). It is for ‘use on PMS days’, so works out to be a full week prior to onset of bleeding.
Cost: US$12 (US$0.85c per serve) The product claims to ease PMS symptoms (tension, irritability, improved mood and memory, and reduced carbohydrate cravings).

Ingredients

• Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate) 30g – no known association with PMS specifically, but acts as a general antioxidant
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) 0.25g -used to create neurotransmitters,
• Calcium (calcium lactate) 25mg – thought to be a safe and very useful adjunct when treating PMS, well researched
• Magnesium (magnesium lactate) 10mg – used to relax tissues, calcium contracts a muscle, magnesium fully relaxes the muscle. Used as a sleep aid, since it facilitates relaxation of the body. Used with B6, it has been shown to be helpful in alleviating PMS symptoms
• Carbohydrate – 23g – this product helps to eliminate sugar cravings by providing the sugar in every scoop in several forms. Simple Carbohydrates (dextrose monohydrate)  Complex Carbohydrates (Maltodextrin, Potato Starch)
• Citric acid
• Flavoring (Maltodextrin, Gum Arabic, Triacetin, Artificial Flavor, Lactic Acid, Red #40, and Natural Flavor)

Who owns VH Essentials? VH Essentials is a subsidiary of Wisconsin Pharmacal Co, a pharmaceutical company, which has a shop set up to sell their different branded products, Lake Consumer Products, also a subsidiary of Wisconsin Pharmacal Co. These products are commonly available at regular retailers and supermarkets in the United States.