Menstruation and Nutrition - The Apeiron Life Perspective
- Elizabeth Bradley, MS
- Apr 26, 2023
- 5 min read
What it is:
Menstruation is the routine clearance of the uterus lining. It is a cyclical process maintained by hormones to dispose of unused blood and tissue. As this is a regular occurrence that occupies roughly every third week of a female's routine, it is an event for which more scientific information should be readily available.
The phases of the menstruation process occur due to the fluctuation of hormones. The female body can vary, but on average, a cycle is 28 days. To best understand your own body, recording your patterns and speaking with a professional can help you keep on track with your goals and healthy lifestyle habits. Below is the breakdown of the phases to focus on today.
Follicular Phase (Day 1-14)
FSH hormone is working hard. Stimulating the follicles that have potential eggs for release.
A Period occurs (Day 1-7)
Hormone Estrogen gradually rises (Day 7-14)
The uterus lining thickens and builds up
Hormone Estrogen falls
Ovulation - Egg released (~Day 13-15)
Luteal Phase (Day 14-28)
Hormone Progesterone gradually rises (~Day 14-22)
Uterus lining maintains to receive the egg
Hormone Progesterone gradually falls (~Day 28)
The unfertilized egg breaks down
Uterus linking breaks down
A period occurs on reset cycle (Day 1)
A recent surge of interest in utilizing knowledge of the menstrual cycle to plan eating patterns has come about. Below we discuss what the claims are looking to achieve and whether there is a need to incorporate this into your daily life.
Purported claims:
Rotating certain foods, nutrients, or supplements may help with symptoms, cravings, and hormone balance.
Nutritional support may allow for curbing current uses of anti-inflammatory NSAIDs and oral hormonal contraceptives currently utilized to reduce symptoms.
What the science says:
New research has focused on the menstrual phases as a possible way to cycle nutrition and exercise in line with the hormones. The food items listed below may always be incorporated into a healthy eating pattern. However, the phase cycle theory gives heed to possible cravings and a deeper understanding of how your needs might vary.
Day 1-7 : Period
The breakdown of the uterus lining means a gradual loss of blood and cells over the week. In this process, the mineral iron is also lost. Therefore, it may benefit some women to consume nutrients high in iron.
Iron-rich foods: Dark leafy greens, liver, nuts, and red meat.
Lethargy, cramps, and bleeding can all lead a person to have little energy. Be gentle with yourself during this time. Focusing on gentle movements such as walking and stretching plus a whole food, iron-rich diet may help you to keep balanced.
Day 7-14: Estrogen Hormone Rising
This is the building phase of the uterus lining. Your body focuses energy and resources on the endometrium tissue and building cell walls. This phase of building and growth may be noticeable in high energy levels, focus, and increased libido.
A bump in testosterone levels during this time may lend to muscle protein synthesis; therefore, increasing protein intake and muscle-building exercises may be beneficial.
Some new studies (Krishnan, 2016) suggest a desire for carbohydrates may occur more strongly in this phase. But instead of reaching for the donuts and refined pasta, prepare nutrient-dense complex carb options.
Complex Carbohydrates: Sweet potato, wild rice, oats, quinoa, brown rice, lentils, beans, apples, and chickpeas.
Resistant starches may help improve satiety, cravings, gut health, and sleep.
Day 13-15: Ovulation
Ovulation is a complex process, with multiple studies (including the Nurses' Health Study II) showing nutrition's influence on fertility and ovulation disorders. Entry into this stage can be noticeable by a slight rise in temperature (measured) and a thinner and stretchy discharge (like raw egg white). Nutrition matters whether you're trying to conceive or just have a healthy, regular cycle. The Fertility Eating Pattern (Harvard, 2000) was developed in response to this need for healthy female reproductive organs and processes. It focuses on increasing fiber, healthy fats, and plant foods whilst decreasing alcohol consumption and processed foods.
However, the information is focused on trying to conceive rather than maintaining healthy body functions and avoiding menstruation issues.
Yet the information is still beneficial at any stage of life, so focus on:
Plant based whole foods, healthy fats, and lean proteins.
B6, B12, Folic acid, Vitamin D, and iron from whole foods are essential at this stage (Jurczewska, 2022).
Day 14-28: Progesterone Rise and Fall
During this phase, PMS symptoms can occur, including mood swings, weight gain, appetite changes, nausea, constipation, and cramps. These are purely chemical reactions as the hormone estrogen falls, progesterone rises, and fluctuations in the neurotransmitter serotonin occur. Serotonin is vital as it is produced in the gut and brain, significantly influencing mood, fatigue, sleep, and blood vessels.
Healthy gut foods: Prebiotics and Probiotics
Gel-forming fiber for hydrating your stool: Oatmeal, Psyllium husk, Lentils, Wheat bran, Barley, Dried prunes, Figs, Flaxseeds, Chia seeds, Apples, Pears, Bananas.
Hydration levels: Water is vital at all stages, but especially to mitigate constipation and other symptoms of PMS.
Magnesium (pumpkin seeds, almonds)
Calcium (yogurt, canned small fish)
Research has shown increased cravings for protein and savory foods during this luteal phase of the cycle. So be mindful of what your body is craving and consume nutrient-dense versions of the items.
Overall a focus on whole foods with low inflammatory levels, such as phytonutrients, omega-3 fatty acids, and Vitamin D items, may help give you a higher threshold of tolerance for inflammation and therefore decrease some extreme symptoms.
Vitamin D - Required for bone health, calcium absorption, muscle function, and overall system balance. Find it in fish, eggs, sunlight, or even a supplement can help keep levels topped up.
Omega 3 - Important for cell function, reduced inflammation, and lipid metabolism. Find it in fish, seafood, seeds (get a mix of flax, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower), and nuts.
Creatine - Research shows improved musculature and cognitive health. This amino acid can be found in beef, lamb, and salmon. Or you can purchase it in powdered supplement form and add it to smoothies, soups, and salad dressings.
Our take:
Honing in on your body's responses can only benefit your health. Although these suggestions are a good starting point, building and maintaining healthy, consistent eating patterns is the key.
When considering the idea of cycling nutrients, first and foremost, ensure you already have these items in your regular diet. It may not be necessary to hyper-focus on your weekly fluctuations if you’re already following a healthy eating pattern.
The lack of randomized, clinical trials with large sample sizes is frustrating, to say the least. However, modern research seems to have caught on to its nonsensical bias of excluding female research as too "complex," and new studies are being released each year. Just recently, a study pointed out the absurdity of banning females due to their body chemistry and the detriment, as adverse reactions can occur from overmedication. Excluding 50% of the population that will be utilizing the drugs and systems experimented with just because they differ from the other 50% is not a reasonable exclusion. Expect to see a growth in sports medicine's understanding of the female system.
Will this benefit you?
Maybe. Tailoring eating patterns to your specific needs will always be beneficial. However, start with the foundational changes of health before hyper-focusing on areas such as hormone fluctuations. Unless you’re already having noticeable issues and symptoms, in which case speak with your Aperon Life Client Advocate to be put in touch with a specialist.
Still curious to try it? If you do, here’s what to keep an eye on:
Eating patterns such as Intermittent Fasting or Keto diets should be monitored closely in females due to the possible disruption of the hormone estrogen and, therefore, menstruation and fertility.
Avoid highly specific claims such as seed cycling, as these items should be incorporated throughout your cycle rather than in weekly increments. The evidence that seeds are nutrient dense with Omega-3 and certain minerals is well researched, but there is not enough evidence to claim the specific rotation of these seeds, nor is it worth the mental time to follow. There are other behavioral changes more worth your while.
References and additional reading:
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