This is a newer supplement to me, but from both research and personal experience I think it most certainly warrants being on this list. When I was researching natural health remedies for my own PMS concerns I came across DIM, which is a phytonutrient found in cruciferous vegetables. Oftentimes PMS is related to estrogen dominance, which is associated with many symptoms women experience: severe PMS, hot flashes, breast tenderness, weight gain, insomnia, mood swings, sluggish metabolism, and more. DIM has been shown effective at promoting estrogen metabolism and helps restore a healthy hormone balance by increasing beneficial 2-hydroxy estrogens and reducing the unwanted 16-hydroxy estrogens. Studies have also shown DIM protects the body from xenoestrogens, which are estrogen mimicking and intensifying compounds as well as helping with fat loss and maintaining healthy skin and bones. If you’re interested in trying some DIM as a PMS supplemet, I recommend FemGuard+Balance™ from Designs for Health, and if you shoot me an email I’d love to hook you up with some.
Oh how precious vitamin C is! I recently did an experiment with high doses of vitamin C, and had great success with it. Vitamin C decreases inflammation, supports adrenals , is an anti-oxidant, and it’s also said to be the number 1 anti-aging supplement. Who wouldn’t want to load up on this stuff? Vitamin C is well-known for being…well, controversial. Hahaha. I am in the vitamin C rocks camp, and highly recommend checking out The Healing Factor: Vitamin C Against Disease by Irwin Stone, Dr. Linus Pauling as well as the work of Andrew Saul. Also, the movie, That Vitamin Movie is also an excellent documentary to learn more.
If part of your PMS and menses concerns is heavy flow, then it’s quite possible a fair amount of iron will be lost. For some, it’s so bad an iron supplement needs to be taken, and oftentimes our bodies don’t end up absorbing the iron the way it needs to be; I myself was taking an iron supplement for quite a long time {and a high quality one at that} with little to no results. I then started taking high doses of vitamin C and it had a great effect on my iron, and that’s because vitamin C actually helps with iron absorption. But, even if one isn’t taking an actual iron supplement, taking a vitamin C supplement will still help with the absorption of iron from food sources. So it’s recommended that whenever you’re having iron-rich foods, also consume vitamin C rich foods at the same time.
When I was studying up on vitamin C for my megadose experiment I came across some interesting information: medical literature from 1937 to 1964 indicates that ascorbic acid deficiencies and deprivation are actually closely involved with spontaneous abortion, premature rupture of the fetal membranes, and habitual abortion. When therapy included the use of ascorbic acid the conditions were corrected. Now I know some say ascorbic acid isn’t the best form to be taking vitamin C, and while yes, pregnancy issues aren’t PMS issues, at the same time, they are and I believe these findings are worth consideration when it comes to our menses. If supplementing can correct spontaneous abortions and more, it’s likely it can be a beneficial PMS supplement for our menses concerns {which I believe it is}. As previously mentioned, our menses concerns are due to inflammation, vitamin & mineral deficiencies, stress and more, and vitamin C addresses each of those as it contains antioxidant properties to fight stress, helps to improve mood, supports adrenal health, improves immunity, helps with iron absorption, and much much more.
The most common form of vitamin C is known as ascorbic acid, which is a synthetic version of vitamin C, and there are mixed reviews on whether or not it’s the same; regardless, it’s recommended to include a vitamin C-rich diet and also take a whole-foods supplement or liposomal vitamin C, because, again, lifestyle and environmental factors make it sometimes difficult to get all of what we need. In my megadose experiment I began to notice my best results once I started taking liposomal vitamin C. Something to keep in mind when it comes to cooking vitamin C-rich foods, the cooking process most certainly effects the vitamin C content, for example studies have shown that boiling broccoli for just 5 minutes reduced the vitamin C by 45-64%.
When it comes to supplementation, the number one source of vitamin C is the camu camu berry; it is said to have 30-60% more vitamin C than oranges and one single teaspoon of camu camu powder has 1180% of your recommended daily intake. Amla powder and acerola cherry are also very high sources of vitamin C with many other health benefits as well. For a breakdown of vitamin C rich foods check out whfoods.com.
PMS Supplement #1: Probiotics
A majority of the immune system is actually found in the gut, therefore if the digestive system is failing to do what it is designed to do, it results in a weakened immune system and hormonal imbalances {to say the least}. Honestly, if we don’t have healthy guts, we’re not healthy. Our digestive issues are linked to so many things, and the more research that is being done the more connections to “non-gut” related health concerns are being linked to the gut. Some these imbalances can affect the thyroid gland, can result in fatigue, depression, bloating and more. Probiotics help because they line the digestive tract with good bacteria, absorb nutrients and fight off invaders. They also help to produce B12, get rid of bad bacteria, create fighting enzymes, boost the immune system, improve the digestive function and more. While fermented foods and beverages, such as kombucha, kimchi, and some yogurts, can be excellent sources of probiotics, sometimes it’s necessary to supplement with a probiotic supplement, one that has 10 or more probiotic strains with a minimum of 15 billion CFUs.
Chasteberry, also known as vitex, is an herb that has historically been used as a female reproductive tonic and approved in Germany as a treatment for PMS. It inhibits FSH, supports a normal menstrual cycle, is thought to have effects on prolactin release, promote progesterone production and receptor sensitivity as well as improve hormonal interactions and imbalances. If you’d like to read up more on chasteberry, Dr. Josh Axe has an excellent article as well as there have been a number of studies which have examined its efficacy and associated safety:
http://www.fertilityblend.com/pdf/fbclinicalstudy2006.pdf
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/096522999390096V
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23195474
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22359078
http://www.medref.se/munk/loch_dig_2000.pdf
While I know that essential oils aren’t necessarily considered to be supplements, they are more than worth the mention. Essential oils are known to help balance bodily systems: they help to fight off cold and flu symptoms, heal skin conditions, improve digestion, alleviate pain, balance hormones and more. When it comes to PMS and menses support clary sage is an excellent PMS supplement for naturally balancing hormones and improving cramps; ylang ylang is good for reducing tension, stress, cramping and helping to calm mood swings; lavender is helpful for improving emotional symptoms; sandalwood is anti-inflammatory; Frankincense is good for relieving stress, helping with digestive issues and cramping, improves circulation, reduces inflammation and much more. There are many more essential oils that could be added to the list so here are some more resources and studies about essential oils:
https://wellnessmama.com/59952/essential-oils-for-hormone-balance/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22435409
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3674979/
Along with those 8 supplements talked about above, I do feel some other good supplements to consider are a B vitamin complex {this is actually a really good one to highly consider adding into your supplement regime}, vitamin D3 {everyone *should* be taking this one!}, zinc and calcium.
Ultimately, when it comes to overcoming our health challenges, of any kind, we need to aware, tune in to our own body wisdom, choose let go of what doesn’t work and try new things to find out what does. For some, not all of these supplements will work, for others, they’ll find great success, we just have to be open and willing to try, choosing to remember that we’re not designed to life in a constant state of disease; we’re designed to live whole and healthy. So I would love to hear what PMS supplements you’ve taken that have helped you with your menses concerns? Let me know in comments below, I’d love to hear from you!
Here’s to all of us becoming more of who we’re truly meant to be, in body, mind and soul!
Hormones are serious business, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Looking to get some help balancing your hormones? As a Certified Hormones Specialist I support and educate women with a personalized & holistic approach to help them get their hormones functioning at an optimal level. If you’re ready to take charge of your hormones, health and life I’d love to hear from you! Set up your free discovery session to today to chat about how I can help you optimize your hormones!
The information provided in this article is not intended to cure, diagnose or treat; it is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace your relationship with your trusted healthcare practitioner. To see the full disclosure please go here: Disclaimer.
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