Agnus castus
Women have two main hormones that control their menstrual cycle: oestrogen and progesterone. Many women don't make enough progesterone and have high levels of oestrogen instead. This imbalance can give rise to the physical PMS symptoms mentioned above. It can also mean you experience heavier periods along with a shorter cycle. If this PMS picture sounds like you, try taking Agnus castus daily for a few months. It could drastically improve your PMS symptoms. Please be aware, this remedy is not suitable for use alongside hormonal contraceptives.
If you have a normal cycle (meaning the length between periods is regular and not erratic) but suffer with sugar cravings, tiredness and mood fluctuations, nutritional support could be a more appropriate management plan. The suggestions listed below might yield better results.
Chromium
For a lot of women, the tell-tale sign that your period is due is the sudden sugar cravings you begin to experience. If placating your sweet tooth with healthy dried or fresh fruit hasn't worked, you're likely to binge on chocolate instead. This can leave our blood sugar levels in a bad state, and you might experience symptoms of low blood sugar once the inevitable sugar crash happens. These symptoms can manifest as light headedness, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, anxiety and sweating; and they can ultimately trigger sugar cravings all over again.
A hormone called insulin prevents your blood sugar spiking too high. The problem is, if you're eating lots of sugar and your body is releasing insulin on a regular basis, you may become resistant to insulin's effects. Short-term, this leaves you trapped in a cycle of sugar bingeing and experiencing symptoms of low blood sugar. Long-term, it leaves you at risk of developing diabetes. So, addressing PMS sugar cravings is a good idea.
Chromium is believed to enhance the action of insulin and reduce insulin resistance. Chromium levels are shown to drop in the weeks leading to your period, which could be an explanation for the sugar cravings women get at this time. Supplementing with chromium and eating chromium-rich foods in the lead up to your period could knock this bitter sweet PMS symptom on its head once and for all. Lamberts chromium complex is one that we love here at A.Vogel. Molkosan Fruit is another great option for supporting better digestion if blood sugar stabilisation is a problem for you.
Magnesium
Magnesium is another nutrient that dips in the lead-up to your period. Low magnesium levels leave us more sensitive to pain and also increases the likelihood of cramps and achiness. By supplementing with magnesium cramping and pain could be eased dramatically. It could also help with the emotional symptoms of PMS such as anxiety, irritability and tension.
Zinc
Zinc supplementation is great for addressing the emotional symptoms of PMS and one to add to your shopping list because it is another nutrient that depletes in the lead up to your period. If you feel slightly irrational and emotionally frazzled in the lead up to your bleed, try taking a zinc supplement for a few months and notice if anything changes. Zinc has also been shown to help ease period pain, due to its effect on inflammatory messengers in the body. For more information on how zinc can help your period, read our blog: Reasons zinc could help your period.
| Top Tip: Magnesium OK is a product that contains a blend of the nutrients I listed above along with B vitamins, vitamin C and more. It is a good all-round supplement to take if you are suffering from PMS symptoms such as low energy, sugar cravings and mood fluctuations. |
Iron
Women often take for granted that they bleed once a month and need no medical assistance to do so. I wonder how men would react if the same thing happened to them every 4 weeks?
It is a completely normal part of our cycle but one that we often forget has an impact on our energy levels and our iron stores. Unless you suffer from hemochromatosis (when the body has too much iron), supplementing with a gentle iron tonic during the week of your period is a sensible thing to do, especially if your periods are heavy. It should leave you feeling more energised and less depleted. I recommend Floradix as an iron supplement that is easy on the digestive system. There is a vegan and gluten-free version too, called Floravital. Both also come in tablet form if you prefer to supplement that way.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279054/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2067759/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15208835/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28188965/
