Healthy Diet Tips for Women with Menstrual Problems

A very large proportion of American women suffer from menstrual disorders, from irregularity to severe cramps to extreme irritability. Few of these women recognize that their menstrual disorders are often caused by nutritional deficiencies or overexposure to harmful hormone-effecting foods.

Eliminating, or limiting, the amount of soy in your diet is one of the most critical steps that you can take to regain your menstrual health. Soy contains natural phytoestrogens, which are plant-based hormones that mimic our own natural hormones. Because of this, soy can throw our hormones off-balance, by triggering the receptors of estrogen without actually adding estrogen to our bodies. The FDA has received reports from women who have experienced increased bloating, fatigue, clotting, and cramping after eating soy.

Soy has some proven health benefits, potentially including the prevention of breast cancer. It can also be a great way to maintain adequate protein levels if you are vegetarian or vegan. Fermented soy products like miso and tempeh tend to neutralize the effects of these estrogen-mimickers, so these are probably a better option. If you must eat soy, try to do so in moderation, and eliminate it during and immediately before the onset of your period.

Another food that should be avoided if you are experiencing menstrual disorders is milk containing the growth hormone, bovine somatotropin. Although the FDA has released a statement defending the safety of this hormone, which is injected into cows about once a week to increase their milk production, anecdotal evidence has suggested that it may be linked to increased bleeding, menstrual headaches, and increased breast tenderness. Companies are not required to label their products that contain bovine somatotropin, so it is best to play it safe by only buying milk from companies that pledge not to use it.

Deficiencies in the mineral magnesium have often been shown to cause or contribute to menstrual disorders. Several peer-revied, double-blind studies of magnesium supplements have shown them to be significantly more effective than placebo at controlling bloating, fatigue, breast tenderness, and hormone-related irritability. Starting at about fifteen days before the onset of your period, it is a good idea to increase your intake of magnesium-containing foods, including artichokes, whole grains, nuts, pumpkin seeds, spinach, corn meal, and black beans.

Many foods that are high in magnesium are also high in potassium, which is also suspected to improve symptoms of PMS and other menstrual disorders. Fish, beans, broccoli, tomatoes, and bananas are all excellent choices for high-potassium foods. This is especially important to prevent edema (swelling) and bloating.

Calcium and vitamin D, which are often found in the same foods, have also been shown to drastically reduce the incidence and severity of PMS symptoms. One study found that women who consumed an additional four servings of calcium-rich foods per day experienced a 50% reduction in PMS symptoms. Several other peer-reviewed and placebo-controlled studies of calcium supplements have yielded similar conclusions. Sesame, beans, nuts, greens, and figs are all excellent dairy-free and soy-free sources of calcium and vitamin D.

Eating small, frequent meals and snacks throughout the day can help to keep your blood sugar stable. Avoid refined sugars, including white sugar and high fructose corn syrup. These are metabolized very quickly and can send your blood sugar on a roller-coaster, which is likely to exacerbate any problems you may be having with dizziness, light-headedness, irritability, and anxiety.

Menstrual disorders don't have to be treated with antidepressants, pain medications, or hormone pills. Because these disorders are frequently the result of a diet that is inadequate in some areas and overloaded in others, changes in diet are often all that is needed to correct the hormonal and chemical imbalances that lead to menstrual problems. Often, women suffering from menstrual problems find that their disorders improve dramatically within just one month of dietary adjustment.