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Here are the 5 essential vitamins and minerals you NEED for a healthy cycle, hormone health, and PMS relief! Where to find them in your diet, and which supplements to choose, if you decide that would work best for you.
PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome) isn’t something you just “have to deal with”. With over 150 symptoms, PMS sucks, but there is something you can do about it. Our bodies NEED proper nutrition to function optimally! In today’s fast-paced world, many of us are lacking in these essential vitamins and minerals that help our menstrual cycles function as they should. Plus, if you are currently taking, or recently off the birth control pill, this can increase certain nutrient needs! The good news is that by eating a healthy diet, and perhaps looking into supplements, we can fill these gaps!
In this post, we’ll dive into how you can help harmonize your hormones and relieve PMS. We’ll unveil the five essential nutrients that will become your allies in combating mood swings, acne, bloating, and all those annoying symptoms that come with PMS. By replenishing these vital nutrients, we can regain control and restore balance to our bodies.
Hormone imbalances and PMS have many root causes. These nutrients can help your body function optimally, but it is only part of the story. A healthy diet can dramatically reduce PMS and help to balance your cycle, so this is one of the first steps I would tell my clients. Supplementing has a time and place as well, depending on your own specific needs. Talk to your practitioner to see if they’re right for you.
5 Nutrients for Hormone Balance
1. Magnesium
Magnesium plays a crucial role in over 300 enzymatic reactions within the body and helps to regulate many hormonal processes. It is one of those minerals our body craves, and it comes across as a magic mineral!
Magnesium is involved in the production of progesterone. This is the dominant hormone in your luteal phase (the second half of your cycle) and is also important for fertility, maintaining a pregnancy, and helping keep PMS symptoms at bay. Magnesium needs tend to increase during this second half of the cycle, which can contribute to PMS if they are not met. Progesterone can help balance out estrogen during this time calming the mind, easing anxiety, improving sleep, and lightening PMS. Magnesium can also help balance the potential reverse effects of progesterone on the central nervous system that are known to happen in cases of PMDD.
This power mineral can help to reduce symptoms of PMS, such as bloating, cramps, and mood swings. Additionally, magnesium supports thyroid health, insulin sensitivity, and healthy adrenal function. This is important for managing stress and maintaining energy levels, and improving sleep quality — talk about magic.
With all the extra stimulation, stress, and food quality these days, magnesium can deplete very quickly in our bodies. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it is estimated that about 48% of Americans have inadequate magnesium intake, and the percentage of women with inadequate magnesium intake is even higher, with an estimated 56% having inadequate intake.
Women should aim for around 350mg per day or even more — Dr. Lara Briden, a naturopathic doctor specializing in women’s health, recommends 400-500mg of magnesium per day through diet or supplementation.
It’s important to note, that certain hormonal birth controls may increase the output of magnesium, thus requiring that higher dose from diet or supplementation. Good sources of magnesium are leafy greens, avocados, and dark chocolate — do you ever crave chocolate? — nuts and seeds, legumes, and fish.
The best supplements are magnesium bys-glycinate (aka glycinate). It is easily absorbed and easy to come by. Magnesium bicarbonate is another popular one for its superior absorption, but it is trickier to find or make. Magnesium citrate is also quite popular, but it draws more water to the bowels, so it can cause diarrhea in some people — but it can also help if you’re having constipation. Magnesium malate is another well-absorbed option that can also help give you a little boost in energy due to the malic acid.
This is the one I love, Pure Labs Magnesium glycinate capsules, this is in bys-glycinate form for better absorption and also contains glycine helping promote a better and deeper sleep! Read “Top 10 Sleep Tips for Better Hormones” Here!
2. Zinc
Zinc is another important mineral that is right up there with magnesium as a front-line treatment for many hormonal mishaps. Many women are unfortunately deficient — you can test yours in a routine blood test, testing plasma zinc with a normal reference range of 11-23 umol/L or 70-150 ug/dL).— as many hormonal birth controls can also deplete zinc.
If you’re struggling with painful cramps before or during your period, zinc has been shown to work well for period pain by reducing inflammation and prostaglandins. Prostaglandins increase at this time to help shed the lining of your uterus during your period, but higher levels cause more contractions and reduce blood flow and thus oxygen to your uterus resulting in cramps.
Zinc can also help regulate the menstrual cycle by nourishing the developing follicle, promoting ovulation, and supporting the regulation of estrogen and progesterone. It is essential for the synthesis and activation of thyroid hormone and can help prevent hair loss from thyroid issues.
For women with PCOS, zinc can help with insulin resistance and is an effective androgen blocker that can reduce testosterone levels, improving symptoms such as acne, facial hair, and irregular periods. Zinc deficiency may play a role in endometriosis as well. Focusing on including plenty of zinc in your diet and possible supplementation can help support your immune system and reduce inflammation.
If you’re struggling with acne —which is a common symptom of inflammation and hormonal chaos — zinc is a common treatment that can help kill bacteria on the skin, lower androgens that can cause acne, especially cystic acne, and helps slow the production of sebum and keratin that can clog pores.
Zinc deficiency affects one in three women (1), especially those following a plant-based. The best sources of zinc are meat and seafood. Certain plant foods like beans, nuts, and seeds are high as well, although absorption can be impaired due to phytic acid and lectins. If you have white spots on the fingernails this can be a sign of low zinc.
Supplementation of around 30mg can help you reach adequate levels. Some common supplements are zinc picolinate — like this NOW brand one —which is easier on the stomach and zinc citrate. You’ll want to take zinc after dinner in the evening, as taking it on an empty stomach could make you nauseous or stomach upset. Zinc competes with copper for absorption, some zinc brands include copper in their formula to compensate for this, although this tends to occur for higher than-recommended zinc doses like 75mg, that are taken for extended periods of time.
3. Iodine
Iodine is an essential mineral that plays a crucial role in the proper functioning of the thyroid gland and the treatment of estrogen excess symptoms. Deficiency is a common issue, especially among women and pregnant women. The recommended daily intake for women is 150 micrograms, with a tolerable upper limit of 1.1mg, although this is very controversial. Some practitioners recommend not going over 300mcg and that doses over 225mcg are not safe for pregnant women. And some say mega doses are safe like 50mg!
An Iodine deficiency can show up as breast tenderness (mastalgia or fibrocystic breasts), ovulation pain, ovarian cysts, and PMS throughout your cycle. Studies have shown that iodine supplementation can help alleviate breast pain. The reason behind this is that iodine helps regulate and detox estrogen and down-regulates estrogen receptors in the breast tissue, which can lead to breast pain when imbalanced. The ovaries also need a quality amount of iodine to function and encourage ovulation.
Some great sources of iodine include seafood, eggs, strawberries, and grass-fed dairy. Seavegatebales and seaweeds are great sources of iodine, but they do contain other compounds like bromine which can block the absorption of iodine. If you have switched to sea salt like Celtic Salt or pink Himalayan salt, these don’t contain much iodine at all compared to iodized salt. So be sure you are getting enough in your diet.
If you feel you need to supplement, be sure to get your thyroid levels checked through blood work, and do a full thyroid panel, including antibodies, to check for things like hypothyroid, hyperthyroid, and Hashimoto’s. Excessive iodine intake or not enough iodine can trigger or progress thyroid-related problems. Many women have benefited greatly from iodine supplementation once they’ve got the green light that it’s safe to do so.
Your doctor may recommend using either potassium iodide form or preferably molecular iodine, as this one absorbs more slowly into the thyroid and faster into the breast tissue. Taking selenium or 1-2 Brazil nuts with iodine can reduce the chances of negative effects and protect the thyroid.
4. Vitamin D
You may have heard a lot about vitamin D in recent years and how it is an important regulator of bone health, immunity, and hormone health. Also that most people, especially those who reside in colder climates like me in Canada, are deficient. PCOS is a common hormonal problem causing long irregular cycles and other symptoms, here again, we see the majority of women — 44% — diagnosed with PCOS being deficient in this crucial vitamin.
Vitamin D acts more like a steroid hormone than a vitamin in our bodies, regulating more than 200 different genes! It helps regulate insulin sensitivity —helping to control our blood sugar and weight— and aids follicular development and follicle sensitivity to FSH — helping regulate ovulation and progesterone production.
We synthesize the majority of vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sun aka UVB light. You’ll want to be out in the sun daily for around 20 min, or half the amount of time it takes for your skin to turn pink, with skin exposed and sunscreen only on your delicate parts like your face, neck, etc.
Sunscreen will block the rays required for vitamin D synthesis and some other health benefits of light. Darker skin tones may need more time out in the sun to produce adequate amounts. The strongest periods are between 10 am – 3 pm. Avoid burning and wear sunscreen if needed past this point, everyone is different so use your own discretion.
We can also get about 10% of what we need from food sources like pastured egg yolks, grass-fed dairy products, fish, mushrooms, and cod liver oil.
An optimal range for vitamin D testing 25-hydroxy vitamin D in bloodwork is 30-50 ng/ml or 75-125 nmol/L. If you need to supplement a good combination of natural sunlight, vitamin D3 supplement, and or cod liver oil can help boost levels. It is important to balance vitamin D with magnesium, Vitamin A (which is in high amounts in cod liver oil), and vitamin K2, as these vitamins work synergistically together to promote proper regulation of calcium in the body. Always retest levels to see if your regimen needs to be modified.
5. Vitamin B6
If you experience harsh mood swings, depression, or anxiety leading up to your period, you might LOVE Vitamin B6. It is a KEY player in supporting hormone health and combating inflammation, PMS, and even PMDD! I noticed a big difference in my PMS mood swings.
B6 is a precursor to many neurotransmitters including GABA and serotonin which can improve mood, sleep, and appetite, along with dopamine which controls the pleasure center of the brain. Thus helping PMS and contributing to the managing of mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and other emotional symptoms often associated with hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle.
Furthermore, B6 supports liver function, which is essential for hormone metabolism and detoxification. It assists the liver in processing and eliminating excess estrogen, preventing hormonal imbalances, and promoting optimal levels of these hormones. By supporting liver health and also helping regulate histamine levels, vitamin B6 can contribute to alleviating symptoms of estrogen dominance, such as heavy or irregular periods, bloating, fatigue, and breast tenderness. It also supports progesterone in the second half of your cycle!
Ensure an adequate intake of vitamin B6 through a balanced diet by Including more poultry, fish, legumes, bananas, avocado, spinach, nuts, and seeds. Consider supplementation, especially if on or previously on hormonal contraception, as this can deplete levels or experiencing PMS or PMDD. A dosage of B6 in P5P form (pyridoxal -5-phosphate) of 30-60mg is usually prescribed for hormone-related issues — I have this one by Genestra — or consider taking a B-complex, which contains the other b vitamins in conjunction with B6.
It is important to consult with a healthcare professional to determine the appropriate dosage for you, as excessive intake of vitamin B6 over 100mg may have adverse effects although taking in the P5P form may help lower the risk of this.
Conclusion
A hormone imbalance resulting in excessive PMS symptoms can result from a nutrient deficiency. It’s important to note that while these nutrients are important and beneficial for hormone health, they’re likely not the full story and should not be used as a replacement for other forms of treatment recommended for you. Always be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet or supplement regimen.
This Post was all about the 5 vitamins for Hormone Health and PMS Relief.
Resources
Briden, L. (2017, September 1). 8 Ways that Magnesium Rescues Hormones. Lara Briden – The Period Revolutionary. https://www.larabriden.com/8-ways-that-magnesium-rescues-hormones/
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Sánchez-Rodríguez, M. A., García-Quijada García, J., Díaz-Castro, J., & López-Frías, M. (2017). The Relationship between Oral Contraceptives and Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies. Journal of clinical medicine, 6(2), 22. doi: 10.3390/jcm6020022
Briden, Lara. Period Repair Manual. Lara Briden, 2015, pp. 137-139.
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Briden, Lara. “7 Ways Zinc Rescues Hormones.” Lara Briden – The Period Revolutionary, 12 June 2018, https://www.larabriden.com/7-ways-zinc-rescues-hormones/. Accessed 04/26/2023
Ramos-Chávez LA, Río-Gómez I, Muñoz-Espinosa L, et al. Zinc Deficiency and Digestive Health. Med Daily. 2016. Available at: https://www.medicaldaily.com/zinc-deficiency-digestive-health-effects-389339. Accessed on April 26, 2023.
Jardim, Nicole. Fix Your Period. HarperOne, 2020, pp. 95, 223, 240-241.
Briden, Lara. Period Repair Manual. 2015. pp. 137-139, 206-207.
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