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How To Eat For Your Menstrual Cycle | Nutritionist Explains... | Myprotein
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Feb 6, 2025
Expert dietitian explains why certain nutrients help at each stage of the menstrual cycle. When you think about the words, nutrition and period, you might think about the cravings commonly associated with being on your period. But there’s a lot more to your menstrual cycle than just periods, and there’s more to consider than just cravings when it comes to nutrition throughout your cycle. Expert dietitian Elle Kelly explores some essential nutrients you need throughout the menstrual cycle. Elle first explains what the menstrual cycle is AKA the period. Watch this video to find out more. Follow Elle on IG: ellekellynutrition *** Chapters: 00:00 - The menstrual cycle 01:33 - Women need iron 03:27 - Folic acid helps pregnancies 04:33 - Luteal phase 05:27 - Track your cycle 05:44 - Progesterone 06:31 - Carbohydrates are vital 07:12 - Omega-3 reduces PMS 08:02 - Bloating and fluid retention 08:42 - Magnesium prevents cramps
View Video Transcript
0:00
when we think about the words nutrition
0:02
and periods we probably think about the
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Cravings that are normally associated
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with being on our period but there is a
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lot more to our menstrual cycle than
0:09
just our periods and there is a lot more
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to consider than just cravings when it
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comes to nutrition throughout the
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menstrual cycle
0:20
my name is Elle registered dietitians
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specializing in Sports Nutrition and
0:24
eating disorders and today we're going
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to explore some of the important
0:28
nutrients throughout the menstrual cycle
0:29
let's start with understanding the
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menstrual cycle to begin with the
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menstrual cycle has two phases the
0:35
follicular phase and the luteal phase
0:36
and begins on the first day of
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menstruation aka the periods Cycles
0:41
lasting between 21 to 40 days are
0:43
considered normal but the average cycle
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is thought to be about 28 days for most
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bleeding lasts up to a week and is the
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first part of the follicular phase
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ovulation occurs out of the follicular
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phase and before the luteal phase at
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around day 14 of the cycle ovulation is
1:00
where an egg is released from the
1:02
ovaries during the luteal phase which is
1:04
the second half of the cycle the lining
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of the womb begins to thicken in
1:08
preparation for pregnancy this is
1:10
typically where women experience
1:11
premenstrual syndrome or PMS symptoms
1:14
such as cramping changes in mood
1:16
bloating headaches fatigue acne all of
1:19
the fun stuff if this egg is not
1:21
fertilized the womb lining sheds which
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leads to menstruation and the cycle
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begins again so that summarizes the
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menstrual cycle now let's take a look at
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some of the nutrition considerations for
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each of these stages starting at the
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beginning the follicular phase this
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starts with the first day of the period
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and the most commonly thought of
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nutrients associated with menstruation
1:40
is iron women are naturally at a higher
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risk of iron deficiency anemia due to
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the loss of blood throughout
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menstruation and this is why women of
1:48
reproductive age have a higher daily
1:50
iron requirements than men it is
1:52
recommended that adult males aim for 8.7
1:55
milligrams of iron per day whereas
1:57
females that have began their cycle and
1:58
up to pre-menopause should aim for 14.8
2:01
milligrams of iron per day iron
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deficiency anemia is the most common
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nutrient deficiency with it affecting
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approximately 25 percent of women
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globally those who have particularly
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heavy periods are at an even higher risk
2:15
of iron deficiency anemia however iron
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is a nutrient that should be considered
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throughout the entire cycle and not just
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menstruation and there is evidence to
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suggest that iron May reduce PMS
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symptoms one study that investigated the
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mineral intake of approximately three
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thousand women over a 10-year period
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found that those who had high intakes of
2:34
dietary iron were up to 40 percent less
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likely to experience PMS symptoms this
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was unfortunately one of the few studies
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in this area and more research is needed
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to understand why the higher intake of
2:46
iron displayed a reduction in PMS
2:48
symptoms a balanced diet will most
2:50
likely provide a sufficient amount of
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iron however those who are vegan or
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vegetarian or who don't eat meat often
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may be at a higher risk of not getting
2:58
enough iron although plant-based foods
3:00
do contain iron the iron is not as
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bioavailable as they aren't from animal
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sources you can check out this video
3:06
that Katie did explaining the different
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forms of iron and its bioavailability
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iron supplementation is often associated
3:12
with constipation and other effects so
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ensure to seek advice from your GP or
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registered dietitian before taking iron
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supplements ovulation occurs is
3:21
following the follicular phase and this
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is where it is most likely for a woman
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to fall pregnant although this can
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happen a few days after this too folic
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acid is a supplement that is most
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commonly associated with pregnancy or
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those who are trying to conceive however
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it is actually recommended that all
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women of reproductive age take a folic
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acid supplement and this is because
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nearly half of all pregnancies are
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unplanned folate is a type of B vitamin
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which are water-soluble vitamins meaning
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that we cannot store these in our body
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which emphasizes the importance of daily
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consumption of folates folic acid is a
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form of folate which is found in
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supplements but folic acid is also added
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to commonly consumed foods such as
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breakfast cereals or white flour as part
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of a public health initiative to help
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prevent deficiencies in folic acids our
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bodies need folate to create DNA and to
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support the development of the nervous
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system in unborn babies and there is an
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increased likelihood of developing a
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neural tube defect such as spina bifida
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in women who do not have enough folate
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preconception and during the early weeks
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of pregnancy women need 400 micrograms
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of folate per day and those wishing to
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become pregnant or who could become
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pregnant whether planned or not should
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take an additional 400 micrograms of
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folic acid as a supplement the next
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phase of the cycle is the luteal phase
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during the luteal phase in the lead up
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to the period there is actually an
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increase in metabolism with some studies
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finding that women may require up to 300
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calories more per day but this of course
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will vary among women and will be
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influenced by other factors such as body
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composition genetics and physical
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activity levels in an attempt by the
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body to acquire this additional energy
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it is common to experience increased
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levels of hunger in the lead-up to
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menstruation many women can find this
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increase in hunger frustrating as it may
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show up as cravings for a specific foods
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like chocolate cravings for high carb
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and fat foods are common and it is
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because these foods are typically quite
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energy dense which is what the body
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needs during this time so ladies please
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have some self-compassion and honor your
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hunger we know that the more we were
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zest Cravings the more likely we are to
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overdo it on that food when we
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eventually allow ourselves to have it
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this is why tracking your cycle can be
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really helpful as it helps us to
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understand and predict any changes in
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our body and make sure to account for
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this through our nutrition progesterone
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Peaks during the luteal phase and this
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is a hormone thought to increase
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appetite which can play a role in these
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cravings and increased hunger around
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this time progesterone is also
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associated with protein catabolism and
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considering progesterone is highest
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during the mid luteal phase it is really
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important to be ensuring you're getting
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enough protein here to prevent excess
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muscle protein breakdown in the mid to
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late luteal phase which is the immediate
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lead up to menstruation it is common for
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women to experience PMS symptoms and it
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is actually expected that up to 90
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percent of women experience premenstrual
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symptoms or PMS convenience and highly
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palatable foods can appear more
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desirable when you're on your periods
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and not just to satisfy Cravings or
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because of having an increased appetite
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but also because you may not feel full
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of energy or that great within yourself
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however nutrition can actually play a
6:25
role in easing symptoms of PMS although
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unfortunately there is no ultimate cure
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for this carbohydrates are our body's
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preferred source of fuel and they play a
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vital role in hormone regulation in
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women too during menstruation we can be
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more inclined to Crave sugary
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carbohydrates than more fibrous ones and
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this is partially because they provide
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fast acting energy that our body often
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seeks when we're tired and also for the
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feel-good effects of carbohydrates as
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they are associated with serotonin
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release however choosing high fiber and
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starchy carbohydrates can help to
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prevent Cravings as they keep our blood
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sugar levels more stable and therefore
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our mood and energy more stable choosing
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high fiber carbohydrates like whole
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grains oats and root vegetables can help
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to keep bowel habits regular which can
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be impacted by the hormonal changes in
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the lead up to our periods omega-3 fatty
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acids are a type of unsaturated fatty
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acids that are essential which means we
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cannot make them in our body and so we
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must obtain them food food sources of
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Omega-3s include oily fish like salmon
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and some plant foods like walnuts a
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meta-analysis published this year found
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that omega-3 fatty acids are efficient
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in reducing the severity of PMS symptoms
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Omega-3s are also known for improving
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mood reducing severity of depression and
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anxiety in studies too and another
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recent study highlighted that omega-3
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supplementation alleviated physical
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symptoms of PMS whilst also improving
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women's quality of life whilst there is
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evidence that omega-3 fatty acids can
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reduce symptoms of PMS there is no exact
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recommendation for supplementation for
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supporting PMS as of yet but
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incorporating omega-3 rich foods at this
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time can be a good idea one of the
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common symptoms of PMS is bloating and
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fluid retention in order to maintain a
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balance between fluid and electrolytes
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the body retains more water when there
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is a higher consumption of salt than
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normal it is important that we limit our
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salt intake in general to less than six
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grams of salt per day but if you
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commonly experience fluid retention
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around the time of your period it might
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be helpful to limit excess salt within
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your diet instead of adding salt to
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meals opt for spices or herbs or choose
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low salt condiments whilst you might not
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be adding salt to meals many foods
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contain some degree of added salt a salt
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is commonly used as a natural
8:38
preservative in many foods so it tends
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to be higher in packaged Foods magnesium
8:43
plays a role in muscle contractions and
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is often recommended to prevent muscle
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cramps but it has also been seen to play
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a role in the reduction of PMS symptoms
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predominantly period cramps and bloating
8:54
one study identified that magnesium
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supplements alongside vitamin B6
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supplements worked better than taking
9:00
magnesium supplements alone but both of
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these groups were more effective in
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reducing PMS symptoms than the placebo
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Cacao is a source of magnesium so a high
9:09
quality chocolate certainly has a place
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in the diet other sources of magnesium
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include nuts some seeds and whole grains
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according to a study conducted in 2022
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zinc supplementation can improve improve
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PMS symptoms and was associated with
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improved health related quality of life
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another study found that the use of zinc
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supplementation in combination with the
9:29
type of painkiller was Superior in
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reducing period pain in comparison to
9:33
the painkiller alone these studies
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exploring the effects of zinc on PMS use
9:37
dosages from 30 milligrams to 220
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milligrams but the Dietary Reference
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value for zinc in the UK is only seven
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milligrams per day for women which is
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not enough to optimize the effects seen
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in these studies however as it is a
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recent area of research more evidence is
9:52
going to be required to give an exact
9:54
recommendation chasebury is a herbal
9:56
supplement and a number of Studies have
9:58
demonstrated a reduction in symptoms of
10:00
PMS it is thought that chase Berry Works
10:03
through hormonal modulation which
10:05
studies identifying that it may
10:06
stimulate the production of more
10:07
progesterone whilst decreasing prolactin
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levels because of its effects on
10:12
hormones it could reduce the
10:13
effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives
10:15
evidence does support the use of Chase
10:17
Berry for PMS symptoms menstrual
10:19
disorders as well as infertility however
10:22
there is no standard recommendation for
10:24
this supplement as with some of the
10:26
other supplements we explored today
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studies use varying Doses and different
10:30
supplementation types I hope this video
10:32
has helped to highlight some of the key
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nutrients that are important throughout
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the menstrual cycle but also which may
10:37
help with PMS symptoms you can check out
10:39
some of the supplements listed in this
10:41
video in the description box below and
10:43
be sure to like this video And subscribe
10:45
to the my protein YouTube channel for
10:47
more great evidence-based nutrition
10:48
information
10:52
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