Seed cycling: How can it help with the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome?

Premenstrual syndrome is a set of physical and psychological symptoms that affects almost 20% of women of childbearing age, usually in the last week of the menstrual cycle.

The most common symptoms are anxiety, melancholy, crying, irritability, insomnia, changes in libido and difficulty concentrating. The symptoms subside a few days after the start of the period. The cause of the symptoms is considered to be the abnormal activity of estrogen.

In mild forms of the syndrome, the contribution of diet seems to be important. Helps avoid alcohol and caffeine. They also help maintain stable blood glucose and insulin levels. The advice is to avoid sugar and prefer complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits, legumes, beans), foods rich in calcium (yogurt, leafy green vegetables) and fatty foods. Another dietary practice called seed cycling has been proposed.

What is seed recycling?

The idea is that synchronizing the consumption of various seeds with the menstrual cycle can relieve the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome by affecting hormones. It is the practice of consuming specific seeds that follows the menstrual cycle in phases of two weeks.

During the follicular phase – it starts on the first day of the period and lasts until the moment of ovulation – you consume flaxseed and pumpkin seeds. In this phase, estrogen is produced and the follicle matures, which will eventually cause ovulation.

During the luteal phase – it lasts from ovulation until the next menstruation – you consume sesame and sunflower seeds. During this phase, various hormones are released, mainly progesterone, which support the implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus.

The amount of seeds recommended for consumption is one tablespoon daily from each seed.

If a woman is menopausal or for various reasons does not have a menstrual cycle, she receives the semen in a similar biphasic manner throughout the month. The choice of start and stop date for each phase may be arbitrary when the cycles are absent but many women choose to use the phases of the Moon, starting the follicular phase on the new moon and the lunar phase with the full moon.

Seed cycling is based on research showing that consuming seeds reduces the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome [1]. The reason is that flax, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds contain hormone balancing ingredients. They provide phytoestrogenic lignans that can act at the level of estrogen receptors, balancing low or high receptor activity. Theoretically, seed recycling increases or decreases the production of estrogen and progesterone in the body (depending on what it needs), balancing your hormones and relieving the symptoms that occur due to hormonal imbalance.

The nutrients of the seeds

In addition to the phytoestrogen lignans, the seeds used are excellent sources of nutrients for balancing your hormones. These nutrients are mainly zinc, selenium, vitamin E and fiber.

Zinc

Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and flaxseeds are excellent sources of zinc, a nutrient necessary for ovulation because it promotes the stimulation of the follicles and the release of luteinizing hormone. Zinc can reduce menstrual cramps.

Selenium

Sunflower seeds are rich in selenium, which helps detoxify the liver.

Vitamin E

Seeds are good sources of vitamin E, a nutrient that studies show improves ovulation and progesterone production – progesterone helps mitigate the negative effects of excess estrogen.

Fiber

The seeds contain a lot of fiber which helps regulate blood sugar and insulin. Fiber intake can lower estrogen levels in women who follow seed cycling.

Note that while seeds can offer health benefits to women before and after menopause, there are no studies suggesting that the dosage and times suggested by seed recycling have specific benefits. Either way, eating seeds is a great way to improve the quality of your diet and your overall health.

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References

1. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and the Myth of the Irrational Female.
2. Diets enriched with whole grains reduce premenstrual syndrome scores in nurses: an open-label parallel randomised controlled trial.