Nourishing in phases: a guide to nutrition throughout the menstrual cycle

Abstract

The menstrual cycle is a monthly process in which hormonal changes occur across four distinct phases with the purpose of preparing the female body for potential pregnancy. As a result of fluctuating hormone levels, females experience various physiological, psychological, and behavioral changes across each cycle, impacting nutrition needs. However, although some research and education exists on the menstrual cycle, it is still limited, often leading females to feel at a loss for understanding how to support their bodies. This thesis aims to investigate the link between nutrition and menstrual health, helping to provide females with a guideline for utilizing nutrition for enhanced health, performance, and well-being during all phases of the menstrual cycle. In order to do so, this paper reviews existing literature to identify effective nutrition interventions for supporting the female body through the menstrual cycle. The findings reflect that, to support hormonal fluctuations and associated symptoms during each phase, helpful nutrients to focus on include: iron, vitamin C, and magnesium in the menses phase; higher complex carbohydrate intake, fiber, and zinc during the follicular phase; calcium, vitamin D, and selenium during the ovulatory phase; and vitamin B6, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin E during the luteal phase. An important consideration to note is that several of the nutrients have crossover between phases, serving important functions throughout the entire menstrual cycle; however, for the purpose of this paper, the nutrients were considered separately and are to be used to accommodate specific hormone fluctuations. The goal of this thesis is to support increased awareness and understanding about how the menstrual cycle impacts health and nutrition, which, although it is a field starting to gain attention, is still under-researched and undereducated on.