Just as you need macronutrients to support your period health, you also need micronutrients. In this post, we will learn what are the 4 needed or essential micronutrients that will be of big impact to your period health.
Micronutrients are vitamins and trace minerals that your body needs in order to support healthy ovulation and thus, period. You need all of them, but you can get a lot of them through your diet. The ones you might need to supplement are the ones that are hard to get enough from via the diet.
Magnesium
First on the list of essential micronutrient for our body is magnesium.
Magnesium has been considered by some to be the miracle mineral for period health. It is often beneficial in the management of a lot of different period-related health concerns including PCOS, PMS, and period pain.
Food sources of magnesium consist of nuts, seeds, and leafy green vegetables. In the modern world, a combination of things makes it unlikely that you are getting enough from food sources. Too much stress means your body constantly uses it up.
A lot of people also don’t eat enough of these foods to replenish stores before stress depletes them.
Magnesium also helps to calm your nervous system and aids your sleep. It helps with HPA axis regulation and improves the function of both insulin and thyroid hormone. Additionally, it is anti-inflammatory and helps promote the healthy metabolism of estrogen.
Zinc
Second on the list of needed micronutrients for our period health is zinc.
Zinc deficiency has been shown to play a role in irregular periods, PMS, and period pain. Animal products, especially red meat, are the best sources of zinc. Vegetarians are often deficient in zinc. If you want to be sure, you can test your zinc levels.
It works by helping regulate your HPA axis and your stress response. It also helps to nourish ovarian follicles, which promotes healthy ovulation and progesterone production. On top of this, zinc is essential for the production, transport, and action of all your hormones.
Vitamin D
The third important micronutrient we need is Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is different to the other vitamins you take. It is a steroid hormone which is involved in several different functions in your body. It helps to regulate immune and hormone function.
This vitamin is also essential for healthy insulin sensitivity and ovulation. It is difficult to get enough vitamin D from food sources. These include egg yolks and mackerel.
Micronutrients: Iodine
Last on the list of essential micronutrients is the iodine.
If you have estrogen excess, iodine will be very beneficial to you, helping to relieve breast pain, ovulation pain, ovarian cysts, and PMS. It supports thyroid function, ovulation, and estrogen.
Cellular sensitivity to estrogen is reduced by iodine. It helps to stabilise estrogen receptors and promotes smooth and healthy ovulation. Iodine supports healthy metabolism and detoxification of estrogen.
Food sources of iodine include iodised salt, seafood, butter from grass-fed cows, mushrooms, and leafy green but only if the soil they are grown in is rich in iodine.
Read this post here from our herbal dispensary in Victoria, Australia to learn what are the macronutrients that are essential for our health.
