Seed Cycling for hormone balance

When hormones are out of balance, it can lead to a range of symptoms that can significantly impact a woman's quality of life Today, many women around the world face hormonal imbalances due to factors such as heightened stress, insufficient physical activity, and poor dietary habits, medications, environmental factors and genetic. It is estimated that approximately 80% of women in the UK are suffering with hormonal imbalances.

All girls and women during their reproductive years will have a menstrual cycle it begins at puberty between the ages of 10 to 16 years and is a natural part of life. It ends at menopause which on average is between the ages of 51-55 years when the menstruation ceases.

Common PMS symptoms such as low mood, cravings, irritability, breast tenderness, bloating, headaches and migraines, changes in appetite, menstrual cramps, acne, absent or irregular cycles, as well as perimenopause symptoms such as brain fog, anxiety, poor memory, hot flushes, can all be caused by a hormonal imbalance in oestrogen and progesterone.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial for restoring hormonal balance, and nutrition is particularly important. Consuming foods high in Omega-3, Omega-6, magnesium, and zinc can aid in regulating hormones. Incorporating seeds like chia, pumpkin, sunflower, and flax into the diet can help balance oestrogen levels and improve overall female health. Seed cycling has become a popular practice worldwide for hormone regulation.

You may not have heard of seed cycling, as scientific research is limited, as with most natural therapies, but that doesn`t mean that it doesn`t work

In order to understand seed cycling it is first important to understand your menstrual cycle. The days of the cycle are identified by number starting with the first day of menstruation.

Phase 1: The Follicular Phase

The follicular phase:  Occurs from day 1 (this being the first day of your bleed) to day 14 of the menstrual cycle, based on the average duration of 28 days. The main hormone during this phase is oestrogen stimulated by follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)

Phase 2: The Luteal Phase

The luteal phase: this is the phase when a woman is most fertile. The follicle releases the egg and awaits sperm for fertilization and occurs from day 14 to day 28 of the cycle. Progesterone, stimulated by Lutenising hormone (LH) is the dominant hormone during this phase. If egg fertilisation occurs progesterone will stay raised however if the egg is not fertilised the serum levels of progesterone decrease rapidly and the menstrual bleed will occur starting the cycle over again.

Seed cycling is a gentle and completely natural way of supporting your hormones during the two main phases of your menstrual cycle, perimenopause and menopause and can promote the healthy balance of oestrogen and progesterone levels. 

It is particularly helpful when discontinuing hormonal birth control or dealing with post-birth control syndrome symptoms such as acne, irregular or absent periods, and PMS.

So how do you do it?

Follicular phase -

Day 1 of bleed to day 14 – combine 1 tbsp of flax seeds and 1 tbsp of pumpkin seeds. These seeds help to balance oestrogen and progesterone levels prior to ovulation.

Luteal phase    -  

Day 15-28 – combine 1 tbsp of sunflower seeds and 1 tbsp of sesame seeds. These seeds help to balance oestrogen and progesterone post ovulation.

If you don’t have a 28-day menstrual cycle, don’t worry! Many women don’t. It’s best to follow the 14-day cycle for each phase of seeds. By staying on track with the 2-week rotation, the process will support your body into an optimal menstrual cycle rhythm and help you get back on track.

Ideally grind the seeds or you can buy them already ground from most health food shops, Sprinkle these into smoothies, yoghurt, onto salads etc. You can make in batches but then keep them in the freezer as grinding will release the oils which can degrade when exposed to the air. Freezing helps to prevent this process.

In the absence of a menstrual cycle, it is recommended to follow the phases of the moon which may seem a little weird, however the moon is powerful and has been shown to affect our bodies and our menstrual cycle. It’s no coincidence that the moon and the average menstrual cycle are both 28 days and so we can follow the phases of the moon to naturally balance our cycle.

Days 1-14 new moon to full moon (flax and pumpkin seeds)

Day 15 – 28 full moon to new moon (sunflower and sesame seeds.

How does it work?

Whilst there is very little research on the use of seed cycling, there is research to support lignans and phytoestrogens on modulating oestrogen levels due to their weak oestrogenic effect. The lignans or phytoestrogens in flax seeds bind to the excess oestrogen and then remove it from the women's body.

Zinc in pumpkin seeds promotes progesterone production in the body. Flax seeds and pumpkin seeds maintain oestrogen and progesterone levels of the body during the follicular phase. This supports a healthy reproductive system.

Sesame seeds block excess oestrogen as they are a rich source of Zinc and Selenium and sunflower seeds are rich in Vitamin E and Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA). Both of them boost progesterone production which is important in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Thus, the level of oestrogen and progesterone is maintained in the body.

It is safe to do alongside HRT or the oral contraceptive pill.