Menstruation

Posted Fri, 02/26/2010 - 12:13 by Melissa

 

With most big proponents of the paleo diet being male and the general taboo against this subject, it's not surprising that menstruation and the paleo diet is little discussed. That's a shame, because the beneficial effects of the paleo diet on menstruation is one of the main reasons I keep to the diet. 

In most of the modern world, getting your period is a pain. It can last as long as a week and be accompanied by all manners of maladies ranging from irritability to stomach upset. Young women are getting their period earlier and earlier, at the ages of 11 and 12. This has been tied to disease later in life.

It's hard to know what menstruation was like in the paleolithic, but the modern hunter-gatherers studied provide some insight. Foragers, and most women in the rest of the world, get their period around 16. That makes sense because if women started earlier it might make for risky pregnancies. In Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman, menstruation is described as a "thing of no account." It's the conventional narrative that menstruation would have been rare for hunter-gatherers, but this is not true. It would have been less because of breast feeding and pregnancy, but still part of the female experience.

This excellent article about that myth talks about how sometimes !Kung women will have periods but will have not released an egg. It also talks about the myth that exercise causes amenorrhea

I learned, by studying runners, what is true for all women - ovulation and menstruation are not the same. Regular periods can and do occur with no ovulation or with disturbed ovulation[8,13,14]. However, like most doctors (and consequently, ordinary women), Is Menstruation Obsolete? implies that periods mean ovulation. It also infers that amenorrhea is (just) anovulation. In fact, amenorrhea means both estrogen and progesterone levels are low-a situation that always causes fast bone loss and the risk for osteoporosis.

 

She contrasts low fertility caused by living an active and natural life, with the Western illness of amenorrhea, which seems to be unrelated to those things. 

My own experience is that prior to starting the paleo diet, I had very heavy periods lasting as long as a week and accompanied by irritability, stomach sickness, and headaches. After I had been on the paleo diet for awhile, my periods became shorter, lighter, and easier. The times I have gone off the paleo diet and had bad periods again have been a huge incentive to stick with the diet. 

Why are my periods so much better now? Well, the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 has been linked to PMS. The reduction in body fat also probably decreased the length of my period. 

The problems with modern periods can be linked to various modern habits from contraceptive pills to environmental toxins to delayed childbirth. However, it's clear that appropriate nutrition plays a role. 

Edit:

Some women have reported amenorrhea on the paleo diet. The causes of amenorrhea seem to be varied and some are serious, so a visit to a doctor might be in order. 

Comments

I got complete relief from

by julianne (not verified) - 11/05/2010 - 21:49

I got complete relief from PMS with nasty breast pain and horribly painful period cramps with paleo eating plus fish oil and magnesium.
I've written about it on my blog. What a life changing impact this had for me!
http://paleozonenutrition.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/pre-menstrual-syndrom...

Before going paleo, I

by Rae Rae (not verified) - 05/28/2010 - 08:37

Before going paleo, I experienced irregular periods. Sometimes I'd go 2-3months without having a period! When I would finally get it, I'd have unbearable cramps.

So I started eating less processed foods and more whole, fresh foods. My period became more regular and the painful cramps lessened. But they were still there.

Then my nutritionist told me about parabens in cosmetics. They are endocrine distruptors, meaning they throw your hormones out of whack. That could have been another factor to my irregular and painful menstruation.

So I tossed out all of my cosmetics with parabens: makeup, shampoo, conditioner, lotion - everything! There are lots of companies that are doing ladies (and men) justice by making their products paraben and fragrance free.

Moral of this story: READ YOUR LABELS!

EDIT NOTE: i forgot to say

by melissa @ the delicate place (not verified) - 03/02/2010 - 08:36

EDIT NOTE: i forgot to say that i had a full hormonal workup done & an ultrasound to rule out any imbalances/complications or cysts. everything came back normal! hence her diagnosis of asymptomatic PCOS/low body fat %. i just want to be clear though that my weight is not the issue here 115lbs at 5'4 and my doc even said so! who would be angry at a lifestyle that reduces body fat and builds muscle!?

i haven't had a period in a

by melissa @ the delicate place (not verified) - 03/02/2010 - 08:30

i haven't had a period in a year! however, i was a late bloomer age 14 and had abnormal periods prior to eating paleo. my doc diagnosed me with low body fat % even though i am NOT underweight & asymptomatic PCOS. i just went back on birth control last week :(

I was the host(ess) for the

by Joey (not verified) - 02/28/2010 - 21:57

I was the host(ess) for the MovNat "Mexican Jungle" event that John Durant spoke of on the Colbert Report... anyhow, I was the ONLY female out there with the boys and experienced a completely painless, non-symptomatic period. The big WOW factor here is that I was diagnosed with PCOS and have always had problems with periods - either very painful or no period at all for months, yet PMS-ing during that time with no period in sight. This totally sucks (especially for my partner). During the event I was "forced" to go full Paleo for 2 months as there was no other choice in the jungle, and I am totally convinced that Paleo is the way! Periods are no longer an issue, I feel completely healthy in that area. If you have any reproductive issues I truly believe Paleo will help. Also adding kelp or iodine to your diet, will balance the adrenals which are affected by PCOS. I think cutting out wheat is not enough. I've been a "healthy" eater for a long time, however I didn't see the PCOS symptoms disappear until I cut out the beans /legumes, all grains, commercial animal products AND increased my protein and good fat intake. I only eat grass fed animals or game meats, plus fish and local farm eggs.

I definitely get enough

by Meeses (not verified) - 02/27/2010 - 12:12

I definitely get enough calories, mostly from animal-derived fats. I think my amenorrhea was actually caused by a lack of minerals (probably because the bulk of my meat was factory farmed - at least until recently).My naturopath seems to think that mineral deficiencies (of iodine and the like) are behind both my lack of menstruation AND my graying hair. Or perhaps I'm just getting old!

As a side-note: When I

by girl Gone Primal (not verified) - 02/27/2010 - 09:30

As a side-note:

When I started low-carbing (before going fully primal), my period came early, and lasted for three weeks, on and off. I had been on a BCP but stopped so that my system could find equilibrium. After that, no periods. For five months. I told my GP, he had me tested, and it turns out I have polycystic ovaries (not the syndrome - i.e. PCOS). This means that when the follicles form every month, sometimes none manage to release an egg, and over time this can lead to a build-up of follicles and eventually infertility. I now have to take a BCP so that my body doesn't try to release eggs. This is to preserve the health of my ovaries should I wish to become pregnant later in life.

I point out my experience in response to your final sentence - even if you think the situation is being caused by the change of diet, never ignore amenorrhea.

interesting. i am

by emily (not verified) - 02/26/2010 - 23:52

interesting. i am breastfeeding my 15 month old and have had one post-partum menses, and now nothing for almost 2 months. i am not pregnant. but i have only recently, 2 months ago, given up wheat and reduced my carb intake from who knows to about 80-110 grams a day. I am assuming that i am not ovulating right now partly due to breastfeeding but also due to losing fat from eating a healthy more-evolutionarily appropriate diet.

Great info. Might help me

by Rick (not verified) - 02/26/2010 - 14:51

Great info. Might help me convince the gf to go paleo. I was wondering about pain in childbirth, as I have read accounts of traditional cultures experiencing this to a greatly reduced degree. Is this a biochemical thing that can be reduced with diet, or more of a structural thing that may have more to do with the diet of your mother and father?