Zinc: 1 of 6 Vital Nutrients for your Moon Cycle

If you’re irritable the 10 days before your period arrives, suffer from PMS & PMDD or have menstrual imbalances such as very heavy periods, cramps, acne, PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids and more, chances are you may need to take a second look at your nutrition… 

This is something that all Conscious Moonstration Alumni understand:

Its astounding how big of an impact nutrition can have on your menstrual health, especially our micronutrients... 

Micronutrients are vitamins and trace minerals that are essential to menstrual health and health in general. And while there are nearly 30 vitamins & minerals that the body cannot create on its own known as micronutrients, there are only a few we actually need to supplement outside of our diet. This is usually related to reduced soil health, lack of sunlight, reduced water quality and our modern lifestyles… 

Micronutrients are always a part of my herbal protocols for my clients. They are the building blocks of our process before moving into the many herbs, foods, remedies, conversations & referrals I include in our consultations... 

Magnesium for example has such a powerful impact on mitigating menstrual symptoms Lara Briden calls it “the Miracle Mineral for Periods” as it often has such a profound impact on calming symptoms and reducing pain… 

The top 6 Nutrients that are crucial for a balanced menstrual cycle are:

1. Zinc,
2. Magnesium
3. Selenium,
4. B Vitamins,
5. Iodine and
6. Vitamin D

Every one of these are essential to stabilizing our endocrine, thyroid, immune, liver, nervous system and digestive functions…  
Every one of these are needed to maintain a harmonious balance… like a well tuned orchestra… (i miss playing my cello…)

I myself take all of these micronutrients but am most faithful right now to iodine, magnesium glycinate and B6 to help combat previous deficiencies and support my moon cycle. 

🌛If you want to learn more about how to balance your menstrual cycle in a an all natural & holistic way join me for the Conscious Moonstration Course beginning Oct 9th 

But first lets dive into the first of these Micronutrients: ZINC 

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ZINC

Zinc is an incredibly important micronutrient for our womb health. It is anti-inflammatory which will, in and of itself, mitigate or reduce SO many uncomfortable symptoms throughout our whole menstrual cycle.

However it also shines in that it helps regulate the HPA (hypothalamus - pituitary - adrenal) Axis thus reducing stress & cortisol levels, which can be responsible for menstrual discomfort & imbalances like lack of regularity, delayed periods & estrogen excess . 

ZInc is a key component in the synthesis, transport & actions of all hormones. Including thyroid hormones AND its a vital androgen blocker, anti-oxidant & anti-depressant

According to the World Health Orginaztion Zinc deficiency affects nearly 1/3 of the world's population, especially in those who don't eat meat.  This I am sure, is one of the many causes for why the majority of folks who menstruate report having discomfort & pain. 

Zinc definiciency has been proven to play a role in a myriad of menstrual health imbalances:

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PERIOD PAIN & IRREGULAR CYCLES
By reducing inflammation & prostaglandins, it helps reduce painful cramping during your period. It also helps promote ovarian follicle health which in turn leads to healthy ovulation & healthy levels of progesterone, leading to positive ripple effects from less pain, less mood disruptions, less irritability & brain fog, to healthy bone density & prevention of cancers. It has even been shown to alleviate symptoms of primary dysmenorhhea which often causes severe period pain.

PMS & PMDD
There are an increasing amount of clinical trials showing how Zinc has a statistically significant impact on reducing depression, especially in folks who suffer from Premenstrual mood symptoms and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. 

PCOS & ENDOMETRIOSIS
Zinc is a natural androgen blocker which means it can reduce testosterone. This is often one of the root causes of acne, facial hair, cysts, irregular periods, & weight gain. Studies are showing that Zinc deficiency may play a role in reducing inflammation of endometriosis 

PERIMENOPAUSE & MENOPAUSE
Zinc is crucial to maintaining collagen & tissue health. As well as vaginal dryness, discomfort, mood disruptions & pain that arises throughout perimenopause.​

Sources of Zinc

The National Institutes of Health recommends people get 8 to 11 milligrams of zinc each day. And its important to note that we are not able to actually store zinc in our body, so we need a small amount every day.

The best sources of zinc are by far oysters,at 28 to 32 mg per serving! 

However other great sources are beef & blue crab at 3.8 & 3.2 mg per serving respectively and pumpkin seeds at 2.2 mg per serving. 

Other sources include 

• fortified cereals
• turkey breast
• cheese
• shrimp
• lentils
• sardines
• greek yogurt
• milk
• peanuts
• pumpkin seeds 
• and more...

 

​Reminder:
👁️This is not an all encompassing list...just a snapshot
👁️This is not medical advice, always consult with your doctor if you have any health concerns, especially thyroid imbalances...

Additional Resources:
Micronutrients on Harvard Health Publishing
National Institute of Health Zinc Fact Sheet for Professionals
Zinc & PMS Clinical Trial PMID: 31154571 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-019-01757-9 on PubMed
​​Zinc & PCOS Clinical Trial PMID: 26315303​ DOI: 10.1007/s12011-015-0480-7
Hormone Intelligence by Aviva Romm
Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden