My Experience with Seed Cycling
What the f*ck is seed cycling and does it actually work? Let’s talk about it.
Seed cycling has become a hot topic on the internet recently. It is an alternative medicine practice believed to help regulate reproductive hormones, and ultimately help women who experience scanty periods, painful periods, PMS, and other period concerns. There is no scientific research to prove seed cycling actually works, but the practice has been around for a long time and many women do believe it eases some of their period problems.
What is Seed Cycling?
Seed cycling incorporates four different seeds (pumpkin, flax, sesame, and sunflower) into your diet at different points during your cycle. The seeds are to be eaten raw and ground every day. Grinding the seeds enables your body to extract more nutrients from the seeds, rather than when eating them whole.
Seed cycling is divided into two phases;
Phase 1 begins during day 1 of your menstrual cycle, which is from the start of your period, and lasts through your follicular phase, until day 14 of your cycle, which should be the day before you ovulate. During these 14 days, you eat 1-2 tablespoons each of raw pumpkin seeds and raw flax seeds.
Pumpkin seeds & flax seeds are thought to support the estrogen-dominant follicular phase when the ovaries naturally increase the amount of estrogen in the body (1)
Phase 2 begins the day of ovulation and lasts throughout your luteal phase, which is days 15-28 of your menstrual cycle. During these 14 days, you eat 1-2 tablespoons each of raw sunflower seeds and raw sesame seeds.
Sunflower seeds & sesame seeds are thought to support the increase in progesterone in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (1)
*Remember that not every cycle lasts 28 days. A normal cycle can be anywhere from 25 to 35 days. This is why it’s important to track your cycle and know when (or if) you ovulate, in order to know when to change the types of seeds you are eating
How Does Seed Cycling Work?
Like I said, there is no scientific research to prove seed cycling actually works. But, there is plenty of research done on the benefits of the individual seeds that you are supposed to consume. Seeds are a great source of dietary fiber, plant-based protein, and a variety of important vitamins and minerals to help our reproductive and endocrine systems working properly. Let’s take a look at how each of the seeds can affect the menstrual cycle:
Flaxseeds:
One study showed that people with menstrual cycles, who ate a Standard American Diet (SAD) supplemented with flax, experienced fewer anovulatory cycles, and the average luteal phase was longer, but cycle length and estrogen levels were no different (2). Anovulatory cycles are normal cycles, except that ovulation has not occurred that month, and therefore, it would not be possible to become pregnant. This suggests that if you tend to have problems ovulating regularly, and are looking to become pregnant soon, supplementing with flax seeds may help.
Lignans are a type of phytonutrient found in a variety of foods, but particularly in flax seeds. In the body, lignans function as phytoestrogens with weak estrogenic and anti-estrogenic properties. How are these two actions helpful?
During reproductive years, when the body produces too much estrogen, such as during PMS, lignans compete with a woman’s natural estrogen and regulate the quantity produced in order to keep it balanced. This can reduce the likelihood of developing bad PMS symptoms such as mood swings, cramps, and breast tenderness. Lignans also help keep estrogen levels low during the luteal phase (phase 2), so the progesterone can shine during this time.
During perimenopause, lignans act the opposite way and work to increase the body’s natural estrogen production in order to reduce symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings that are generally associated with menopause.
Pumpkin seeds:
Pumpkin seeds are notoriously high in zinc, containing 15% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) per ounce. Women with dysmenorrhea (painful periods), or those who experience cramps during the first couple days of their period, are thought to have high levels of prostaglandins, which research suggests may be the hormones that cause menstrual cramping. Prostaglandins are believed to temporarily reduce blood supply to the uterus, thus depriving the uterus of oxygen, resulting in uterine contractions and pain (4). Zinc decreases the metabolism of prostaglandins and therefore, allows for less painful periods.
Sunflower seeds:
Sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that helps to reduce inflammation in the body. One study suggests that supplementing with vitamin E may increase progesterone, which is the hormone that comes into play mainly in the luteal phase of the cycle and helps maintain pregnancy, if an egg was fertilized. This could potentially be beneficial for women who are having difficulties conceiving (5).
Sesame seeds:
Zinc is also super abundant in sesame seeds and plays just as an important role in the luteal phase as it does in the follicular phase. Zinc increases the production of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), which in turn causes ovulation and leads to the production of progesterone, which is the main hormone present in the luteal phase. More progesterone typically means a longer luteal phase, a greater chance of getting & staying pregnant, less severe PMS, and a healthier cycle overall!
High levels of selenium are also present in sesame seeds, which can reduce oxidative stress in the body, as well as help aid in faster detoxification in the liver, which is essential to maintaining happy and healthy hormones.
So…Should Everyone Practice Seed Cycling?
Like I said, there is no real research that supports seed cycling, and on top of that, there’s not a lot of research regarding these seeds and the menstrual cycle specifically, either. The research that is present is scarce and should definitely be looked into more. With that being said though, the likelihood of anyone doing research on seeds is pretty slim since there’s no money in that.
Without a doubt, all 4 of these seeds are nutritious and healthy in their own way, and should definitely be consumed regularly for overall health. Whether you need to eat 1-2 tablespoons each, every day, based on where you are in your cycle…I don’t know.
I tried seed cycling for fun and I honestly didn’t notice or feel much of a difference, but I also don’t experience any extreme PMS symptoms each month either. The one concern I do struggle with is menorrhagia, but it’s not the worst. I will definitely say that if I wanted to actually see benefit from this practice, I probably should have continued consuming them for a total of three months or more before expecting any results. But, I find it a little expensive to have to buy all these seeds and have them in my kitchen at all times, plus I got tired of eating so many seeds every single day.
Remember to always consult with a licensed doctor or healthcare professional, if necessary, before starting any new supplements or regimes. Safety is always a priority. But if you’re like me and just like trying new things in the health & wellness world, give it a go. I don’t think there are any negative side effects to trying this for fun (unless of course, you’re allergic to any of these seeds). I know there are several companies out there that do monthly seed subscriptions, if that’s more beneficial for you. Add them to smoothies, cereals, salads, stir fry, oatmeal, etc and note if you see any changes in your menstrual cycle. Let me know!
References:
King TL, Brucker MC, Kriebs JM, Fahey JO. Varney's Midwifery. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2013. 145, 347, 355, 356, 365
Phipps, W. R., Martini, M. C., Lampe, J. W., Slavin, J. L., & Kurzer, M. S. (1993). Effect of flax seed ingestion on the menstrual cycle. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 77(5), 1215–1219. doi:10.1210/jcem.77.5.8077314
Hutchins, A. M., Martini, M. C., Olson, B. A., Thomas, W., & Slavin, J. L. (2001). Flaxseed Consumption Influences Endogenous Hormone Concentrations in Postmenopausal Women. Nutrition and Cancer, 39(1), 58–65. doi:10.1207/s15327914nc391_8
Eby GA. Zinc treatment prevents dysmenorrhea. Med Hypotheses. 2007;69(2):297-301. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.12.009. Epub 2007 Feb 7. PMID: 17289285.
Westphal LM, Polan ML, Trant AS, Mooney SB. A nutritional supplement for improving fertility in women: a pilot study. J Reprod Med 2004;49:289–93