I am asked quite a lot whether seed cycling works to help balance female hormones. I’ve never fully understood why it helps, but it does seem to, certainly for some women. I read this article this morning which gives a good overview of why seed cycling may help – and it’s not necessarily for the reasons you might think!
CAN SEED CYCLING EASE MENSTRUAL CYCLE SYMPTOMS?
Seed cycling is the practice of consuming ground seeds in two, 2-week phases. The first phase uses flax and pumpkin seeds, and the second uses sesame and sunflower seeds. The phases are timed according to the two menstrual cycle phases: follicular and luteal. The follicular phase is characterized by higher estrogen and the luteal phase is progesterone dominant. Ground seeds are believed to support the dominant hormones of each phase.
Hilary Miller, DUTCH News
Seeds have been rumored to provide the steroid backbone for the estrogen and progesterone made in the ovaries, but this is not true; hormones are made from circulating cholesterol1, not dietary fats. Some of the nutrients found in seeds play a role in the production of estrogen and progesterone, but there is no solid evidence that seed cycling helps balance hormones. The practice has not been studied, so whether it works for the wide variety of complaints it claims to help is unclear.
Nevertheless, there are several research-backed reasons why seed cycling might have an effect for some women:
You can continue reading the post here. If you need more help on balancing female hormones, see the PMS factsheet, the Hormone-Balancing Diet and the Menopause factsheet.