For many women, “that time of the month” comes with painful menstrual cramps and aggravating premenstrual symptoms. Finding a natural way to deal with these problems can be difficult. Doctors are quick to prescribe pain relievers which treat the symptoms, but many women are looking to the vitamin choice and minerals in an attempt to alleviate the cause of their suffering.

What Vitamins and Minerals Help?

Doctors have recommended for year that menstruating women take extra iron to prevent anemia. With the loss of blood over several days, many women find that their iron levels plunge. The recommended 15 mg per day is easiest to consume as a dietary supplement, either on its own or as part of a multivitamin. Women who find they crave red meat during their periods should think twice about giving into these cravings. Beef, lamb and pork may actually aggravate menstrual cramping. Our bodies use the saturated fats from these meats to create chemicals that cause the uterus to contract, creating cramps. So while you may be solving one problem, the need for extra iron, you could be making a cramping problem worse.

Studies have shown that a diet high in calcium can provide relief from menstrual cramps. Recommended doses vary from 1,000 mg to 1,500 mg per day. Since a diet high in calcium is important for strong bones anyway, making sure you take enough to help control cramps is a great idea.

The other nutrient combination that has been shown to help with cramping is the vitamin B 6 and niacin. It’s important to keep an eye on the level of B 6 in any supplement you’re taking, since excessive levels can be toxic. The dose should be in the 200-300 mg range.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, June 7th, 2007 at 9:08 pm and is filed under Health & Beauty. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.