Heavy periods are a health risk over the long term that most women do not realize can frequently be resolved with dietary intervention. Try this approach first before resorting to surgery or drugs to address the problem!
Heavy periods, or menorrhagia, is a common problem for women particularly as they approach menopause. It is also a problem for women with endometriosis.
This problem has also emerged as a common side effect of vaccination for coronavirus. Post-menopausal women are even experiencing breakthrough bleeding. (1)
Excess estrogen can frequently be a cause too. Estrogen dominance is a real threat in our modern environment loaded with estrogen-mimicking chemicals like BPA and pesticides seemingly everywhere.
In addition, estrogenic foods like soy are an ingredient in a majority of processed foods.
Be aware that soy protein and soya milk can trigger similar effects as edamame or other whole forms of soy.
Heavy periods put a woman at risk for anemia, infertility, weakness, and persistent fatigue if not corrected.
Unfortunately, conventional treatments for this condition involve only drugs and surgery. Options include the birth control pill, hormone-releasing IUDs, hysterectomy, or a more recent technique called endometrial ablation.
I know several women who have undergone endometrial ablation in recent months to combat heavy periods.
This surgical technique involves the destruction of the uterine lining either with a laser, radiofrequency or microwaves, or heated water.
The ladies I know who have had this procedure swear by it and were very happy with the results. However, this approach is not an option for younger women who want to have children.
It is also best to avoid a surgical procedure unless absolutely necessary. Complications are always possible such as infection of the bladder or damage to the womb or large intestine.
Nutritional Intervention for Menorrhagia
The good news is that heavy and/or irregular periods frequently respond well to simple nutritional support.
This approach also helps significantly with cramping. Heavy cycles are frequently painful ones as well.
Natural Vitamin A
Vitamin A is known to help with excess estrogen so a simple increase in the amount of natural Vitamin A in the diet can help reduce heavy cyclical bleeding.
The Vitamin A must be natural and not synthetic. Excess intake of synthetic Vitamin A can produce deleterious effects.
In fact, some researchers believe that synthetic vitamin A interferes with the proper utilization of natural vitamin A from food. Thus, avoidance of the many synthetically fortified foods on the market is important as well. (2)
Plant-based Sources Ineffective
It is important to note that beta carotene will not help here! The source must be true vitamin A best found in ideal doses in high vitamin cod liver oil.
According to a case study written about in the book Eat Fat, Lose Fat, 2 tablespoons of high vitamin cod liver oil per day supplying about 60,000 IU of Vitamin A for 3 days in a row eliminated this debilitating problem for one woman who had been suffering from what she called a “never-ending period” for 4 years. (3)
Ongoing Supplementation
Note that a daily maintenance dose of high vitamin unheated cod liver oil (1 tsp per day) after that was sufficient to keep the problem of heavy periods from returning.
This brand is what my family takes.
Cod Liver Oil for Heavy Periods Before Drugs or Surgery
Do you suffer from heavy periods and have reached the end of your rope? If you are considering surgery, why not try this simple remedy to see if it might work for you?
Be sure to use ONLY high vitamin cod liver oil that contains natural Vitamin A. I recommend Dropi cod liver oil.
Most of the brands on the market today use synthetic Vitamin A instead of the real thing.
Worse, it is not clearly labeled.
Using cod liver oil with synthetic A or supplements containing beta carotene will not be helpful for resolving heavy periods.
For vetted and tested sources of high vitamin cod liver oil that use only natural Vitamin A and no synthetics, check my Resources page.
References
(1) Post-vaccine menorrhagia, metrorrhagia or postmenopausal bleeding
(2) Vitamin A Saga
(2) Eat Fat, Lose Fat
Hi,
I recently underwent hysteroscopy polypectomy to remove polp inside my uterus. The sad part is that even after this successful polyp removal, I am still getting heavy bleeding during menstrual cycle. I was really hopeful that my problem would be solved after the surgery. I am just 39 yrs old and cant think of removing my uterus. I don’t want to do that even in the future. I stay in India. What diet should I take for my problem?
Hi Sarah, I was hoping you could help me: I tried the green pastures cod liver oil as you recommended to reduce my heavy periods 3 months ago. It worked like a charm and I was amazed at how much it reduced my flow. Unfortunately, my periods the last 2 months were just as heavy as usual, despite me continuing to take the cod liver oil. Is there any reason you can think of for why this is happening, or what I can try? Thanks so much!
Eating a lot of sugar, too much fruit or refined carbs can override the beneficial effects. Check your diet and reduce any inflammatory foods that you are able to identify. This should help a lot.
Seeing as this is an old article I am hoping that you will still see my question. I take the Green Pastures FCLO capsules for almost a year now. I take 2 a day and it says that is 1000 mg total. My question is how to convert that to IU. I have looked it up online and have gotten no answer. 60,000 IU sounds like a lot. Thank you
2 capsules a day is not very much and not enough … you will need to take it off the spoon most likely to get enough else you will be taking so many capsules. Read the label of the capsules to see how many IU per capsule and this will help you figure it out (I don’t have a bottle of capsules myself to look as I take the liquid).
Thank you, Sarah, for getting back to me. The bottles actually do not break down the IU anymore. However, I did find this on their website. According to this I need to take 34 capsules a day. I will do this for 3 days and am praying for excellent results. I will be ordering the liquid today though, it just takes a week for the shipment to get to me and I do not want to wait that long. A little bit of background for anyone interested, I am 46 and have always had normal periods. Since March of this year I missed a period and then had 2 normal ones then a week later started spotting everyday. I had just been to my Dr and am healthy. I called them and they said to give it a cycle or 2 to see if it would get back on schedule so that is what I am doing. The last few days it has been so heavy I am scared to leave the house. =) Today is a better day. I hope this helps someone. I know we are all different so that is why I like to give a bit of history. Anyway, here is the link to the actual IU amounts of the Fermented Cod Liver Oil. Best Health to all, Lori
Wow, that is A LOT of capsules. Let us know how it goes, ok?
Just checking back in for the update. I decided to take 30 capsules a day, 15 in the morning and 15 at night. Within 12 hours my bleeding was cut in half! Very exciting indeed! Within 24 hours it was about 25% less again and just kept tapering off like that for the 3 days I was taking the fermented cod liver oil capsules. After the 3 days I dropped to 12 capsules a day for a maintenance dose as I was waiting on my liquid fermented cod liver oil to be delivered. From the start of taking the big dose of FCLO it took 5 days to completely end. I am so thrilled with this. Thank you so much for this information. I have shared it with others. Blessings, Lori
Fantastic!!!!!
Hi i’m looking for some help been having heavy period problems i been reading that Cod liver oil helps i been to the Dr but they just gave me birth control pills with they help me for a while but after that i had bad cramps i almost felt like i was going to die my period is unbalance can somebody help me please i’m from Chicago where can i get this cod liver oil Thank you .
greenpastures.org -fermented cod liver oil
How long can I stay on the high doses of CLO? It is really helping my situation. Thank you so much for posting all these helps. Will I get a period while taking the high doses of CLO?
Thank you soooo much for sharing this information! My 10 year old got her period this past year and suddenly here periods got very heavy. She bled the whole month of December. I came to find out that heavy periods were inherited from my husband’s mom. I sought for an answer and found this post. I ordered the cod liver oil and began giving her teaspoon a day. I was afraid the 4TBL might be too much since she is so young. Within a month, the bleeding stopped, and now she just had a normal period. Thanks again so much for sharing! I feel so relieved to have my daughter well.
Hello lisa, I’m experience the same issue with my 11 year old. What cod liver oil have you purchase, and if your daughter still experiencing the same problem?
Hi – I’ve reached the never ending period stage of life (I’m 43) so I read your article with interest, but it have a question I hope you can help with!
I have a seafood allergy so can’t take cod liver oil – is this pure vitamin A found in anything non fish please?
I take linseed oil as an alternative omega 3 supplement and am hoping you can offer something similar for vitamin A, fingers crossed…
thank you so much for posting; I am currently suffering from the “never ending period” and it’s encroaching 4 years, as well. It’s been ridiculous putting up with this, ever since the birth of my son, and since I am not quite 26 now, I am no where near menopause. Doctors have been assuring me that finding the right birth control will curb my bleeding, and I have had blood tests (my thyroid is fine, no low iron or anything) and ultrasounds (looks perfectly healthy and “normal”) yet not one ob/gyn has mentioned anything about diet or vitamins! I’m sure there’s a surgeon our there somewhere just waiting to take a stab at correcting this by extreme measures :/ I will definitely be trying the cod liver oil. Again, I can not thank you all enough for posting your thoughts, views, and expertise on this!!
I tried it and it actually worked! I bought Cod Liver Oil pills (couldn’t find the oil by itself) and they were 4,000iu each – took about 10 a day but only for 3 days during my period. What a result – about 50% less bleeding and my period lasted 2 and a half days instead of 5. I’m going to take 3 pills a day for the whole month as well. This has changed my life.