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
Are there any side effects to take 2 tablespoons HV CLO a day (the ones with natural A) So if I have regular CLO I need twice that?
Do not do this with regular CLO as you will get far too many omega-3 fats. Yes, you can get too many of these fats even though they are very beneficial to health in small amounts.
Hi, I have painful period cramps and have been taking Naproxen for years to deal with it. I want to stop taking drugs to help my body. I read on a WAPF page that I should follow the Nourishing Traditions diet and supplement with a vitamin D 4000 UI supplement and a calcium lactate supplement that has equal amounts of magnessium and calcium. Is there anything else I can do if cramps arrive? Like any kind of teas?
Hi i just had a c section and when my period returned it has been very heavy. Will it still help taking that stuff?
hi Heather,
I have never ending bleeding since december 2017 until today. How was your regimen taking cod liver oil? How many tablespoon a day? How long did you take it until you were really healed? Thank you.
Hi Sarah,
Can you please provide an up-to-date Amazon link for the cod liver oil? How does one know whether the capsules/oil contain natural vitamin A?
I buy cod liver oil not from Amazon but from this online source: https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/go/dropi/
We know it is natural vitamin A as this brand is vetted and tested.
Should one take the cod liver all at once or 1tbsp 2x a day?
It’s better if you split up the dose.
I had a baby a year ago an I’ve bled nearly everyday since it’s absolutely horrific to the point am pouring with blood I was on the injection for about two months someone told me that’s why I keep bleeding but tonight its frightening me with how much I’m loosing,there’s clots as well feeling a bit worried
Taking cod liver oil changed my life! I used to have debilitating endometriosis. I had pcos, too. I was considering a hysterectomy, but kept plugging away with diet changes. I am wheat free and dairy free except for goat cheese and goat yogurt. I am very low sugar, preferring honey and small amounts of coconut sugar. I take kelp everyday. I take an adrenal supplement, too. But, it’s the cod liver oil that keeps me on tract when I notice my body start to deviate from normal period bleeds. It’s wonderful! I feel the healthiest I’ve ever felt since 15 years of age (and I’m 31!). Oh, and my period pain stays below a 4.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. I can deal with that!
Holy moly. I suffer from time to time from heavy, long-lasting periods. This happened to me when I turned 40. I went and got checked out and ‘all was fine’. Except I was bleeding for weeks. Well, just in time for my 42nd birthday (in a few days), this thing happened again. I was bleeding for 17 days and came across this article yesterday. I remembered that I had went and bought Cod Liver Oil (Liquid) and it helped. I couldn’t believe I forgot. Anyhow, I just took 18,000 IU yesterday. And my torrent has all but stopped overnight. The crampy feeling is subsiding. There is still a little trickle, but it isn’t a flood and the end is in sight.
Does this work for painful cramps too?
It helps, but getting off sugar, processed carbs and pasteurized dairy will usually fix any pain issues.