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
“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.”
Would excess estrogen cause other problems with a woman’s cycle, such as extreme dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps) or endometriosis? If so, I’m wondering if a similar dosage of FCLO would help? I know many women who would benefit if FCLO would help!
Hi Ruth. See my note above re Sally Fallon.
Thank you so much for writing this entry- It is so important to try nutritional changes to establish a healthy pattern in your body because those are the changes that heal. I’m an acupuncturist (specializing in women’s health) and the first changes I always look to make is in diet and nutrition. I would also like to second the opinion that getting a good source for your supplements is a really big deal. Bad reactions can come from a lesser quality supplements.
If you’re sure the source is good then I would look to your liver first, since that’s where fats get processed. Go see your local acupuncturist if there is still a reaction… some part of the digestive system can’t process what you’re ingesting.
Irregular periods can come about from a number of different imbalances and generally there isn’t just one fix for all of them. I do think that fermented cod liver oil is one of those supplements that has the general ability to heal the body in many ways because it provides fundamental nutrients that we just don’t get from our regular diets, so it’s no surprise that it can help regulate periods as well.
I’ve found that using cloth menstrual pads instead of disposable has helped. Using the cloth has lightened up my flow and decreased my cramps. They are very easy to use and to launder.
I have read somewhere that many tampons can cause heavy bleeding. I noticed in the Dr. McBride does not recommend any tampons, but just letting the blood flow naturally. If I do use tampons I buy the organic kind.
I’ve got a post coming on this … you will be happy 🙂
Sarah, thanks so much for doing this post! I have suffered from painful and extremely heavy periods my entire life. My cramps have been so bad in the past that I took way too many doses of ibuprofen. That really upset my gut flora. A few years ago, I started the Nuva ring, but really didn’t want to use those hormones, either. (more gut flora upset) I had already gone through all the pre-op tests, etc with my OB-GYN for ablation. I just so happened, that I stopped using the ring about the same time I started taking CLO. (I also had reduced my carbs, so that may have contributed.) My periods for the last three months have been lighter, shorter in duration and a lot less painful. It was such a remarkable difference that I canceled the procedure. I can manage the pain with a few Tylenol. I wish I would have known about this 30 years ago! It’s amazing what food can do!
Best to fix it now before menopause. You are so wise to do this. Problem periods guarantee a bear of a menopause.
“Best to fix it now before menopause. You are so wise to do this. Problem periods guarantee a bear of a menopause.”
Eek! I hadn’t heard that before. I’m 45, and my GYN says I’m peri-menopausal. Glad to know that if I can get these heavy periods under control it might ease menopause, which is coming up on me soon!
Nutritional Remedy for Heavy Periods – The Healthy Home Economist
http://t.co/8DOM0KM1
Oh, thank you! Thank you! I have recently had periods so heavy that it was like the first several days after childbirth. I talked to my doctor about it, and she said that heavy periods at my age are just “normal”–not what I wanted to hear! I just ordered some of the high vitamin cod liver oil this morning from a site that you recommend. I’m hoping it’ll work. 🙂 Thank you so much!
Heavy periods are not normal! Just because something is common does not make it normal!
Melissa, I have heavy periods and was told it was normal. My doc put me on natural progesterone cream saying it helps a lot of women especially with moods. Um, moods weren’t my problem, heavy bleeding and passing clots were my problem. After a year of getting the runaround, she ordered an ultrasound. Turns out I have several uterine polyps. I would push for more answers or get a second opinion.
I am in the SAME spot. Heavy bleeding and spotting between periods for the past 6 months. Upcoming ultrasound, biopsy and removal of polyp.
I too react to fermented foods. I think its the glutamite connection for me. I also know there is an underlying candida/fungal/parasite issue as well.
I cant believe the timing of this post! LOVE IT!
I take Nordic Naturals CLO (since not tolerating Green Pastures) BUT I am assuming now I need to up my dose? I also looked into Dr Rons Organ supplements per GAPS blog. Anyone else use these? I keep reading how much this can help!
Love how all the answers come in! Grateful for this community of people!
Jeni~
Thank you for this post. What do you think about Twin Labs Norwegian Cod Liver Oil in regards to quality? Thanks for doing what you do!
That brand is not under the best category as recommended by the WAPF from what I can see in the Shopping Guide. It must contain synthetic A.
I’d never heard of that surgery before, but that’s interesting…
Another way to avoid BPA and other chemicals is to use cloth pads or a cup instead of commercial pads & tampons. I feel so much better now that I’ve switched and I know of others that have lighter and shorter periods as well. Just think what that plus the nutrition would do together!!
MJ – that is really interesting. I found when I was using tampons (even from organic cotton), that my cramping would be absolutely unbearable. I only use pads (also from organic cotton) now for this reason and notice that my pains are not quite as bad.
Are there studies you can point me to that show that tampons contain BPA? That seems unspeakably evil, but I can’t say it would surprise me!
This was my experience too. I feel much better when I using a menstrual cup or cloth pads. I believe chemicals in the disposable pads may be causing problems.
I also have found this to be true with my heavy periods, but ever since I went on the GAPS intro diet for a couple of months I get a bad detox reaction to any kind of powerful, healing foods like cod liver oil, kombucha or other supplements. Its like my body is in some sort of detox mode. I have been off the intro diet for 4-5 months, but still experience this problem when I take my cod liver oil. It is a very itchy hive like rash on my legs. I really want to be able to take my FCLO again, but I don’t know how to get past this.