Why can bloating happen on your period?
During your period, your progesterone and estrogen hormones change, causing your body to retain more water and salt in the body. That's where the temporary weight gain comes from, as well as the bloating feeling in your abdomen. Some tips to reduce bloating: leafy greens, bitter greens, herbs like dandelion root, lower your salt intake, and steer clear of processed foods! Sweating & exercising can also reduce the bloat! Like always, keep hydrated!
Bloating before and during a period may result from changes in levels of the sex hormones progesterone and estrogen. Some bloating a day or two before menstruation can be normal, but if one is experiencing extreme bloating a week or more before menstruation, it could be due to estrogen dominance. About a week before a period starts, levels of the hormone progesterone fall. Reduced levels of progesterone cause the uterus to shed its lining, which is what causes menstrual bleeding. As well as causing menstrual bleeding, research suggests that changes in progesterone and estrogen levels cause the body to retain more water and salt. The body’s cells become swollen with water, causing the feeling of bloating.
The best way to reduce bloating is to support the liver with bitter greens, herbs like dandelion root, and leafy greens which contain B vitamins and magnesium. Supplementing with magnesium can greatly reduce bloating as can lowering refined salt intake and processed food intake. Sweating and exercise can reduce bloating as well. Hydrating with filtered water and eating enough fiber will support estrogen metabolism and ensure regularity which is crucial because we get rid of estrogen through our stool.
