Sunflower seeds are powerhouse providers of Magnesium, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, and Zinc.

Below we've documented how the micronutrients in sunflower seeds help alleviate breast pain, period cramps, and menstrual migraines to name a few.
 

Magnesium

Peace Out, PMS
For many, PMS means anxiety and mood swings. It also means physical symptoms: headaches, bloating, breast tenderness. Magnesium can be a game-changer. Studies show that supplementation of Magnesium creates statistically significant decreases in the severity and duration of PMS symptoms- specifically: mood changes, anxiety, depression, weight gain, bloating, breast tenderness, and fluid retention.

Migraine Magic
Menstrual migraines are challenging to treat, often resistant to many over-the-counter drugs. Research is limited, but a promising double-blind study concluded that daily supplementation with Magnesium reduced the pain and duration of menstrual migraines amongst participants.

 

Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)

Breast Pain Banisher
Cyclical mastalgia, or period-related breast pain, is a common symptom characterized by breast tenderness, swelling, and pain prior to menstruation. Although research on the use of Vitamin B6 to treat cyclical mastalgia is limited, a recent study showed that daily supplementation with Vitamin B6 for two months significantly reduced breast pain severity in the 40 participants.

Mood Swing Minimizer 
PMS symptoms are typically classified into two categories: Psychiatric and Physical. Research on the daily supplementation of Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) has shown significant reductions in the severity of psyciatric PMS symptoms, such as depression, tiredness, and irritability.

 

Zinc

Quality of Life Booster
Research shows that daily Zinc supplementation not only reduces the incidence of PMS, but also improves Quality of Life scores- for both physical and mental categories- for women with PMS aged 20-39. Zinc plays a role in reducing the prevalence and severity of symptoms like mood changes, vertigo, anxiety, weight gain, bloating, muscular pain and weakness. Studies also reveal that Zinc levels drop significantly during the Luteal Phase (Phase 2) in women suffering from PMS, making replenishing Zinc is an important step in managing PMS symptoms.

Inflammation Calmer
Studies show that Zinc supplementation has similar anti-inflammatory effects as medications, like Midol and Advil. Reducing inflammation and allowing for more oxygen flow to the uterus, Zinc can counteract the effects of prostaglandins and reduce both the incidence and duration of painful menstrual cramps, which 90% of American women experience during the first days of menstruation.
Research shows that Zinc reduces the severity of menstrual bleeding as well.

 

Vitamin E

Cramp Killer
Research studies have demonstrated that supplementation with Vitamin E is effective in reducing both the severity and duration of menstrual cramping.
Vitamin E acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and counteracts the often painful effects of hormones known as prostaglandins, which cause cramping by starving the uterus of oxygen during menstruation.

Boycott Breast Pain
Breast pain, tenderness, and swelling is characteristic of a common condition known as cyclical mastalgia, plaguing approximately 70% of premenopausal women. Studies have shown that daily Vitamin E supplementation reduced both the severity and duration of cyclical mastalgia: no more breast pain, tenderness, and swelling.

Migrane Minimizer
Nearly 22% of female migraine sufferers have migraines directly related to their menstrual cycle. Although treatment options are limited, studies have shown that Vitamin E can be effective in reducing the pain severity and functional disability associated with menstrual migraines, including reducing the severity of migraine-associated symptoms: photophobia, phonophobia, and even nausea.

 

Thiamine (Vitamin B1)

Cramp Curer
Dysmenorhea- a fancy word for painful period cramps- is typically treated with ibuprofen, Midol, aspirin, hormonal birth control. More natural attempts to soothe cramping include hot water bottles, baths, heating pads. But none of these work to treat the cause of cramps. Vitamin B1 has been shown to not only reduced the severity and duration of cramps, but actually completely cured women of this menstrual symptom. One study, in particular, demonstrated that after 90-days of daily Vitamin B1 supplementation, 87% of participants were cured of painful menstrual cramps.

Put an End to PMS
Thiamine, also known as Vitamin B1, has been shown to significantly reduce the overall average mental and physical symptoms of PMS. Research has indicated that women with a high intake of Thiamine from food sources have significantly lower risk of PMS. Studies have also shown that Thiamine is particularly powerful at reducing PMS-related depression and cramping.

 

 

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