While seed cycling is not a new practice, it has become newly popularized as a way for women to support their hormones throughout the different phases of their life and cycles. I mentioned seed cycling in a recent social media video and got lots of questions about the reasoning and implementation, so let’s expand further here.
I’ll start with a basic overview of cycling, nuancing for different situations, dive into the implementation, the science, and finally, my verdict.
Overview of cycling
First, many women are still unfamiliar with the term ‘seed cycling’, so let’s demystify the practice.
Seed cycling is simply consuming different types of ground seeds during various parts of your menstrual cycle to support your changing sex hormones. The seeds, specifically flax, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower, contain phytonutrients that help to support the balance of estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones.
Since the seeds are ‘cycled’ or consumed based on the different phases of your menstrual cycle, it’s helpful to start with some awareness of your typical cycle length and when you ovulate (I wrote a blog post on getting started with cycle tracking here).
Phase 1: from day one of your period until ovulation (AKA the follicular phase)
- Eat 1 tablespoon each of raw ground flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds
Phase 2: from ovulation to the day before your period (AKA the luteal phase)
- Eat 1 tablespoon each of raw ground sunflower seeds and sesame seeds
Common scenarios and solutions
If you don’t currently track your cycles OR have irregular cycles/are peri-menopausal, you still have a couple of options. If you do know when your last period started, you can start with phase 1 from day one of your period until day 14 and then switch to phase 2 for days 15-30 and repeat. Or many women choose to cycle with the moon, starting with phase one on the new moon and switching to phase 2 at the full moon.
And if moon cycling feels a little *woo-woo* to you, I think it’s helpful to remember that the moon is powerful enough to control the tides, and since our bodies are over 50% water, it makes sense that the moon will affect us too. Additionally, I once read, and totally agree with, the opinion that women never lose the need to feel tied to a cycle, and using the moon can be a beautiful way to re-regulate.
If you are post-menopausal, there are still many benefits to seed cycling and I recommend using the moon as a guide as discussed above.
If you’re mid-cycle but want to start now, no worries! Seed cycling can be started at any point so go right ahead.
If you’re on birth control, seed cycling can be incredibly beneficial as you are coming off to help prevent post-birth control syndrome.
If you have PCOS, you are in luck! You are an excellent, excellent candidate for seed cycling. Multiple studies support flaxseeds as a very beneficial supplement for PCOS. In one case study, the addition of flaxseeds was found to reduce testosterone levels and hirsutism. In another study that looked at the use of flaxseeds in women with PCOS, the participants were found to have a significant decrease in body weight and insulin concentrations. As if that weren’t enough, flaxseeds also promote ovulation which can be a real struggle for my PCOS ladies!
Additionally, sesame seeds have been found to have a favorable effect on decreasing DHEAS (a type of androgen) and increasing SHBG, both of which are very beneficial in PCOS. So, don’t let irregular cycles hold you back; see the first section on adapting to an irregular cycle if you’re not sure how.
How do you consume the seeds?
Before you ask, yes, the seeds should be ground to ensure you’re able to absorb all of the nutrients. It’s best to grind the seeds freshly or store them in the fridge if you are making bigger batches, as they can go rancid once ground. Certain types of coffee grinders, seed grinders, blenders, food processors, or even a mortar & pestle can be used to grind the seeds. Pre-ground seeds are also widely available if convenience is key for you.
You can add the ground seeds to smoothies, yogurt, chia pudding (my personal fave), salads, homemade protein bites/fat bombs, etc- the sky is the limit! Given the increasing popularity of seed cycling, there are tons of recipes online on how to incorporate the ground seeds, and you should play around to figure out what works best for you.
The benefits of seed cycling
Each type of seed boasts a unique nutritional profile that supports the predictable hormonal rhythms of that phase in the menstrual cycle.
In the first half of your cycle, estrogen is the main player and reaches its biggest peak just before ovulation. Flaxseeds, used in phase 1, contain lignans which are a type of phytochemical that have both estrogenic AND antiestrogenic properties. What does this mean? If your estrogen levels are low, flaxseeds can help bring them up, BUT if they’re too high, flaxseeds can help bring them down. Kinda cool, right? They can also help support ovulation which in turn supports progesterone levels in the second half of your cycle.
Testosterone also peaks in the first half of your cycle, and pumpkin seeds just happen to be rich in zinc which supports healthy testosterone levels.
In the second half of the cycle, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds can help to support your very different hormonal landscape where progesterone becomes the main player.
Sunflower seeds contain many beneficial nutrients, including iron, which supports estrogen detoxification; magnesium, which may reduce period cramps; calcium, which has been shown to reduce mood changes pre-period; and vitamin E, which can also reduce PMS symptoms.
Sesame seeds also contain lignans, as discussed above, and help to decrease inflammation. They are especially beneficial in those with PCOS or post-menopausal women due to their favorable effects on DHEAS and SHBG.
What does the science say?
While the practice of seed cycling has been used for many years, like most nutrition-based or’ food as medicine’ approaches, the science is lacking.
It’s important to understand that rigorous scientific studies are quite expensive to conduct, so the investors understandably want a good return on investment. Because of this, studies of medications and medical interventions are plentiful, given that the companies that fund them can then recoup the money when they sell the product at very high prices. However, when it comes to natural remedies, it’s really difficult to secure funding since nobody stands to make a profit.
All of this to say that just because pharmaceuticals are heavily studied, and more natural remedies are not, this does not make the latter any less valid. Said another way, the lack of scientific data does NOT prove a lack of benefit, just simply an unexplored area of women’s health.
So, now that we understand the logistic of studies, it makes sense why there are virtually no studies conducted on seed cycling.
Where does this leave us? Should we just assume seed cycling doesn’t work or wait for the science to catch up? Absolutely not! Seed cycling is a gentle, well-tolerated, and fairly inexpensive way to begin supporting your hormones today, so there is no reason to wait. Anecdotally, many, many women report benefits from seed cycling, and I have seen many of these positive effects myself!
The only way to know if it will work for you is to give it a try and, if nothing else, know that you are significantly increasing the nutrient density of your diet without any real downsides!
How long should you try it for?
While most women see benefits after just one month, you may want to try it for three months before deciding if it is a helpful practice for you. If, after a few months, you’re not seeing any noticeable benefits, it may be a good idea to begin exploring other methods of supporting your hormones (I may know someone who can guide you on this journey 😉). BUT I still encourage you to continue including seeds in your daily diet due to ALL of their beneficial effects.
Final verdict- is seed cycling a cure-all for your hormone issues?
Seed cycling is a wonderful tool to leverage on your journey of balancing your hormones but keep in mind that hormone balance is a beautifully complex and complicated process. Unfortunately, there will never be a ‘magic pill’ or ‘one-stop-shop’ for fixing your hormones. If you are not sleeping, eating heavily processed foods, and are stressed to the gills, seed cycling alone will not ‘cure’ an underlying hormone imbalance. That said, it can still be a great additional tool to add to the toolkit, and I encourage you to give it a try!
TLDR; What: Seed cycling involves consuming different types of ground seeds throughout your cycle to support your hormones
When: Consume 1 TBSP of ground flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds daily during the first half of your cycle, then switch to 1 TBSP of ground sesame seeds and sunflower seeds in the second half.
How: Grind freshly or buy pre-ground. Sprinkle on whatever dish you choose!
Why: The seeds contain phytochemicals that help to support estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone balance. They can help prevent PMS and promote ovulation.
Final verdict: Although it hasn’t been scientifically studied, many women report significant benefits from seed cycling and it’s definitely worth a try!
References
Dadkhah, Hajar et al. Evaluating the Effects of Vitamin D and Vitamin E Supplement on Premenstrual Syndrome: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, vol. 21,2 (2016): 159-64. doi:10.4103/1735-9066.178237
Haidari, Fatemeh et al. “The Effects of Flaxseed Supplementation on Metabolic Status in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Open-Labeled Controlled Clinical Trial.” Nutrition Journal vol. 19,1 8. 24 Jan. 2020, doi:10.1186/s12937-020-0524-5
Nowak, Debra A et al. “The Effect of Flaxseed Supplementation on Hormonal Levels Associated with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Case Study.” Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research vol. 5,4 (2007): 177-181.
Phipps, W R et al. “Effect of Flax Seed Ingestion on the Menstrual Cycle.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism vol. 77,5 (1993): 1215-9. doi:10.1210/jcem.77.5.8077314
Shobeiri, Fatemeh et al. “Effect of Calcium on Premenstrual Syndrome: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.” Obstetrics & Gynecology Science vol. 60,1 (2017): 100-105. doi:10.5468/ogs.2017.60.1.100
Wu, Wen-Huey et al. “Sesame Ingestion Affects Sex Hormones, Antioxidant Status, and Blood Lipids in Postmenopausal Women.” The Journal of Nutrition vol. 136,5 (2006): 1270-5. doi:10.1093/jn/136.5.1270
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