Headaches, mood swings, pain, and cramps, oh my! Is this something you’re thinking about starting the week before your period rolls around? PMS isn’t fun; trust me, I understand. I’ve personally struggled with it for a large portion of my life, and as I’ve aged, my mood swings prior to my period and the pain during my period have gotten way worse. So, I’ve been taking matters into my own hands and diving deep into the research rabbit hole on PMS.
Pain and emotionally turbulent periods are common, but the fact of the matter is that they are not normal. That’s a huge difference that is really important to understand. Crazy right?! I always thought that agonizing periods were how they were supposed to be! But what’s really happening when we experience intense PMS symptoms and painful periods, our bodies are sending us a sign that something is hormonally out of balance.
Yes, of course, it is normal to experience mild cramping and heaviness, but it shouldn’t be something that completely knocks you out, has you curled up in bed, and reaching for that ibuprofen regularly. Mild discomfort? Normal. But debilitating pain that disrupts your life? That’s your hormones begging for support. You may ask, “Well, how can I support my hormones?” Eating for your menstrual cycle is helpful, but giving mega support to our liver is the key too.
Now, let’s dive into the world of PMS and how supporting your liver can help minimize those symptoms.
Why do painful periods happen?
The female body is sensitive, and it’s very easy for our hormones to be thrown out of whack. Certain things, like inflammation and nutrient deficiencies, can contribute to PMS, but the number one culprit is estrogen.
Before we dive more into estrogen, let’s chat about typically when PMS starts to make itself known each month. The menstrual cycle has four phases: follicular, ovulation, luteal, and menstrual. PMS symptoms typically start to surface after ovulation because of the dance between two hormones: progesterone and estrogen. In luteal, estrogen should start to drop while progesterone rises to balance estrogen as the body prepares for a period.
If your estrogen levels are high during luteal, this is something called estrogen dominance. Having estrogen dominance will cause PMS symptoms during the second half of the luteal and during menstruation. These symptoms can look like:
- Mood swings
- Brain fog
- Anxiety or depression
- Fatigue and low motivation
- Bloating
- Breast tenderness
- Headaches or migraines
- Food cravings
- Constipation or loose stool
- Acne
- Trouble sleeping
You might wonder what the liver has to do with this, and it actually plays a huge role in helping estrogen dominance.
How the liver can help PMS
The liver can help with PMS for a number of reasons. One of its primary functions is breaking down and filtering out excess hormones in our bodies. That means not only will our liver help with estrogen dominance, but a healthy, supported liver can also help regulate cortisol levels—another major contributor to PMS. Things like alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs, poor diet, environmental toxins, stress, etc. can cause our livers to be sluggish or overburdened.
Your PMS symptoms can be greatly reduced when you support your liver to function properly. You’re probably wondering how exactly you can have a happy liver. Herbs are one of our greatest allies when it comes to supporting the liver. Here are the best liver-supporting herbs that can help you on your PMS relief journey:
Dandelion root
Dandelion root is probably the most commonly known liver-supporting herb because of its major detoxing qualities. Dandelion helps encourage the liver to produce and release bile, which helps carry out toxins and eliminate excess hormones. If you feel you have estrogen dominance, this herb would be a great ally!
Peppermint
Peppermint is a gentle herb that helps the liver quite a bit—especially when paired with dandelion root. It gently stimulates bile flow, which helps carry out toxins. It can also aid with bloating and digestive discomfort, making it a great ally for PMS.
Milk thistle seeds
Milk thistle seeds have been used for centuries to support and regenerate liver cells. They are loaded with antioxidants that help rid the liver of toxins, protect liver cells from damage, strengthen liver walls, and promote regeneration of damaged liver tissue. Milk thistle also helps the liver break down excess hormones, making it a great ally for estrogen regulation.
Turmeric
Turmeric can support the liver by nourishing, protecting, and gently detoxing while reducing inflammation. It can specifically reduce liver inflammation, which is common when the liver is overwhelmed during PMS. It is also another herb that stimulates bile flow, helping regulate estrogen and aiding in digestion.
Black pepper
Black pepper is commonly a kitchen staple, but it actually helps the liver tremendously. It can enhance the bioavailability of other herbs and nutrients, especially turmeric and milk thistle seeds, so your body can use them more effectively. Black pepper also stimulates bile flow and is full of antioxidants.
Are you looking for the perfect supplement to support your liver? A blend of all of these liver-supporting herbs exists—Earthley’s Liver Love. Liver Love combines organic dandelion root, milk thistle seed, peppermint leaf, turmeric root, and black pepper in an alcohol or vegetable glycerin base to promote detox and healthy liver function.
Try supporting your liver and see how it changes your PMS symptoms!
