EASING PERIOD PAIN: A STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF ZINC SULFATE

A recent study looked into how zinc sulfate affects high school students dealing with primary dysmenorrhea – that’s just a fancy way of saying period pain or cramping that occurs without any other underlying condition. The study had 103 participants who were split into two groups: one group took 40mg of zinc sulfate, while the other group took a placebo for the first three days of their menstrual cycle for a total of three months!

Okay, let’s cut to the chase. The group that took zinc saw a significant decrease in pain scores over the three months. But here’s the kicker – the most noticeable changes happened during the third cycle. By the end of the study, the average pain scores in the zinc group were about half of what they were in the placebo group. Now, that’s what I call progress!

HOW ZINC CAN HELP WITH PERIOD PAIN

Here’s where I think it makes things interesting, because it takes about 100 days for the egg released during ovulation to mature – that’s roughly three months. So, it makes sense that we saw the biggest improvements around that time. This is a huge reason why all my protocols with clients are for a minimum of three months to truly allow the intervention to work and solidify in the body.

Let’s talk about period pain, or the fancy name for it – primary dysmenorrhea. Basically it’s caused by changes in prostaglandin levels, which lead to muscle contractions and, you guessed it, pain. These levels tend to spike when you regularly indulge on highly inflammatory foods like gluten, refined sugar, and those sneaky seed oils. To add insult to injury, low progesterone levels can also ramp up the pain – so if you’re overly stressed, or not ovulating effectively, you can bet your period pain is going to be more prominent.

Now, here’s where zinc comes into play. The researchers believe that zinc works its magic by regulating prostaglandin enzymes, boosting antioxidant enzymes, and dialling down inflammation. And guess what? Previous studies have shown similar improvements with zinc sulfate, which just goes to show that we’re onto something big here.

So, as your go-to wellness coach and expert, I’m here to share your Weekly Wellness Prescription:. I recommend popping 40 – 50mg of zinc for 3 – 4 days, starting the day before your period. Trust me, this little trick could be your ticket to a pain-free period (especially if you combine it with nutritional changes too).

References:
1. Yoon HS, Lee S, Kim JH, & Park SM. (2021). Association of beetroot juice supplementation with exercise capacity and performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrients, 13(3), 905. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030905

2. Domínguez R, Cuenca E, Maté-Muñoz JL, García-Fernández P, Serra-Paya N, Estevan MC, Herreros PV, & Garnacho-Castaño MV. (2014). Effects of beetroot juice supplementation on cardiorespiratory endurance in athletes. A systematic review. Nutrients, 6(2), 750–766. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu6020750

3. Wylie LJ, Kelly J, Bailey SJ, Blackwell JR, Skiba PF, Winyard PG, Jeukendrup AE, & Vanhatalo A. (2013). Beetroot juice and exercise: Pharmacodynamic and dose-response relationships. Journal of Applied Physiology, 115(3), 325–336. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00372.2013