TEMPLE, Texas — According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 90% of women said they get some type of premenstrual symptoms, from bloating to headaches to moodiness.
In this week's Your Best Life, 6 News Anchor Leslie Draffin talks with women's hormone expert Alisa Vitti about the five supplements every woman needs for a healthy cycle, including which ones can help decrease some of those PMS symptoms.
"We've been told as women that our hormones are unpredictable, complicated and very difficult to manage. But the fact of the matter is that that is not true, our hormones are predictable. They are very reliable, and they really respond to a very basic set of things, the right types of micronutrients and the right type of diet," Vitti said.
Vitti is an author, functional nutritionist and women's hormone expert who founded FLO Living, a virtual online health center that helps thousands of women solve their hormone issues. Vitti said every woman needs five things to support their hormones and the first one is B-complex.
"B vitamins are, you know, enormously important in energy management, in metabolism. B6 in particular boosts progesterone levels to counteract some of that excess estrogen that could be the cause of your acne or heavy periods or other problems," she said.
Number two is magnesium, which helps regulate your pituitary gland.
"The pituitary gland is this master regulating gland in the brain that helps organize this symphony of your hormones all throughout your body. And in addition, magnesium is involved, in over 300 catalytic reactions in the body, and without it you will start to feel all sorts of symptoms around fatigue and brain fog," Vitti said.
The third thing Vitti suggested is anything that supports your liver.
"So these can be things like Alpha-Lipoic Acid, N-Acetyl Cysteine, Selenium, Vitamin C. Micronutrients that supercharge the liver in its ability to go through its different phases of detoxification so that your body can break down all this estrogen," she said.
Vitti said the fourth thing every woman needs to be taking is a good quality probiotic.
"These probiotics need to support your gut microbiome and specifically your estrobolome which is a particular set of gut bacteria that help break down estrogen. But in addition, good gut bacteria and good balance of your microbiome, with the support of taking probiotics helps you have a better mood because 95% of the serotonin, that your brain has access to is manufactured in your gut," Vitti said.
Lastly, Vitti said you need a vitamin D-3 and Omega 3 blend.
"Having adequate levels of vitamin d3 is essential for your hormonal wellness as a whole, as well as omega three fatty acids because your hormones, are manufactured from amino acids that you get from protein, but they're stabilized in different fatty acids and, you know, essential fatty acids are critical for maintaining good moods, good skin and also preventing things like cramps. So there is a great tool for every woman to have in her arsenal of supplements," she said.
Vitti said when picking supplements make sure they have no GMOs, no fillers and are high quality because, “We have all these lifestyle stressors that are causing micronutrient depletion things like caffeine, over-exercising, stress, medication, all these things will deplete your body of the levels of micronutrients that they need, such that your hormones can function optimally."
Vitti’s company, Flo Living, has a regimen of supplements called the Balance Supplements with all off these micronutrients. Vitti said she created the line to help women balance hormones without having to go search for high quality supplements on their own.
"What will happen is once you start to give your body the things that it needs, and you eliminate the things that are disrupting it, in many many cases this can alleviate most if not all symptoms," Vitti said.
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