Image courtesy of Ella Olsson, Flickr
Premenstrual Syndrome. AKA: PMS. Could chocolate be the answer?
The days leading up to a women’s menstrual cycle (period) are often dreaded because of the infamous symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). This is when a menstruating woman’s hormones naturally take a drastic dip to the lowest level she’ll experience in her menstrual cycle. This can result in symptoms such as mood swings, bloating, decreased energy, constipation or diarrhea, and headaches.
Looking at the nutritional needs of the female body at this time is one method for minimising symptoms of PMS. Why do women crave chocolate when they’re PMS-ing? Well, its partly due to cacao being a one of the richest forms of magnesium, zinc, and iron. Not to mention it’s a natural mood-booster!
Making sure a woman has enough magnesium, zinc, and iron can have a positive effect on PMS symptoms, especially in the 10-14 days leading up to the start of menstruation each month (in a typical 28-day cycle).
So why are these minerals important? Magnesium supports the body to maintain balanced hormones, zinc supports the production of the hormone progesterone, and iron helps to prevent anemia.
Hold up, wait a second.
Before you grab just any bite of chocolate, remember that quality is key. The nutritional benefits of raw cacao are quite different than processed cocoa. To create cocoa (used in most chocolate foods), raw cacao is processed at high temperatures. This processing results in diminished overall nutritional benefits. Raw cacao is the better choice for magnesium, zinc, and iron.
Raw cacao nibs and cacao powder can both be used to provide nutritional benefits during the premenstrual phase. Try sprinkling cacao nibs on your oats or smoothie bowl, adding cacao powder to your smoothie, or making your own raw chocolate with cacao powder.
