Woman Only

[tricia]

im pretty much new to veganism so im still in my transitioning stage...no eggs, no milk, no meat for like 3 mnths going on 4... now im noticing certain things... did anyone notice a change in their menstrual cycle? longer? shorter? more bleeding? etc... i dont know if the estrogen in soy can actually affect my monthly so i thought i would see if anyone else has had noticed a change in their cycles or not.. thanks in advance...

[Erin Pavlina]

I read a study that said vegan menstrual cycles are a few days longer than non-vegans. So if your cycle was 28 days it might be 31 now. I didn't notice a change personally.

[Jenica]

Hmm, I'd never really connected those two things; when I went vegan I was relatively young and not very in tune with my body. But come to think of it, that could explain some of my long cycles since then. I have always had long cycles (30+ days), but in the past few years they've become more like 35-38 days.

Also, I've noticed that I seldom get the premenstrual hot flashes I used to have before going vegan. Usually this seems to be directly related to my soy consumption in the two weeks before my period but I suppose it could be psychosomatic.

[sophie]

Well, I went vegan only a couple of months before conceiving my first child, who is now seven. I never get physical signs of PMT (cramps, sore bobs etc) that I used to get but I suspect this is due to childbearing rather than diet. Interesting question though.

[Kelly]

I take birth control pills, so I don't know. I would be interested to know, though.

Kelly

[annie7]

I take the pill, too (hyperplasia type A and other problems) but I've always had breakthrough inbetween each cycle. Even when I was vegetarian. Although, upon becoming vegan I haven't had that problem once. Stands to reason it would help, even on the pill. (I know, I know. ... what they make it out of is reprehensible, but when you have to be on it for a reason, what do you do when there's no synthetic replica?)

[mum2sarah]

That's a very good question!! When I went vegetarian I still hadn't gotten back my postpartum cycles from Sarah's birth, as she was still breastfeeding quite a bit at 11 months old. I got them back a month later when Sarah was a year old, and then I only had 3 cycles before getting pregnant with number two, and they weren't regular cycles yet. Then 8 weeks into my pregnancy is when I went from vegetarian to vegan, so being 25 weeks pregnant now, I have yet to see how veganism will affect my cycles. My cycles were always pretty irregular and on the long side, anywhere from 30 to 40 days, so I can't imagine them getting much longer. :confused: I guess I probably won't find out for quite some time, especially if I have another year of lactation ammenorrhea after having this baby. It could be spring of 2005 before I know! But at least I have a head's up now that things could change--never would have thought of that!

[xmysticprincessx]

All I know is that I felt MUCH better when my boyfreind introduced me to Tropical Source bars (and Luna bars when I can't get to the health food store...) 2 years ago. And Soy Delicious ice cream....

About the cycles, I really didn't notice much difference. But I was already vegetarian when I started my period, and I went vegan about 7 years later. Sorry I can't help you there.

[mum2sarah]

This discussion just got me thinking about my sister and her cycles (or lack thereof). She is a recovering anorexic, but has been pretty stable with her weight for the past year or so. She's still underweight, but I'm pretty sure she's above the weight she was when she lost her periods during her full-blown anorexic times (we don't talk about numbers very much as it freaks her out). She lost her periods probably over 4 years ago, and has not gotten them back yet. She became vegetarian about 3 years ago, and vegan about a year ago. Does anyone think veganism could be effecting her regaining her cycles? Or is it more likely that it just takes a long time to get them back once you've stabalized your weight?

[VOW]

A woman's menstrual cycle is affected by the percentage of body fat, since estrogen is a fat-based molecule. That is why anorexics stop menstruating.

This fat-affiliation quality of estrogen is also partly to blame for the early menarche (age at which menstruation begins) in young girls, and the "fattening" of society is believed to contribute to the lowering of the average age of menarche.



~VOW

[ArwenA]

When I went vegan the first time about three years ago, I was also on a diet that eliminated all forms of refined sugar and refined flour. The two periods I experienced during that time were absolutely WITHOUT A SINGLE SYMPTOM. I mean no cramps or discomfort whatsoever! My flow was really minimal too. This was miraculous for me, because before this I'd had absolutely miserable periods about three or four times a year with cramps and sickness so severe I'd spend hours in the bathroom in agony. I haven't had many periods over the last few years because of pregnancy and extended breastfeeding (I didn't get my period back with my first child until she was 17 months old, and just recently started again when my second child was 22 months old), but that one experience really impressed me.

I've been vegan now again for a few months, and have had one cycle in that time. My diet isn't as good as it was that time before, but I still had a much better experience than in years past. Not having all the fat from meat, dairy, and eggs really helps, but I think it's also important to watch sugar and caffeine intake.