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Female cycle
& fertility

Female cycle 
& fertility

Diet and your menstrual cycle

Good nutrition supports good health, and that goes for your menstrual cycle health and fertility too.

Our nutritional needs don’t fluctuate all that much across the menstrual cycle. What’s healthy and nourishing on day 1 of your cycle is just as healthy and nourishing on every other day.

There are two broad exceptions though:

  1. Scientific studies have found that women tend to need and consume slightly more calories in the luteal phase (roughly, days 15-28 or the second half of your cycle) than they do in the follicular phase (your period, and the time from then to ovulation).
  2. If you have very heavy periods you may be low on iron. If iron levels drop too low, you can become anaemic. This can make you feel exhausted and moving becomes a huge effort.

Do you crave carbs around your period? Here’s why

Lots of women find that they crave simple carbs and sugary treats more at certain times of the month.

In the luteal phase of your cycle, after ovulation and before your next period, progesterone starts to rise and oestrogen levels fall. Oestrogen is linked to having energy, focus and confidence, so it’s no wonder that when our oestrogen levels drop we also feel a drop in our get-up-and-go.

Simple carbs like sugar and white bread get into the bloodstream fastest, so when we’re feeling low on energy, these are the kind of foods we crave. The bad news is that foods like this cause blood sugar to spike and then suddenly drop – leaving you feeling just as hungry, tired and unsatisfied as you were before.

Instead of simple carbs, try some more complex carbs instead. These include things like whole grains, brown rice, oats and nuts – they’re good for your heart and gut as well as your blood sugar, and keep you feeling fuller for longer, all while giving you that carb boost.
Did you know?

For most of human history, food was difficult to come by. We had to hunt, find, collect and prepare food, all of which takes energy to do. So we evolved to seek out the most easily available sources of energy – sugars and fats.

That’s why we modern humans have such a hard time resisting doughnuts and pizza! We’re hard-wired to prefer these foods so our bodies get the highest number of calories while spending the least amount of energy obtaining and eating them.

Iron deficiency and periods

The European Food Safety Authority recommends that women who have periods need around 16 mg of iron a day. If you have very heavy periods you may need more.

It’s a good idea to talk to a healthcare professional to check your iron levels and if they’re low, to work out what dose of iron you need-too much iron can also be bad for your health. For most people, the iron you get from your food is enough to keep anaemia at bay.

Good sources of iron include:

Red meat
Beans
Nuts
Dried fruit
Breakfast cereals fortified with iron
Soy bean flour
Red meat
Beans
Nuts
Dried fruit
Breakfast cereals fortified with iron
Soy bean flour
Red meat
Beans
Nuts
Dried fruit
Breakfast cereals fortified with iron
Soy bean flour

Beans, unprocessed meat and nuts are also good sources of protein. We all need protein to grow and for the body to repair itself after injury, training or illness.

Diet and your menstrual cycle

Good nutrition supports good health, and that goes for your menstrual cycle health and fertility too.

Our nutritional needs don’t fluctuate all that much across the menstrual cycle. What’s healthy and nourishing on day 1 of your cycle is just as healthy and nourishing on every other day.
There are two broad exceptions though:
1. Scientific studies have found that women tend to need and consume slightly more calories in the luteal phase (roughly, days 15-28 or the second half of your cycle) than they do in the follicular phase (your period, and the time from then to ovulation).
2. If you have very heavy periods you may be low on iron. If iron levels drop too low, you can become anaemic. This can make you feel exhausted and moving becomes a huge effort.

Do you crave carbs around your period? Here’s why

Lots of women find that they crave simple carbs and sugary treats more at certain times of the month.
In the luteal phase of your cycle, after ovulation and before your next period, progesterone starts to rise and oestrogen levels fall. Oestrogen is linked to having energy, focus and confidence, so it’s no wonder that when our oestrogen levels drop we also feel a drop in our get-up-and-go.
Simple carbs like sugar and white bread get into the bloodstream fastest, so when we’re feeling low on energy, these are the kind of foods we crave. The bad news is that foods like this cause blood sugar to spike and then suddenly drop – leaving you feeling just as hungry, tired and unsatisfied as you were before.
Instead of simple carbs, try some more complex carbs instead. These include things like whole grains, brown rice, oats and nuts – they’re good for your heart and gut as well as your blood sugar, and keep you feeling fuller for longer, all while giving you that carb boost.
Did you know?
For most of human history, food was difficult to come by. We had to hunt, find, collect and prepare food, all of which takes energy to do. So we evolved to seek out the most easily available sources of energy – sugars and fats.
That’s why we modern humans have such a hard time resisting doughnuts and pizza! We’re hard-wired to prefer these foods so our bodies get the highest number of calories while spending the least amount of energy obtaining and eating them.

Iron deficiency and periods

The European Food Safety Authority recommends that women who have periods need around 16 mg of iron a day. If you have very heavy periods you may need more.
It’s a good idea to talk to a healthcare professional to check your iron levels and if they’re low, to work out what dose of iron you need-too much iron can also be bad for your health. For most people, the iron you get from your food is enough to keep anaemia at bay.
Good sources of iron include:
Red meat
Beans
Nuts
Dried fruit
Breakfast cereals fortified with iron
Soy bean flour
Red meat
Beans
Nuts
Dried fruit
Breakfast cereals fortified with iron
Soy bean flour
Beans, unprocessed meat and nuts are also good sources of protein. We all need protein to grow and for the body to repair itself after injury, training or illness.

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References

• European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Scientific opinion on dietary reference values for iron. EFSA Journal. 2015;13(10):4254:1-115.
• London Clinic of Nutrition. Foods to eat for each stage of your menstrual cycle. Available at: https://londonclinicofnutrition.co.uk/nutrition-articles/foods-to-eat-for-each-stage-of-your-menstrual-cycle/. Last accessed: July 2024.
• Rocha-Rodrigues S, et al. Bidirectional Interactions between the Menstrual Cycle, Exercise Training, and Macronutrient Intake in Women: A Review. Nutrients. 2021;13:438.
• Rogan MM, Black KE. Dietary energy intake across the menstrual cycle: a narrative review. Nutrition Reviews. 2022;81(7):869-886.
• Silvestris E, Lovero D, Palmirotta R. Nutrition and female fertility: an interdependent correlation. Front Endocrinol. 2019;10:Article 436.

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Share your answer to see how others responded.
Your answers will help us to ensure our content is useful for people who want to learn more about fertility and reproductive choices.
Do you feel more informed about fertility?
Yes
72%
No
28%
Before discovering our content, what did you believe was the primary cause of fertility issues?
Poor diet
51%
Excessive consumption of alcohol
36%
Smoking
7%
Age
4%
Other
2%
Since learning more, what do you now believe is the main cause of fertility issues?
Poor diet
34%
Excessive consumption of alcohol
26%
Smoking
6%
Age
34%
Since learning more, what will you do now?
Use knowledge for informed decisions
50%
Consider altering future plans
25%
Consider talking with a fertility specialist
18%
Book an appointment with a fertility specialist
7%
How old are you?
<25 years
27%
26-30 years
54%
31-35 years
8%
36-40 years
12%
>40 years
0%

References

  • European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Scientific opinion on dietary reference values for iron. EFSA Journal. 2015;13(10):4254:1-115.
  • London Clinic of Nutrition. Foods to eat for each stage of your menstrual cycle. Available at: https://londonclinicofnutrition.co.uk/nutrition-articles/foods-to-eat-for-each-stage-of-your-menstrual-cycle/. Last accessed: July 2024.
  • Rocha-Rodrigues S, et al. Bidirectional Interactions between the Menstrual Cycle, Exercise Training, and Macronutrient Intake in Women: A Review. Nutrients. 2021;13:438.
  • Rogan MM, Black KE. Dietary energy intake across the menstrual cycle: a narrative review. Nutrition Reviews. 2022;81(7):869-886.
  • Silvestris E, Lovero D, Palmirotta R. Nutrition and female fertility: an interdependent correlation. Front Endocrinol. 2019;10:Article 436.
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