Increased appetite before your period

The presence or absence of appetite is a natural phenomenon for human physiology. But many representatives of the fair sex are familiar with the feeling of constant hunger, which overtakes them about once a month. And you don’t need to look at the calendar to understand that “critical days” are approaching. Is this normal or not, why does increased appetite appear before menstruation? We will try to analyze and illuminate these and other questions below.

Causes of increased appetite before menstruation

To understand the source of such seemingly unusual symptoms, it is necessary to understand the physiology of this process. And, as doctors have found out, the reasons for increased appetite before menstruation are hidden in the cyclical rise and fall of a woman's hormonal background, which for each woman individually covers from 28 to 32 days. It is these changes that provoke changes in a woman's well-being in a certain phase of the cycle.

To make this clearer, let's dwell a little on the peculiarities of female physiology. According to this criterion, doctors divide a woman's menstrual cycle into two halves of almost equal duration. The first half is characterized by changes in the hormonal background, caused by a significant increase in the levels of estrogen hormones, which include estrones, estriols, and estradiols. Against this background, the maturation of the egg is observed, which is normally ready for fertilization by the middle of the cycle. The picture of the condition is positive: the woman feels great, is full of strength and optimism, and has high efficiency. The woman has practically no complaints during this period.

In the middle of the cycle, with the maximum amount of estrogen, the ovulation process occurs, which consists of the mature egg leaving the ovary, entering the fallopian tubes, where it “waits” to be fertilized.

As soon as such a moment arrives, the need for such a quantity of estrogen disappears, and its concentration begins to gradually fall. While the hormone progesterone, on the contrary, begins to be intensively produced. This hormone is responsible for preparing the woman's body for the possible onset of pregnancy. And after conception has occurred, it is this hormone that must ensure that the embryo takes its place in the uterus without any problems. Certainly, failures in the level of progesterone can provoke the development of an ectopic pregnancy in a woman.

It is the increase in the concentration of progesterone in the body that very often causes some deviations, which are expressed in a deterioration in the woman’s well-being, and in order to somehow compensate for the discomfort that has arisen, the body “wants” to receive positive emotions, which are often expressed in the need to constantly chew something.

It is worth dwelling in more detail on the mechanism of the relationship between the growth of progesterone levels and increased appetite. There are several versions explaining this phenomenon, and each of them has a basis for existence.

Some women explain the increase in appetite during the premenstrual period by the fact that estrogens, in a way not yet known to science, affect the process of producing the "happiness hormone" - serotonin. Therefore, in the first half of the menstrual cycle, a woman feels great. And as the level of estrogens begins to decrease, the production of serotonin decreases, that is, the body no longer has enough of this "happiness". This is the impetus for women to try to find it in something else, for example, in a chocolate bar or delicious chicken with a crispy crust...

But this explanation is too exaggerated, because hormones are not the only source that stimulates the synthesis of serotonin. In addition, increased appetite before menstruation is expressed not only in a woman's need to eat more sweets, the desire to eat is expressed in an increase in the consumption of food, be it bakery products, meat or fish dishes, confectionery products, and so on. Appetite extends to literally everything. And all this cannot be explained by a lack of serotonin alone.

There is another version of what is happening. Some scientists believe that the explanation for this phenomenon lies in the plane of changes in the intensity of metabolic processes, which are supposedly activated immediately before the onset of menstruation. More active metabolism requires additional energy costs. And where else can the body get energy if not from food products. A natural chain is built: a greater need for energy release - a greater need for its source, that is, food - the woman's appetite increases, demanding that this source be provided to it.

At the same time, as noted above, metabolism is more active in the first half of the cycle against the background of an increase and achievement of peak estrogen levels. When a fracture occurs, the amount of estrogen gradually decreases, while the concentration of progesterone increases. Such a change in the physiological picture leads, on the contrary, to a slowdown in metabolic processes.

Another, more incredible assertion, akin to “old wives’ tales,” is that the female body, before “cleansing” itself – in the form of menstruation – tries to stock up on nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, which it will need so much to replenish lost blood volumes and restore the rejected uterine mucosa.

But all these statements have no real biophysiological basis. So what are the reasons for the increase in appetite?

It turns out that the whole point is that the woman’s body, after the egg has reached a state of readiness for fertilization, prepares itself each menstrual cycle for possible conception and the woman’s fulfillment of her duty, imposed on her by nature.

During this period, under the influence of a certain combination of necessary hormones, activation of some areas and systems of the brain is observed: the hypothalamus, the reticular formation, the limbic system. Irritation of nerve receptors and the hunger center occurs, which sends an impulse (command) to the stomach to increase the production of secretory enzyme. Other, less noticeable, but no less significant changes occur, which have not yet been fully studied and understood by man.

Summarizing the above, we can conclude that today doctors cannot specify the reasons that make a woman feel hunger pangs during the premenstrual period. That is, there are no objective sources that cause hunger. This factor can be partially explained by complex changes that occur in the female body. Those, not fully understood, mutual contacts and transformational processes affecting various hormones, which, by affecting certain centers of the brain, make changes in the work of the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract and other systems and organs of our body.

An emotional factor can also be added here. A woman becomes less emotionally stable in the second half of her menstrual cycle. Irritability and a deterioration in her well-being can also become a reason that provokes a woman to please herself with at least something tasty.

Therefore, it will not be possible to influence this factor so significantly. But do not be upset, a small increase in body weight during this period is the norm, which also easily goes away over the next few days, after the onset of menstruation.

It is also worth noting that the increase in appetite does not affect all women of reproductive age. Some of them do not feel any changes at all, while there are those who, on the contrary, lose interest in food at this time. Therefore, an increase in appetite is a fairly individual feature of the female body.

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How to deal with increased appetite before menstruation?

Those women who face the problem discussed in this article, especially if they watch their figures, are interested in the question of how to cope with increased appetite before menstruation? How not to harm your figure.

It has been noted that women are mostly drawn to carbohydrate foods, because it is precisely this that contributes to the production of serotonin, an enzyme that ensures a good mood. But if the body requires it, then it is necessary. You just need to understand some rules that must be followed in order not to gain extra pounds and not spoil your figure.

Allowed:

• If you have an increased appetite before your period, you can introduce grain porridge into your diet. They are energy-rich, but will not "save" on a woman's sides.
• It is advisable to consume bakery products made from durum wheat (dark bread).
• It is permissible to increase the amount of fruits and raw vegetables.
• You can afford pasta made from durum wheat.
• We accept rice, preferably unpolished. But don't be upset if you can't buy it, you can make do with the one that's on the shelves of any store.
• A small amount of potatoes is allowed, preferably baked or boiled.
• Various herbal teas also have a positive effect. The correct selection of infusions helps to effectively reduce hunger attacks. Here, decoctions of rose hips or dandelion flowers should be especially noted.

It is worth limiting:

• Don't get carried away with confectionery and baked goods, especially fresh ones, if you don't want to turn into a chubby person.
• Eliminate carbonated drinks, especially sweet ones.
• Limit salt intake.
• Minimize high-fat foods.
• It has been proven that caffeine has a negative effect on a woman's body during the period we are interested in. Based on this, during the premenstrual period it is necessary to reduce the consumption of products that are characterized by their increased content: strong black tea and coffee.
• Don't get carried away with high protein food consumption. Limit the amount of meat, fish, and eggs you include in your diet.
• Strong alcoholic drinks also increase appetite, especially since they are considered a high-calorie product.

Following these simple recommendations will help you not to go hungry and protect your figure from gaining extra pounds.

There is also a psychological aspect to stopping hunger attacks. A woman should learn to switch her attention to another area of life. For example, she should do something she loves, something interesting, and then she can simply forget about hunger. After all, it is believed that the main reason for increased appetite before menstruation is a lack of positive emotions, which a woman can compensate for in different ways. That is, she should increase the number of positive emotions and hunger will go away on its own. This simple recommendation is probably the most effective method of stopping this problem.

The latest results of monitoring the intake of hormonal contraceptives allow us to speak about the effective elimination of the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, this also applies to the attacks of hunger, which a woman begins to experience more often on the eve of menstruation. Taking drugs of this pharmacological group makes it possible to somewhat stabilize the balance of hormones, which invariably suppresses the pathological symptoms that cause discomfort to a woman. As a result, a woman feels much better.

But in general, it has been noted that the amount of grams that the body gains in the period of time we are interested in, in a healthy body, does not lead to an actual increase in the woman's body weight, since after the onset of menstruation, the excess weight disappears very quickly by itself. A few days are enough for this.

Read also:

• Ways to Regulate Appetite
• Herbs that reduce appetite

But you shouldn't get carried away, reassuring yourself that everything will pass and you can eat whatever you want. If the desire to eat is close to the signs of bulimia, then this can be equated to pathology. This is already a mental disorder associated with the consumption of food products, characterized by a spontaneous increase in appetite, which begins as paroxysmal spasms of excruciating hunger. This condition is a disease that cannot be solved on your own, without the help of a specialist.

The female body is unique and perhaps even more physiologically complex than the male body. After all, nature has created such perfection, giving it the ability to conceive, bear and bring a new life into the world. But for this, current and future mothers have to "pay" with some moments that cause discomfort and a number of inconveniences. And sometimes they envy men who do not have to experience the consequences of hormonal surges. But the feeling of the birth of a new life or a sense of belonging to the female community compensates for everything. Even increased appetite before menstruation. After all, this problem is solvable, you just have to put in a little effort and listen to the recommendations that were given in the above article.