Women are often seeking relief from their monthly menstrual cycles and the groan-worthy side effects it brings. Many women turn to more natural remedies to control their PMS and menstrual symptoms, trying vitamins, minerals, and herbs that have been known to help mitigate some of the unpleasant effects of the menstrual cycle.
Supplements are often used to reduce symptoms by nourishing the body with the essential properties it needs to combat the pain and uncomfortable symptoms that periods cause. Sometimes they are taken in pill form, and sometimes they can be found in certain foods.
Vitamin E is an effective vitamin supplement that provides relief for PMS symptoms. Many women who have dysmenorrhea, a menstrual condition characterized by severely painful menstrual symptoms, tend to gravitate toward Vitamin E because of its pain-reducing properties.
Many studies and research have shown continuing benefits of Vitamin E on the reproductive system and symptoms of the menstrual cycle.
What is Vitamin E?
Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that plays a functional role in the maintenance of the reproductive system, and is essential in keeping the reproductive system healthy.
It is also an essential nutrient in the formation of red blood cells, and helps your body protect itself against damage from free radicals that can affect cells, tissues, and organs.
Vitamin E can be taken in a pill supplement, and can also be found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, cereals, and juices. Other foods such as oatmeal, brown rice, seeds, wheat germ, and soybeans contain Vitamin E as well.
What does it do?
Vitamin E allows the body to produce prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are the chemical that causes pain and inflammation during the menstrual cycle. Vit E causes increase release of Arachidonic Acid, a substrate for prostaglandin synthesis [1].
Vitamin E also decreases the side effects of prolactin [2], which is also thought to cause physical and emotional symptoms of PMS when produced in excess.
Vitamin E allows for these levels of prolactin and prostaglandin to remain balanced in order to further benefit the health of the reproductive system and its functions. The balancing of the endocrine and nervous system that Vitamin E plays a role in helps to naturally keep hormone levels in the body balanced, which in turn causes a happier and healthier period cycle.
What are the effects?
Women who take Vitamin E have noted experiencing a shorter duration of pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms [3], such as pain, as well as a lighter blood flow.
Taking daily vitamin E supplements has been shown to reduce pain and the duration of symptoms. Vitamin E has also been found to help combat menstrual migraines as well as reduce breast tenderness and pain.
In addition, since Vitamin E works to keep hormones balanced, you will undoubtedly find yourself feeling healthier as well as being able to maintain a healthy weight and higher energy levels, which are often depleted during the period cycle.
Increasing Vitamin E intake is a great option for women who experience severely painful periods. Women who have dysmenorrhea can benefit from the pain-reducing benefits that Vitamin E has. If you experience extremely painful periods, you may also have a Vitamin E deficiency, and may need to change your diet or begin taking supplements.
What should you do?
For women who want to curb the symptoms of their period, taking Vitamin E is likely a good way to help. Taking Vitamin E about two to three days before and after a menstrual period can reduce the symptoms significantly, and result in less cramping, bleeding, anxiety, headaches, and overall pain associated with your period.
Vitamin E can also be found in many the foods we eat, so consuming foods rich in Vitamin E is important in your diet.
Vitamin E deficiency can occur if you are not getting enough of the vitamin intake in your body. In this case, deficiencies can lead to anemia, which can also affect the body’s production of sex hormones.
Therefore, consuming Vitamin E is essential in maintaining a healthy reproductive system. If you plan on changing up your Vitamin E intake through supplements, make sure you are taking the recommended amount.
On the other hand, while it is important to maintain healthy Vitamin E levels, the vitamin is a fat-soluble vitamin and consuming too much can have a negative effect on the body.
Excess Vitamin E can be toxic, and can cause damage to the reproductive system and affect the body’s blood clotting ability, which can cause prolonged periods and heavy bleeding.
The recommendation of Vitamin E intake is about 15mg/day. You can integrate Vitamin E into your diet by consuming vegetable oils, nuts, eggs, and more.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15753187
- https://naturalsupremacy.com/2017/01/06/vitamin-e-for-building-muscle-and-boosting-androgens/
- https://www.webmd.com/women/pms/news/20110119/vitamin-e-and-fatty-acids-may-ease-pms
I have been taking vitamins e for the past two months, but have noticed that my period is now very heavy and no longer lasts for a 28 cycle but irregular. Please I don’t like this bleeding what do I do to correct it. Thanks
Hi Roseline, How much are you taking of Vitamin E? For therapeutic effects you can take it ranging from 200-500 IU and should be taking it consecutively for at least 2-4 menstrual cycles (2 for the higher doses and longer for lower doses). Where you taking it to make your periods less painful and shorter? If so I would recommend reviewing what your current daily dose is and then if you are already at 500 IU then I would speak with your doctor. There are other medicinal options that you can look at such as hormonal birth control. Good luck!
Hello Dr, I have been missing my periods since may 2018-todate. I am not pregnant and have all the hormone tests indicate am normal.
I have started taking vitamin E and floric acid. will this help?
Hello Doreen, until the root of your problem is determined, these things might not necessarily help.
Hi there,
I came off a progesterone only pill a few months ago.
I’ve been battling with a bad reaction to my normal hormones coming back into full swing.
I’ve been working with alternative therapists and what it seems is when my progesterone and estrogen suddenly drop about 8 days before my period I get really bad ‘prostandglandis’ this is where the progesterone causes my uterus to shred. What this does is cause my bowels to contract rapidly at the same time. My whole gastric system goes 100 miles an hour! (I’ve had all the gastric tests and there’s nothing wrong) it’s a malfunction in muscles caused by hormones they say.
I need something to stop the over contracting cramps that effect my digestion system (prostandglandis)
I’ve been told Vitamin E has a big effect on stopping the effect of the sudden drop and fluctuation in hormones that effects my bowels! 🙁 Any advise is appreciated
Hi Kate, vitamin E and vitamin B are two good vitamins if you want to help to counteract the effects of the hormones. Also check out some of the other articles we have that talk about what you can do to ease menstrual symptoms and that could even mean changing your diet which can help dramatically.
Hi,i am on a diet at the moment,i just started taking vitamin E two nights now.and last week my menstration jud finished.and today i have menstration again but light not heavy.is their anything wrong with me?.every morning i eat cereals and slim powder diet shake.lunch i ate vege salad and fruits and dinner steamed chicken or fish and veges and on the day i drink 4 liters or more.i only noticed this blood today since i took the Vitamin E.and i took also a pill as my contraceptive.a Noriday pill.
Hi Janesh, did you just start your birth control? If so then it could be the change in hormones in your body. Otherwise, Vitamin E does affect your period however for many it makes it less severe and helps with PMS. If it’s not heavy and just breakthrough I would say that you are fine just keep track of it.
Hi i’ve been taking kirkland vit e and c since 1st week of june i didn’t get any menstrual cramps on the day of my period but the next month i missed my period for 4 days then i had a light period just on the 5th day sometimes i feel nauseus and had lower abdominal pain. Is this about me taking vit e and c everyday?
Hi, taking vitamin E can reduce your periods length and severity as well as reducing PMS symptoms. However nausea is generally not a PMS symptoms but the cramping could be. Is there a chance that you could be pregnant? If so I would take a pregnancy test just to be certain.
Hi, I’m taking Myra E also. But same with their issue. My period is delayed too, It was supposed to be on 15th and until now i’m waiting. Is it about the vitamins?
Hi Camille, yes it could be the vitamin E. I would give it some time, but also I would recommend taking a pregnancy test just in case.
Hi I started taking vitamin e last 2 weeks and my periods are delayed can vitamin e do so.
Hi Ashmee, yes vitamin E is one of those that can slightly change your period.
Myrae regulates my period. I have been irregular eversince. 1-2months gap but when i was diagnosed pcos last 2013, I cant have it naturally so i tried myrae & surprisingly,it works for me. But if i stop taking myrae,i dont have period?
Hello Jing, sorry about this. PCOS can be a very hard thing to deal with.
Hi. I had the same experience with everyone here. I started taking Myra E 400 IU around the second week of December 2017. But I only take 1 capsule every other day so as not to shock my system since it’s my first time taking Vitamin E supplements. I can’t really tell what the effects on me but people have been noticing that my skin is fairer. Here’s the thing though: I’m suppose to have my period during the first week of January but it hasn’t come yet up til now. It’s odd because I’ve always had regular menstruation. I’ve ruled out pregnancy as well. I’m suspecting it’s Myra E too since it’s the only new thing I’ve put in my body since my last period. I’m hoping it would come soon. I’m still taking Myra E every other day. Yes, my skin indeed became fairer but around the third week of my intake, I started getting pimples and my face became more oily. What remedy can you recommend? I’d appreciate some answers. Thanks!
Hi Marge. Vitamin E is supposed to regulate your cycle. I would continue to watch for signs of your period and if you don’t get it maybe taking a pregnancy test to determine if you are in fact pregnant. As for the oily skin, that’s not something I can generally help with, however I would change your face wash to something made for oily skin or makeup if you wear any.
I have the same issue with you guys, ever since I take myra E I’m always delayed till now, so I stop taking now.
Hi! I have been taking vitamin e the myra 400 iu and my period is delayed too. I remember I used to take evening primrose and it made my period delay also that’s why i stopped taking it. And now, though myra is making my skin glow and it’s really visible i might stop taking it too because it’s making my period delay also. Hopefully my period cycle will be in normal again if i stop taking it.
Hi. I suppose to have my period on Oct18 but until now Oct29 I still don’t have. I started to take Myra E on Oct1.
Hi there Marlene, do you suspect you might be pregnant? If so, take a pregnancy 7 days after missed period to confirm.
I was taking Myra E 400iU for about 2months and a half now.What I have noticed is that my period is always delayed.I already did some research but says vit. E has nothing to do with it.But being delayed happens this past 2months..Im not sexually active thats why It made me think that vit.E ,maybe the reason..
Hi there Raine, see article below on how Vitamin E affects the menstrual cycle: https://womanjunction.com/vitamin-e-and-the-menstrual-cycle/
I last saw my period on the third of last month, till date have not seen it have been having issues with my period for some years now. I just started taking ENAT 400 vitamin E.
Hello there Ruth, please see your doctor about this issue.
Since I take vitamin E, my period lasts for only 3 days with small amount of blood. Did myra E affect my menstrual cycle?
Hi there Rachel, please click the following link to read up on how Vitamin E affects the menstrual cycle:
https://womanjunction.com/vitamin-e-and-the-menstrual-cycle/
I’ve not seen my period once and I’m seventeen. I don’t know how long I should wait before I see it but I’ve been taking vitamin E.
Would really appreciate some answers.
Hello Peace, if you have never had a period and you are age seventeen then please see your doctor. All the best.
Should I also take Vitamin E during my period? Is it safe?
Hello Mary Jane Morales, Vitamin E should be safe to take during a period.