What is seed cycling?

The rationale behind the method is that the seeds will help the body have a healthy balance between estrogen and progesterone. In turn, this is meant to help regulate the menstrual cycle and improve fertility, and it’s also been claimed to reduce symptoms of PMS, PCOS, endometriosis, and menopause.

Seed cycling itself is not new, but it has gotten more attention and become more widespread in recent years through social media and the wellness industry.

How does seed cycling work?

In principle, seed cycling is easy, but it helps to know a bit about the menstrual cycle before getting started.

There are two main phases in the menstrual cycle: the follicular phase (before ovulation) and the luteal phase (after ovulation), and each phase is regulated by certain sex hormones. The main female sex hormones are estrogen and progesterone. 

Estrogen levels are higher at the start of the cycle during the follicular phase while the body prepares to ovulate. Later, during the luteal phase, the levels of progesterone are higher to prepare the body for a potential pregnancy. 

When you practice seed cycling, you eat seeds to support the hormones in each cycle phase – flaxseed and pumpkin seeds during the follicular phase to support estrogen, and sunflower and sesame seeds during the luteal phase to support progesterone. According to the method’s guidelines, it’s recommended to do this for at least three months.

How to do seed cycling

The most common version of seed cycling is to follow a 28-day cycle, assuming that ovulation happens on day 14. Here’s how to do it:

• Eat 1-2 tablespoons each of ground flax and pumpkin seeds per day during days 1-14
• Eat 1-2 tablespoons each of ground sunflower and sesame seeds per day during days 15-28

A question that might come to mind here is what to do if your cycle doesn’t follow the 28-day pattern (which most don’t – only 13% of cycles are 28 days long, according to our study of over 600,000 cycles). If you’re tracking your cycle and ovulation, you can eat flax and pumpkin seeds during the follicular phase and sunflower and sesame seeds during the luteal phase (if you’re using Natural Cycles, you’re able to know when you ovulate and can adapt accordingly). However, even if you usually have a different cycle length than 28 days, it’s still often recommended to follow the 28-day cycle when seed cycling and to eat each batch of seeds for 14 days. 

How seeds affect hormones

Why does seed cycling claim to balance hormones? Well, there are two main ways in which the seeds used could potentially affect our hormones (although more research is needed in this area – more on that later). 

The first is that the seeds used in seed cycling contain lignans, which is a type of phytoestrogen (a chemical compound that can be found in plants). Lignans have some similar traits to estrogen, and they can both have estrogen-like properties or block the effects of estrogen. 

In theory, eating seeds that contain lignans may boost estrogen levels when needed, and it may also block excess estrogen, balancing estrogen levels so that there’s enough estrogen in the follicular phase and not too much in the luteal phase. 

The second way in which seed cycling is claimed to balance hormones is by boosting progesterone levels, which happens due to the minerals and vitamins that the seeds contain.

Basically, the idea is that when eating flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds in the follicular phase, the lignans help make sure that estrogen levels are optimal. Pumpkin seeds also contain zinc, so eating them in the follicular phase is meant to help with progesterone production ahead of the luteal phase.

Switching to sesame and sunflower seeds in the luteal phase is claimed to help boost progesterone levels as they contain lots of zinc and vitamin E, which are good for progesterone production. At the same time, the lignans in sesame seeds help make sure that estrogen levels don’t get too high in the luteal phase.

Is there any science to support that seed cycling balances hormones?

Research into seed cycling and how it may affect the menstrual cycle and our hormones is limited, so it’s hard to give a clear-cut answer to this question.

There have been some smaller studies that have shown promising results. For example, one study of 90 women with PCOS found that diet control (controlled portion sizes) and seed cycling improved hormone levels, but it’s not possible to distinguish which change led to the improvement.

Another small study on 45 women with PCOD (Polycystic Ovarian Disease) found that exercise in combination with a seed cycling regime gave better results than an exercise-only regime to improve blood glucose, stress, and anxiety, and came to the conclusion that nutrition plays an important role here.

Flaxseed, in particular, has also been the subject of some research. One small study compared the cycles of 18 women who ate their regular diet for three cycles and added a flaxseed supplement for another three cycles. The results showed that there were no anovulatory cycles (cycles with no ovulation) during the cycles where they ate flaxseed (compared to three during the control cycles). The luteal phase was also significantly longer on average during the cycles where the participants ate flaxseed. 

A review article (which summarizes studies done on this subject) concluded that more research is needed to investigate how seed cycling affects different hormonal conditions since the body of research on this topic so far has been inconclusive. However, the article points out that the seeds used in seed cycling can be included in a healthy diet to help promote good hormonal health, as they are a good source of minerals and healthy fats.

All in all, this needs to be studied further, but there are some potential benefits to including seeds in our diet, especially when this is combined with a generally healthy lifestyle. If you have any questions or concerns about changing your diet, it’s always good to talk to your healthcare provider.

What causes hormonal imbalance?

There are several things that can cause hormonal imbalances, and this includes both temporary lifestyle-related factors and more permanent conditions, for example:

• Puberty, pregnancy, and menopause – during certain stages of life, hormonal changes are natural and happen more than usual.
• Stress – stress can have a big impact on our health in general and can also cause hormonal imbalances.
• Medication or steroid use – it’s always good to discuss with your healthcare professional before taking medication if you wonder if they may affect your hormones.
• Tumors or damage to an endocrine gland, like the thyroid or adrenal glands.
• Certain autoimmune conditions, like Grave’s disease or Addison’s disease. 

Symptoms of hormonal imbalance can vary a lot and range from fatigue to sudden and unexplained weight loss or weight gain, irregular cycles, or depression. If you have been diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance or you think you may have a hormonal imbalance, you should contact your doctor so that they can do the appropriate tests and find a treatment solution for you. While seed cycling can be a part of a healthy routine, is important to keep in mind that it’s not a substitute for medical treatment.

Do seeds have other health benefits?

Hormonal health aside, seeds are a great addition to a balanced diet since they are a good source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats, along with a range of minerals and vitamins. They have also been shown to have other health benefits. 

• Flaxseed – contains omega-3, vitamin B, and minerals like copper, magnesium, and zinc, as well as lignans. Overall, flaxseed has been linked with reduced cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure, and helping to prevent certain kinds of cancers.
• Sesame seeds – contain vitamins E and B6, as well as minerals like selenium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, and calcium, which is good for bone health. They have also been suggested to reduce risk factors of heart disease by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. and may have some anticancer properties. 
• Sunflower seeds – contain a lot of vitamin E and selenium, and they have been linked with health benefits like lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as lowering blood sugar.
• Pumpkin seeds – a good source of antioxidants, iron, zinc, and magnesium. They may promote good heart health, lower blood pressure, and blood sugar, and may also have some anti-cancer properties.

What other dietary changes can I make to regulate my menstrual cycle?

There’s a lot of different advice out there on ways to optimize your health, and it can be hard to navigate sometimes. While it’s always a good idea for overall health to eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly, there are also some other things you can do that may be beneficial at certain points in the menstrual cycle. For example, cutting out alcohol and limiting caffeine may help reduce PMS. 

Additionally, cycle irregularities can happen due to being either overweight or underweight, and both weight loss and gain can have an impact on our hormones. If you have questions about changing your diet, it’s a good idea to speak with your healthcare professional for guidance. 

Learn more about your hormones with Natural Cycles

Here at Natural Cycles, we feel it’s important that you have the knowledge you need to take charge of your own health. The Natural Cycles app is a non-hormonal method that can be used both for birth control and for planning a pregnancy. The app also makes it easy for you to track physical and emotional changes throughout the cycle so you can learn more about your hormonal health. Why not find out if Natural Cycles is right for you today?