Period Food Cravings? Banish Them with Pure Balance Serotonin

If you struggle with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), you’re not alone. PMS results in various signs and symptoms, including mood swings, irritability, fatigue, and food cravings. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, over 90% of women say they get some form of PMS. 

The food cravings that often come with PMS are incredibly frustrating for those striving to reach or maintain a healthy weight. 

The process of cultivating your willpower and steadily making strides in the right direction only to be faced with the uncontrollable urge to indulge in ice cream sundaes and potato chips is enough to make you feel like giving up altogether. 

Thankfully, researchers are beginning to understand PMS and the food cravings that override all of our better choices. Understanding the cause of PMS cravings is the first step in managing them. 

What Causes Period Food Cravings?

The female menstrual cycle puts women’s bodies in a constant state of hormonal fluctuation and chemical changes. At each stage of the menstrual cycle, the body experiences dramatic hormone spikes or drops.

PMS food cravings align with three essential hormone levels – estrogen, cortisol, and serotonin. 

Estrogen

Estrogen is often considered to be a good hormone for women, as it boosts the body’s levels of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that also act as hormones and promote happiness, focus, calm, and productivity. 

However, estrogen levels can climb too high in the second half of the menstrual cycle, causing irritability. 

Cortisol 

Cortisol levels often fluctuate with the menstrual cycle, though they do not directly impact it. 

Cortisol acts as the stress hormone, shifting the body’s prioritization in times of danger. In addition, while cortisol can stimulate your energy levels, it also boosts your appetite. Elevated cortisol levels can cause cravings for fats and carbohydrates in particular.

Serotonin

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that also acts as a hormone. When working as a neurotransmitter, serotonin influences learning, memory, happiness, and mood regulation. 

When working as a pineal hormone, serotonin is essential for regulating sleep and female menstrual cycles. During PMS, serotonin levels drop, and the body craves carbohydrates, aiding in serotonin production. As cortisol rises and serotonin dips, the cravings for sugar and carbohydrates take over.

PureBalance™ Serotonin for Period Cravings

When looking at hormones’ effect on PMS-related food cravings, it seems all roads lead to serotonin. Estrogen levels influence serotonin. Additionally, cortisol and serotonin work together to control the types of foods you crave. High cortisol levels make your body crave sugar and carbohydrates. 

PureBalance™ Serotonin has the power to help manage the serotonin fluctuations women experience with their menstrual cycle.* Managing fluctuations in hormone levels can facilitate better sleep, reduce stress, and promote a positive outlook.*

How Does PureBalance™ Serotonin Work?

Unfortunately, supplementing the body’s serotonin levels is complicated. Since serotonin is a pineal hormone, it’s produced in the pineal gland in the brain. Attempting to boost serotonin levels with medications or supplements is a challenge due to the blood-brain barrier.

This barrier is a network of tissue and blood vessels tightly spaced to keep harmful substances from reaching the brain. The blood-brain barrier only allows certain entities, like water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and some general anesthetics to pass through. 

For this reason, any substance aiming to increase the production of hormones in the brain needs to have the capability to pass through the brain’s barriers.

Instead of simply adding more serotonin to the body, PureBalance™ Serotonin supplies the body with the building blocks it needs to produce more serotonin, namely 5-HTP.* 5-HTP is an amino acid that can easily pass the blood-brain barrier and produce serotonin in the brain. 

In contrast to oral serotonin supplements, oral 5-HTP can pass through the blood-brain barrier and furnish the body with the raw materials it needs to create more serotonin. 

In addition to 5-HTP, PureBalance™ Serotonin also includes active ingredients that aim to accomplish the same goals as serotonin, including vitamin D3, L-theanine, Rhodiola Rosea, and Relora®.*

What Are the Other Benefits of PureBalance™ Serotonin?

While PureBalance™ Serotonin’s primary purpose is to supply the body with the ingredients it needs to create more serotonin, the unique combination of ingredients provides even more mood, immunity, and weight control benefits.*

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D helps control how much calcium and phosphate the body absorbs from food. Calcium and phosphate are essential for bone health and supporting muscles, nerves, and basic body functions. 

Vitamin D comes in two forms, D2 and D3. While either form of vitamin D can meet your needs, D3 supplements are recommended because they are more effective at raising vitamin D levels and last longer in the body. 

The health benefits of vitamin D include:

• Strengthening bones and muscles*
• Boosting immunity*
• Improving mood*
• Reducing the inflammatory response*
• Improving heart health*

Research shows that up to 70% of the population may experience vitamin D insufficiency. So PureBalance™ Serotonin contains 67% of your daily value in one capsule.

L-Theanine

L-Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in green tea and black tea. L-theanine may support the balance of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. In addition, L-theanine may improve:

• Mental focus*
• Cognitive function*
• Sleep quality*
• Immune system performance*

In addition to offering both mental and physical support, ​​L-theanine has also been associated with reduced appetite and bolstering weight loss.*

Rhodiola Rosa

Rhodiola is an herb that grows in the cold mountains of Europe and Asia. The roots of Rhodiola are considered adaptogens, meaning their consumption can help your body adapt to stress. 

Long consumed in Russian and Scandanavian countries for its health benefits, Rhodiola (scientific name Rhodiola Rosa) has been shown to provide the following health benefits:

• Stress reduction*
• Fatigue alleviation*
• Mood improvement*
• Improved brain function*
• Improved exercise performance*

Since Rhodiola is a relatively rare plant, those hoping to reap its benefits often need to find it in tea or supplement form. Supplements like Quality of Life’s PureBalance™ Serotonin allow for more accurate dosing.*

Relora®

Relora® is Quality of Life’s proprietary blend of two herbal extracts, magnolia and Phellodendron bark. Studies show that this combination can reduce cortisol exposure and perceived daily stress while lowering fatigue. Lower cortisol and stress levels also support fewer food cravings and stress-related overeating. 

Fight Hormone-Related Cravings with PureBalance™ Serotonin

Those seeking new tools in fighting the food cravings that come with PMS have a comprehensive tool in Quality of Life’s PureBalance™ Serotonin. The unique formulation targets the significant concerns of PMS, allowing you to feel your best all month long.*