Seed cycling is gaining in popularity in the past years through blogs by natural health care practitioners and amateurs alike. It has equally gained interest in academic research for many hormonally related conditions such as irregular periods, period pains, infertility, hot flashes and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)1.
Never heard of seed cycling? Read on for a quick guide conveniently broken down into the 5 Ws.
What?
Seed cycling / protocol / rotation diet, can be considered a hormone balancing nutritional approach in which 4 different types of seeds are rotated based on the phases of either:
- the menstrual cycle (for women in their fertile years) or
- the moon cycle (for postmenopausal women and men).
The myriads of nutrients compacted in the little seeds hide a plethora of health benefits. These seeds have been researched individually as functional foods, so to combine them together, and match them to specific times when they act the most supportively creates a gentle yet effective protocol.
How? and When?
The seeds are all relatively easy to find and cheap in cost considering the amount and the time you need to use it to get health benefits.
The protocol consists of taking daily the following seeds in their respective phases (of their menstrual cycle or of the moon cycle):
- Follicular phase or days 1 to 14:
- 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds
- 1 tbsp of ground pumpkin seeds
- Luteal phase or days 15 to 28:
- 1 tbsp of ground sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp of ground sunflower seeds
To get a refresher on the different phases of the menstrual cycle, give our last blog a read: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menstrual pains. For ones following the moon cycle, look up moon phases online.
Who?
Anyone can practice the seed protocol. It is most associated with women with menstrual disorders (missing periods, irregular periods, period pains, etc.), but post-menopausal women and men can all benefit from it. Reminder that seed cycling benefits hormones and everyone has hormones!
Why?
When hormones are adequately balanced, estrogen peaks in the follicular phase, while progesterone peaks in the luteal phase. These two phases and hormones of the menstrual cycle are the most involved when explaining seed cycling.
Follicular period (days 1 to 14) : Support estrogen reach its optimal peak, while avoiding excess. As with anything, more is not better, especially with hormones!
- Flax seeds contain lignans, a class of phytoestrogens with antioxidant properties. Phytoestrogens are plant-based compounds that have weak estrogenic effects while naturally supporting healthy estrogen production2.
- Flaxseed also possess the highest known source of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid3, which gives it its anti-inflammatory properties.
- Flaxseed has antioxidant and liver-supporting properties4. In the context of hormones, liver health is important to eliminate excess estrogen.
- Pumpkin seeds act as phytoestrogens, while containing a high percentage of zinc, a mineral that supports the gradual rise of progesterone production as the cycle approaches the luteal phase1.
Luteal phase (day 15 to 28): Support progesterone
- Sesame and sunflower seeds support progesterone production5 with their lignans and zinc, helping to block excess estrogen while progesterone rises2.
- They are a good source of vitamin E1, a strong anti-inflammatory molecule.
- Sunflower has a considerable amount of selenium, a mineral needed in estrogen detoxification1.
Tips and tricks from our naturopath:
- Grind your seeds as you go because seed oils can get rancid quickly. If it’s too much to grind seeds everyday, grind a quantity for a couple of days and store it in a cold, dark place (fridge or freezer). Grinding enhances surface area for optimal absorption of all the goodies.
- Find recipes to integrate the seeds so that taking them will be as easy as eating your afternoon bite-size energy ball.
- Oops! Got the seeds all mixed up? Remember that these seeds are used as functional foods in a nutritional approach. Their high nutrient content and potential to enhance reproductive health at all stages of the cycle shows that.
Happy grinding!
Our Adrien Gagnon Products to Support You in Seed Cycling
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SOS PMS: Chaste tree helps regulate estrogen levels⁶, while magnesium aids in muscle and nervous system relaxation
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SOS Periods: A product designed to relieve menstrual discomfort. Sweet fennel helps alleviate menstrual pain, and iron supports the formation of red blood cells.
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Mahapatra, Deeptimayee, Jwngsar Baro, and Mamoni Das. “Advantages of Seed Cycling Diet in Menstrual Dysfunctions: A Review Based Explanation.” The Pharma Innovation 12, no. 4 (April 1, 2023): 931–39. https://doi.org/10.22271/tpi.2023.v12.i4k.19683.
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“Seed Cycling Guide for Hormone Balance.” Accessed March 4, 2025. bit.ly/4hKxhtL
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Katare, Charu, Sonali Saxena, Supriya Agrawal, and Gbks Prasad. “Flax Seed: A Potential Medicinal Food.” Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences 02, no. 01 (2012). https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-9600.1000120.
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Kajla, Priyanka, Alka Sharma, and Dev Raj Sood. “Flaxseed—a Potential Functional Food Source.” Journal of Food Science and Technology 52, no. 4 (April 2015): 1857–71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-014-1293-y.
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Kour, Harpreet, C. Anitha, Vikrant Ghatnatti, Swetha Patil, and Deepti Kadeangadi. “Evaluation of Effect of Seed Cycling on Anthropometric, Biochemical, Hormonal and Nutritional Parameters in the Women Diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – A Cohort Interventional Study Design.” Journal of Natural Remedies, July 31, 2024, 1547–59. https://doi.org/10.18311/jnr/2024/36489.
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« Vitex agnus castus for premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder: a systematic review », Arch Womens Ment Health (2017) : https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-017-0791-0
