Is it normal to bloat before your period

Free Sample Shop Our Products. Take Action. Our World. Why do I bloat and gain weight during my cycle? Do your jeans start to feel a bit tighter in the days leading up to your period? Many women notice a slight fluctuation in weight and bloating throughout their cycle.

What causes period weight gain and bloating? How oestrogen causes bloating and weight gain An increase in oestrogen occurs in the days leading up to your period, which causes your body to retain more water and salt.

How progesterone causes bloating Equally, a decrease in progesterone which occurs just before your period can also slow down your digestive system and cause bloating. What are some remedies to help relieve the bloating? Avoid salty food Salty foods can increase the amount of water your body retains. Avoid refined carbohydrates Refined carbohydrates are not only hard to digest but they also spike your insulin levels, which causes the body to retain more water.

Try to cut back on takeout or restaurant food and packaged or processed snacks, which tend to be salt bombs. Dehydration can also make you constipated, making belly bloat even worse. So how much should you drink? This mineral is an electrolyte, meaning it can help regulate the balance of fluids in your system. Older findings show that supplementing with milligrams mg daily can ease mild premenstrual bloating. Talk with your doctor about popping a magnesium pill or make it a point to get more magnesium in your diet in the days before your bloating typically strikes.

Nuts, spinach, black beans, peanut butter, brown rice, and potatoes are all good sources. Like magnesium, potassium is an electrolyte that helps keep sodium levels in check and encourages the body to release excess water.

Vitamin B6 is kind of a PMS all-star. While research is limited and more quality studies are needed, B6 supplements may help ease PMS symptoms like bloating, breast tenderness, acne, and even mood changes like depression and irritability. You can pop a vitamin B complex supplement check with your doc first or get more B6-rich foods like chickpeas, tuna, salmon, chicken, turkey, and bananas.

Exercise keeps things in your gastrointestinal system moving, making it a go-to bloat fighter in general. It might be especially beneficial for bloating triggered by PMS since it boosts the production of hormones that normally take a dip right before your period. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below.

A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Healthy Lifestyle Women's health. Products and services. Water retention: Relieve this premenstrual symptom Water retention before your period can be annoying.

By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Many processed foods contain salt, so cooking meals at home using only fresh ingredients is one way to avoid excess salt.

Eating foods rich in potassium may help reduce period bloating. Research shows potassium decreases sodium levels and increases urine production. In this way, potassium may help reduce water retention and improve period bloating. If something is a diuretic, it means that it increases urine production.

Producing more urine helps the body to get rid of water. In this way, diuretics help to reduce water retention. Since water retention causes period bloating, diuretics may provide relief. Many foods have natural diuretic properties. Women who are looking to relieve period bloating may want to try eating more of these types of food. Diuretics are also available in pill form. A doctor may prescribe these if period bloating is more severe and other home treatments have not helped.

Many people believe drinking more water can help to improve water retention, by improving kidney function. If this is the case, drinking more water may help to improve period bloating. It should be noted, however, that there is no scientific evidence to support this presently.

Nevertheless, drinking more water improves hydration, which generally improves the way a person feels. For this reason, drinking more water is always worth a try. Refined carbohydrates , such as white flour and processed sugars, cause spikes in blood sugar levels. This increases the level of insulin in the blood, which causes the kidneys to retain more sodium.