If you’re savvy about health and know that you can accomplish a lot with supplements, you may be wondering what supplements to take for menstrual bloating.

Well actually, there are three primary types of supplements for this purpose. You could take herbal supplements for menstrual bloating, vitamin supplements for PMS bloating, and mineral supplements as well.

3 Natural Herbs to Relieve PMS Bloating

For centuries in cultures where women depended on the plants around them, herbal supplements for menstrual bloating were used widely. The women might go to the witch doctor, herbalist or shaman who would have the herbs ready for them to use, or he/she might tell the women to go out into the forest to get a specific plant. The healer would then instruct them what to do with the herbs.

It’s a lot easier these days, as you can find widely available herbs read to purchase in capsules, extracts, powder form and tinctures.

Red raspberry is a female hormone balancer, so if your PMS bloating is due to hormones out of whack, this herb will help. Herbalists have known for centuries that a cup of red raspberry tea taken once daily is one of the most helpful things for women.

Wild Yam is another herb – well really it’s a food, too – that can help regulate your female hormones. By providing a source of progesterone that’s natural, you can naturally reduce bloating.

Chasteberry is another herb that helps balance the reproductive hormones, estrogen and progesterone, and thus can indirectly relieve PMS bloating.

4 Vitamins to Help With Period Bloating

The easiest way to take vitamin supplements for PMS bloating is to take a period vitamin, which is one formulated specifically for preventing symptoms of PMS from ruling your life during your period which is about 25% of your life. It’s always best to take all the vitamins and minerals together instead of them one by one.

A period vitamin includes just about everything you need. For example, it will contain vitamin C and vitamin B6 since these both are diuretics. It will include vitamin B1 and niacin because deficiency of these can contribute greatly to PMS bloating as well as other digestive system complaints.

A Vitamin C tablet plus a B complex will do you the most good if you’re trying to save money and are afraid to take a period vitamin. However, your results will be better if you take a period vitamin instead. By the way, when you take your B complex, don’t take it after 4 p.m. since it has a tendency to keep people awake at night if taken too late in the day.

3 Mineral Supplements That Could Reduce PMS Bloating

Calcium is important for reducing bloating, depression, mood swings, and pain of PMS, according to a study performed in Boston at a major medical center. Women should consume 800 mg calcium daily, and if they’ve been low for awhile, it’s not uncommon for nutritionists to recommend 2000 mg per day.

Magnesium reduces inflammation in the body as well as swelling, and it’s effective for PMS. Consider it essential for your list of what supplements to take for menstrual bloating. Magnesium is something that many people are low in, taking a supplement of 400 mg or 500 mg once daily is plenty. Taking too much can cause electrolyte imbalances.

Another mineral that could help with period bloating is boron. Boron is essential for your body to make estrogen and progesterone, and without it, you’ll have hormone irregularities. Boron comes in supplement doses of 3 mg per capsule. One is enough for the day.

Always check with a qualified nutritionist and herbalist before you plunge into taking herbs and supplements.