Impact of Seed Cycling on Menstrual Regularity, Dysmenorrhea, and Premenstrual Symptoms

NCT07052500 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 5250289
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of seed cycling on menstrual regularity, cramps, and pre-menstrual symptoms in women with an irregular menstrual cycle and/or dysmenorrhea. The research seeks to provide evidence-based insights into the potential benefits of seed cycling as a holistic approach to women's reproductive health. It is expected that your participation will last 3 months. Procedures and Activities. You will be provided with and asked to consume specific seeds daily. The seeds are to be consumed as follows: follicular phase (the period from the first day of menstruation (day 1) to ovulation (day 14) in a typical 28-day cycle): 1 tablespoon flax seeds and 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, and luteal phase (the period between ovulation and the start of the next period; typically days 15-28): 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds. Before the intervention and once monthly for a total of 3 cycles, you will be asked to complete an online menstrual health symptom questionnaire (MHSQ) and keep track of your menstrual cycle days on the built-in health tracking app on your electronic device. Risks. Some of the foreseeable risks or discomforts of your participation include the potential for mild gastrointestinal side effects, the potential for allergic reactions, and the possibility of no significant benefit. Benefits. Possible benefits include the potential for improved menstrual cycle regularity, the potential for a reduction in premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms, and the potential for nutritional benefits. Societal benefits include additional knowledge on seed cycling to help manage menstrual regularity and PMS symptoms.

Conditions

Menstruation Disorders; Menstrual Cramps; Menstruation

Keywords

Seed Cycling; Menstrual Regularity; Dysmenorrhea; Premenstrual Symptoms

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in menstrual cycle from irregular to regular

  The primary endpoint for this study is the proportion of participants reporting a shift to regular menstrual cycles (defined as 21-35 days) after the 3-cycle intervention. This endpoint directly measures the efficacy of the intervention in achieving the primary objective: to determine the proportion of women who self-report a change from irregular to predominantly regular cycles.

  3 months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Change in menstrual cramp severity

  3 months

• Change in pre-menstrual symptoms

  3 months

Study Arms (1)

Seed Cycling single arm intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Subjects will receive sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed and sesame seeds during the intervention

Dietary Supplement: Seed Cycling

Interventions

Seed Cycling DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Daily consumption of 1 tablespoon each of flax and pumpkin seeds during the follicular phase and 1 tablespoon each of sunflower and sesame seeds during the luteal phase

Seed Cycling single arm intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Women ages 18-45 with an irregular menstrual cycle and/or menstrual cramps, and/or pre-menstrual symptoms. "Irregular"is defined as a cycle that deviates from the typical pattern of 21 to 35 days between periods
• Access to an electronic device with a built-in health tracking app that can connect to the internet and is capable of reading QR codes
• Speak and understandEnglish

You may not qualify if:

• Current or recent use (within the last 3 months) of hormonal birth control or hormone replacement therapy
• Currently pregnant, lactating, or planning pregnancy between now and December 2025
• Active gastrointestinal (GI) condition
• Currently consuming seed oil supplements
• Allergic to flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds
• Unable to chew or swallow flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds
• Daily, regular consumption of flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Loma Linda University: lead

Study Sites (1)

School of Allied Health Professions

Loma Linda, California, 92354, United States

Location

Related Publications (8)

• Cassioli E, Rossi E, Melani G, Faldi M, Rellini AH, Wyatt RB, Oester C, Vannuccini S, Petraglia F, Ricca V, Castellini G. The menstrual distress questionnaire (MEDI-Q): reliability and validity of the English version. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2023 Jun 19;39(1):2227275. doi: 10.1080/09513590.2023.2227275.

  PMID: 37356456 BACKGROUND

• Itani R, Soubra L, Karout S, Rahme D, Karout L, Khojah HMJ. Primary Dysmenorrhea: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment Updates. Korean J Fam Med. 2022 Mar;43(2):101-108. doi: 10.4082/kjfm.21.0103. Epub 2022 Mar 17.

  PMID: 35320895 BACKGROUND

• Attia GM, Alharbi OA, Aljohani RM. The Impact of Irregular Menstruation on Health: A Review of the Literature. Cureus. 2023 Nov 20;15(11):e49146. doi: 10.7759/cureus.49146. eCollection 2023 Nov.

  PMID: 38130524 BACKGROUND

• Vaziri F, Zamani Lari M, Samsami Dehaghani A, Salehi M, Sadeghpour H, Akbarzadeh M, Zare N. Comparing the effects of dietary flaxseed and omega-3 Fatty acids supplement on cyclical mastalgia in Iranian women: a randomized clinical trial. Int J Family Med. 2014;2014:174532. doi: 10.1155/2014/174532. Epub 2014 Aug 13.

  PMID: 25197571 BACKGROUND

• Matar SS, Farrag AA, Hafez SM, Fahmy RM. The Bioactive Effect of Flaxseed on Women with the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Egyptian Journal of Nutrition. 2021;36(3):49-77. doi: 10.21608/enj.2021.209919

  BACKGROUND

• Haidari F, Banaei-Jahromi N, Zakerkish M, Ahmadi K. The effects of flaxseed supplementation on metabolic status in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized open-labeled controlled clinical trial. Nutr J. 2020 Jan 24;19(1):8. doi: 10.1186/s12937-020-0524-5.

  PMID: 31980022 BACKGROUND

• Phipps WR, Martini MC, Lampe JW, Slavin JL, Kurzer MS. Effect of flax seed ingestion on the menstrual cycle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1993 Nov;77(5):1215-9. doi: 10.1210/jcem.77.5.8077314.

  PMID: 8077314 BACKGROUND

• Rasheed N, Ahmed A, Nosheen F, Imran A, Islam F, Noreen R, Chauhan A, Shah MA, Amer Ali Y. Effectiveness of combined seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flaxseed): As adjacent therapy to treat polycystic ovary syndrome in females. Food Sci Nutr. 2023 Mar 25;11(6):3385-3393. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3328. eCollection 2023 Jun.

  PMID: 37324929 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Menstruation Disturbances; Dysmenorrhea

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pelvic Pain; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms

Central Study Contacts

Lesley Ann Foster- Nicholas, DrPH, MPH, RDN

CONTACT

9095581000; lfosternicholas@llu.edu

Victoria LLerena, BS

CONTACT

VLlerena@students.llu.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 26, 2025
• First Posted: July 4, 2025
• Study Start: May 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): November 1, 2026
• Last Updated: January 30, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)