Menstrual Disorders

The maternal instincts of a woman arise almost entirely from the female hormones within her body.



These hormones are produced in a pair of almond-shaped organs, known as the ovaries. They are situated deep within the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus or womb.

The two major female hormones are estrogen and progesterone. These hormones give the woman strength and the stamina and are largely responsible for the peculiarly feminine shape of her body. The ovaries start producing large quantities of estrogen, the dominant female hor¬mone when a girl reaches about 12 years of age. This enables her to grow rapidly and develop into a normal young woman. The commencement of menstruations at this time heralds the reproductive phase of her life, when she can have children. This phase may last for about 35 years.

The menstrual flow is connected with the female function of ovulation or the passing of the egg cell or ovum from the ovary to the womb ready for fertilization. It is a provision of nature to cleanse the inner surface of the womb and enable reproduction to take place normally. The flow normally lasts for about four days and has a rhythm of some 28 days.

The main problems relating to menstrual flow are premenstrual tension, painful menstruation, stoppage of menstruation and excessive menstruation. These disorders are quite common, but they are not normal. Healthy women, living according to natural laws and eating a diet of natural food do not suffer from the monthly ordeal. Most menstrual disorders are caused by nutritional deficiencies, which lead to deficiency and improper metabolism of the female sex hormones.

Types of Menstrual Disorders:

The types of disorders are discussed briefly in the following lines:

Pre-menstrual tension and menstrual cramps:

Just before menstruation, some women become nervous and irritable.



They suffer from depression, headaches, and fullness in the breasts, insomnia and swelling in the lower extremities. Studies have shown that starting from 10 days prior to menstruation, when the ovaries are the least active, the blood calcium drops steadily and progressively. As the decreased blood calcium induces stress, the production of cortisone and aldosterone are stimulated and salt and water are retained in the body. This results in the symptoms of the pre-menstrual tension.

The blood calcium drops still further on the first day of menstruation, causing muscular cramps in the uterus and sometimes elsewhere in the body. Convulsions may occur if the blood calcium drops dangerously low. Both premenstrual tension and menstrual cramps can be pre¬vented if adequate calcium is obtained and efficiently absorbed. Since more calcium is retained when magnesium and vitamin D are adequate, it is essential to take sufficient amounts of vitamin D, calcium and magnesium daily prior to and during menstruation in case of pre-menstrual tension.

Dysmenorrhoea

Painful menstruation or dysmenorrhoea, as it is called in medical parlance, is a very common occurrence these days. This disorder is traceable to a debilitated and toxic condition of the system in general and of the sex organs in particular due to wrong feeding, wrong style of living and nervous exhaustion. The pain may be felt either two or three days before or immediately before or during the flow.

Pain starting two or three days before the flow usualy shows that the ovaries are not functioning properly. This is a glandular malfunction and a carefully planned natural diet will usually put matters right. For local treatment, hot hipbaths on alternate nights for a week before the period is due will be highly beneficial. Between periods, the cold hip baths will increase the tone of the ovaries.

Pain immediately before the flow commences is indicative of uterine flexion, which means that the position of the womb is abnormal. A professional examination should be arranged to ascertain the position of the womb and corrective exercises undertaken under professional advice. Uterine flexion often occurs in women who are so thin that they have lost internal fat and the ligament, on which the womb is suspended. General treatment along the dietetic lines is essential along with corrective exercises.

When the pain occurs during menstruation, it usually means that the womb itself is inflamed. This condition can be relieved by proper attention to diet and hot hip baths just before the period is due and cold hip baths between the periods. The hot hip bath is generally taken for eight to ten minutes at a water temperature of 100° F which can be gradually increase to 120°F. The cold hipbath should be taken for 10 to 15 minutes at a water temperature of 50° to 65°F.

Menorrhagia or excessive menstruation:

Profuse menstrual flow is common in certain women and usually denotes a blood deficiency, especially blood calcium. A variety of causes may be responsible for this trouble, but a toxic condition of the system is at the root of the matter.



It is essential to keep the patient absolutely quiet and confined to bed. The bottom of the bed should be raised four to five inches. In case of excessive bleeding, a gauze may be inserted in the vagina as a temporary measure.

For the first few days the diet should consist only of milk and raw vegetables. No stimulants should be taken, as they tend to increase the flow. When the bleeding has stopped, great care should be taken to avoid over exercising or straining the body in any manner. A full natural diet should then be adopted using fresh raw vegetable salads twice daily. As a long-term measure, what is needed is a scheme of treatment, which will thoroughly cleanse the system of toxic material.