By Maya Ling BHSc Clinical Nutritionist
Ever wondered how you can make the smallest change or choice to your diet and reap HUGE benefits? Let me introduce you to Active Collagens medical hot chocolate powder, Active Cycle.
As a clinical nutritionist I see the volume of people who are living with high everyday stress levels and, or as well as, monthly menstrual cycle irregularities. Although common, this is for sure not normal – even if society tends to categorise these matters into some level of normalcy.
Reducing stress and working on individual stress management practices is something I encourage for most people. Whether that be reading before bed to reduce screen time, taking a few deep belly breaths before eating a meal or, in this case, slowly enjoying a hot cup of cacao in the evening. And *spoiler alert* usually when we work on reducing stress women’s’ menstrual cycle health improves in unison.
Active Collagens’ Active Cycle hot chocolate powder is specially formulated for supporting the menstrual cycle whilst also packed with stress supporting nutrients. Let’s take a deep dive into some of these superstar nutrients.
Cacao
Not only is cacao delicious and comforting, but it also packs a therapeutic punch. Although its overconsumption in chocolate form is usually in relation to an emotional response, cacao does offer positive mood enhancing benefits in return. These mood enhancing effects are connected to a release of feel-good neurotransmitters such as serotonin, often referred to as our happy hormone.
For menstrual cycle support cacaos benefits are extensive. One valuable benefit is that cacao is rich in iron, which is a crucial factor in supplying oxygen to the cells of our bodies via the protein in red blood cells known as haemoglobin. Due to the volume of blood lost through monthly menstruation women are often deficient in this key mineral. Think symptoms of low energy, shortness of breath and dizziness upon standing to name a few symptoms of iron deficiency.
Lean into cacao during your luteal and menstrual phases. This is when low mood and fatigue are more likely to occur but remember to opt for over 70% cacao dark chocolate varieties and cacao based hot chocolate powders, like Active Cycle, to gain the above benefits.
Magnesium
Magnesium is one mineral that everyone should be considering as its depleted in many individuals from high stress, exercise, smoking and caffeine intake. Unlike other nutrients, magnesium is hard to obtain optimal amounts from our food due to depleted soil nutrients.
Magnesium offers incredible effects for reducing the stress response and promoting the rest and digest state of the body. It achieves this through its ability to regulate cortisol levels – our major stress hormone – and in the production and activity of GABA, which promotes a state of calm and helps to reduce anxiety. It is also a natural muscle relaxant and is known to ease menstrual cramps, and even act as a prophylactic against them, in women that experience monthly pelvic pain around their cycle.
Active Cycle contains magnesium in the form of an amino acid chelate which means that when ingested this form has improved absorption and bioavailability for use in the body.
Ashwagandha
Much like magnesium, ashwagandha has stress reducing superpowers. Ashwagandha, or withania somnifera, is within the class of adaptogenic herbs. The name gives it away, but adaptogens are predominantly used to help the body adapt to stress during periods of increased or chronic stress. How? By regulation of our cortisol levels, improving sleep quality and stimulating the release of GABA. All by the activity of its little active compounds known as withaferin.
Although its effects are generally beneficial to anyone experiencing times of chronic stress, it also acts as an anxiolytic – reducing anxiety. This is why you may find it present in tinctures prescribed to women who experience heightened pre-menstrual anxiety. Though if you do feel extra anxious around your bleed there’s nothing a nourishing hot chocolate can’t fix.
B Vitamins
The B’s, where do I even begin? From energy production to mood regulation, B vitamins provide a heck of a lot of support for stress and menstrual cycle regulation. The class of B vitamins includes B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9 and B12, and they all have a role to play.
A biological process where B vitamins really shine is in the process of methylation. Within this cycle, methylation is key for producing our neurotransmitters such as GABA and serotonin, and without the right B vitamins available this becomes impaired. Which is when we see symptoms of dysregulated mood such as with PMS and PMDD. For instance, low levels of vitamin B6 are commonly found in women who frequently experience PMDD.
Supporting the body’s levels of B vitamins is key for being able to efficiently produce enough energy. During the luteal and menstrual phases energy levels can feel naturally lower and can show up alongside symptoms of irritability, sleep disturbances and emotional changes. Not to mention B vitamins are one of the first to go – alongside magnesium – when experiencing levels of chronic stress.
These are just 4 of the ingredients that are in a cup of Active Cycle’s medicinal hot chocolate. Keen to swap out your regular hot chocolate for Active Cycle to reap the benefits this winter? Grab your very own here.
Nehlig A. (2013). The neuroprotective effects of cocoa flavanol and its influence on cognitive performance. British journal of clinical pharmacology, 75(3), 716–727. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04378.x
Kapper, C., Oppelt, P., Ganhör, C., Gyunesh, A. A., Arbeithuber, B., Stelzl, P., & Rezk-Füreder, M. (2024). Minerals and the Menstrual Cycle: Impacts on Ovulation and Endometrial Health. Nutrients, 16(7), 1008. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16071008
Salve, J., Pate, S., Debnath, K., & Langade, D. (2019). Adaptogenic and Anxiolytic Effects of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study. Cureus, 11(12), e6466. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.6466
Retallick-Brown, H., Blampied, N., & Rucklidge, J. J. (2020). A Pilot Randomized Treatment-Controlled Trial Comparing Vitamin B6 with Broad-Spectrum Micronutrients for Premenstrual Syndrome. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 26(2), 88–97. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2019.0305
