Ladies, did you know that there is a strong connection between your period and your immune system?⠀
That’s right. Your immune system intuitively flows with your menstrual cycle.⠀
As if the femxle body wasn’t brilliant already!
This is called Female Cyclical Immunity
During ovulation (roughly halfway through your cycle), your immune system pulls back just in case you become pregnant - your body knows not to attack the foreign DNA of the embryo.
Although your immune system is a bit suppressed during the luteal phase (post ovulation), if you don't become pregnant, your body wakes up your immune system in a big way when you start your period.
Our immune system kicks back into gear for all of us, and sometimes it might come back a bit too strong. This is especially true for those with more period pain - immunity and inflammation come as a pair.
Remember, immunity and inflammation are absolutely necessary for our bodies to function well. When we have inflammation anywhere in the body, it is a result of the immune system being activated. However when we experience chronic stress due to lifestyle, disease, environment, our bodies have too much inflammation - inflammation on top of inflammation.
And excess inflammation during our periods mean that we are have worse bloating, cramps and headaches. And that inflammation also affects how our brains work, which is a big reason we have bigger mood swings when our bodies are inflamed.
This is why cycle synching is key to help balance your hormones AND help to maintain a strong immune system.
Here is what’s happening to your immune system, during each cycle phase:
Menstruation
Your menstrual week can be stressful for the immune system - and this is due in part to the fluctuation of your hormones. When you’re bleeding, estrogen and progesterone are low which makes a vast difference on your immune health. For those with autoimmunity, the inflammation experienced during the menstruation (the kind associated with cramping and bloating) can make chronic AI symptoms worse. And stress, including anxiety and mood swings, also experienced during menstruation, can greatly affect your immune system. Stress elevates cortisol levels and elevated cortisol levels can weaken the immune system.
Follicular
Estrogen levels during the follicular phase are rising, as the ovaries are preparing to release an egg. High levels of estrogen are responsible for a stronger immune response, with immune cells having a higher response to outside infections. However, this may also mean that immune cells have a heightened response to the body’s own cells (making this especially sensitive for those with autoimmune dis-ease). Whether estrogen is supportive or weakening to the immune system, is still being debated.
Ovulation
After the ovaries release an egg, in preparation for a potential pregnancy, estrogen levels drop back down. During this period, the immune system drops to accommodate potential sperm into the body. Research is showing that womxn are more prone to catching infections and viruses during this mid-way point of their cycle, because of the lowered immune response.
Luteal
Susceptibility to infection is higher during the luteal phase of the hormonal cycle. And this is due in part to the rise of progesterone, preparing the body for bleeding if a pregnancy does not occur. A 2017 study supports that “progesterone can lower the ability to fight infections that can affect reproductive, gastrointestinal, and respiratory tracts.”
Understanding what is happening to the totality of your body during each phase, is key to not only balancing your hormones overall, but also in helping your body to stay healthy and resilient. When you make choices that best support your health and lifestyle for each cycle, you nurture your body in the ways that it needs for that given time.