Wellness
These $25 PMS Gummies Make My Period So Much Better
The Gen Z-founded brand Cycl. has been a godsend during that time of the month.
Every three weeks, like clockwork, I’ll start to feel different. My mood will plummet, I’ll be bloated and achy, and I’ll notice that nearly everything makes my eyes glisten with tears. Text from a friend? A #hopecore video on TikTok? A song with a few too many heart-wrenching minor chords? Cue the waterworks.
Once the deep fatigue sets in, that’s when I know for sure my PMS is officially back. This time of the month hits hard, so I was intrigued by the idea of taking the new gummies from Cycl., which were made to help relieve PMS symptoms.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) has so many of these annoying side effects. According to Dr. Jillian LoPiano, an OB/GYN and chief health officer at Wisp, these include mood swings, breast tenderness, cravings, crankiness and irritability, anxiety, and even depression. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s estimated that as many as three out of every four people who menstruate will have these symptoms — and it can truly mess up your entire week.
Personally, I’ll cancel plans and stay home to wallow in my bloated bad mood, and I have friends who say they’ll even call out of work. PMS tends to kick in when your hormones shift leading up to your period, which is why I like to track my cycle and follow a go-to protocol that includes plenty of relaxation, but these tricks never cure me completely.
While the benefits of the gummies immediately grabbed my attention, it also doesn’t hurt that they have hundreds of positive reviews, too. Here’s what it was like to give Cycl. a try, along with my honest review.
Fast Facts
- Price: $24.99
- Best for: PMS-related symptoms like fatigue, mood swings, bloating
- My rating: 4/5
- What I like: Natural, nice strawberry flavor, vegan, effective
What To Know About Cycl.
The tagline for Cycl. is “get ready to slay your period,” which is so fitting since 15-year-old Zoe Leffler started the Gen Z-founded brand. When intense PMS symptoms started preventing Leffler from playing sports, she decided to take matters into her own hands and add something to the market that would provide relief.
Cycl. contains herbs and extracts designed to support people with periods at every stage of their cycle, so taking them every day is recommended. The squishy, strawberry-flavored gummies are vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and made with ingredients and extracts that should help you sail through your menstrual cycle with fewer ups and downs.
First up is Chasteberry Extract, which is said to help balance the hormones that rise and fall during PMS, like progesterone and prolactin. According to traditional Chinese medicine, this fruit could also reduce mood swings and breast tenderness — which, IMO, are some of the most annoying issues associated with PMS.
Cycl.’s gummies also contain Dong Quai, another fruit used in Chinese medicine to help reduce and relieve period pain and dysmenorrhoea*. Then there’s a dose of Vitamin B6 that further supports the emotional side effects of PMS, like depression. The gummy synthesized hormones like progesterone to produce neurotransmitters like GABA, dopamine, and serotonin.
The gummies contain a dash of Lemon Balm, too. This herb can help reduce anxiety and stress by calming the nervous system. It can also reduce camps and bloating via its pain-relieving properties, and it might even help improve your mood and sleep.
When I asked Dr. LoPiano about supplements and how they might help PMS, she said that several vitamins and minerals have been investigated for the relief of PMS. She says more studies need to be done, but some nutrients — like vitamin B6 — have data that show it helps relieve symptoms like low mood.
As a bonus, 50% of the profits from Cycl. are donated to SafiCycle, powered by LifeStraw. This charity aims to provide reusable underwear, hygiene materials, and education support for school-age menstruating people in Kenya.
My Experience
I cracked open my bottle of Cycl. gummies a week or two before my period was set to start — and I haven’t stopped taking them. At the time PMS already had me in its clutches, as evidenced by the fact I wanted to rot in bed a little more often than usual.
While I know all about the placebo effect, I swear I felt a little lighter and happier a few hours after the first serving, and it also seems like my usual PMS symptoms have been less intense ever since. The idea is to take two vitamins every day so your body will always have what it needs to keep your hormones even-keeled, and it seems to be doing the trick for me.
Since it all seemed too good to be true I searched for product reviews to validate what I was feeling. On the Target website, one person said, “Tastes delicious and I've noticed my period symptoms have decreased TENFOLD. My cramps are much less, much less stress, and moodiness. I couldn't recommend more!” Another called the gummies “magical,” adding that they now feel calmer and more balanced overall.
While I’m not completely relieved of my PMS symptoms — I still had some pretty hellacious cramps once my period hit — my latest cycle was definitely easier on me both physically and mentally. I’ll thank the Chasteberry extract for balancing my hormones so I’m a little less tearful and the Lemon Balm for keeping my mood even-keeled leading up to my monthly period.
The Takeaway
While I already pop a daily multivitamin, magnesium, and a few other supplements, I’m always down to try one or two additional elixirs, especially if they promise to improve my mood. The herbs included in Cycl. do have scientific evidence to back up their effectiveness, and there’s also plenty of positive anecdotal evidence to prove these gummies work, along with all the positive perks I’ve noticed on my own.
That said, everyone’s hormones are different, so what works for one person might not work for someone else. It’s also always a good idea to check with your doctor before adding new supplements to your routine.
If supplements aren’t helping, Dr. LoPiano says other ways to relieve PMS symptoms include exercise and lots of sleep. “I also encourage patients to assess and tweak their diet and lifestyle — for example, avoid caffeine and alcohol, minimize day-to-day stressors, and of course, hydrate.”
Additionally, I haven’t detected any weird side effects with these gummies, which is good to note when adding something unique to your diet. I’m definitely going to keep Cycl. in my daily rotation. If it makes me even 1% happier during my annoying PMS week, then it’s 100% worth it to me.
Source:
Dr. Jillian LoPiano, OB/GYN, chief health officer at Wisp
Studies referenced:
Bano, A. (2023). The possible "calming effect" of subchronic supplementation of a standardised phospholipid carrier-based Melissa officinalis L. extract in healthy adults with emotional distress and poor sleep conditions: results from a prospective, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Front Pharmacol. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1250560.
Ghazizadeh, J. (2021). The effects of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) on depression and anxiety in clinical trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytother Res. doi: 10.1002/ptr.7252.
Kennedy, DO. (2016). B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy — A Review. Nutrients. doi: 10.3390/nu8020068.
Page, RL 2nd. (1999). Potentiation of warfarin by dong quai. Pharmacotherapy. 1999 Jul;19(7):870-6. doi: 10.1592/phco.19.10.870.31558.
Scholey, A. (2014). Anti-stress effects of lemon balm-containing foods. Nutrients. doi: 10.3390/nu6114805.
van Die, MD. (2013). Vitex agnus-castus extracts for female reproductive disorders: a systematic review of clinical trials. Planta Med. doi: 10.1055/s-0032-1327831.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
