Nutrients lost during menstruation..?

Iron, what else? Magnesium? Manganese?

Calcium levels go way down. I take a mega dose of coral calcium every day from ovulation to menstruation and my PMS symptoms lessen considerably. INCLUDING my chocolate cravings, believe it or not!

I'm craving bran... a few nights ago before I got my period I ate 3 bran muffins (750 cal) an now i'm eating a whole box of total (like 800% my daily dose of iron)... I guess my body recognizes bran a the only source of iron I get so now I crave it??  i'm a vegetarian.

The most common losses are B vitamines thats why so many women crave Chocolate during ttom.  Chocolate tricks the brain into thinking its getting the B vitamines so thats what the brain craves.

I thought that was magnesium?  I can't find vitamin B in any of the chocolate nutrient info on CC.

If your on the pill -- the pills you take during your TTOTM are actually low iron supplements. Your body loses a lot of iron, and for people like me (I'm anemic) I have to take supplements.

betl5, I think that the chocolate craving is due to Magnesium not vitamin B.

Also, before menstruation, levels of the hormone progesterone are high-- Progesterone promotes fat storage thereby preventing its use as fuel; elevated pre-menstrual levels of progesterone may cause a periodic craving for fatty foods.

Vitamin B12, which you can only get from meat products.