Women's Health & Hormones
Naturopathy & Nutritional Medicine
22/07/2025
Hypericum perforatum or more commonly known as St Johns Wort has been used for mental health conditions for many years! Although I love and live for natural medicine, this is something you should definitely be careful with as it can interact with many medications. Particularly antidepressants! This is because it increases serotonin, dopamine and GABA.
Not only is it beneficial for mental health conditions it has also been studied to improve PMS symptoms. Not just the mental health symptoms of PMS such as anxiety, depression or moodiness but also physical symptoms too. That’s because it also plays a key role in decreasing inflammation so symptoms such as cramping may also reduce.
I love seeing how St Johns Wort can really improve someone’s quality of life but I don’t recommend taking it without talking to a health professional. If you take any medication please do not take St Johns Wort unless you thoroughly discuss with your doctor as they can interact with each other.
If anxiety or depression are really making life difficult for you prior to your period and you don’t take any other medication maybe pop in for a quick consult and we can look at St Johns Wort.
26/03/2024
Vitamin C 🌿
Vitamin C is such an important nutrient because the body can’t make it for itself so it means we can only get vitamin C through our diet. It is also a water soluble vitamin meaning you can’t store it and “bank” it for later meaning you need to be making sure you get enough vitamin C every day!
Although we need to make sure we obtain adequate amounts of vitamin C we also don’t want to over do it either! Studies have shown that vitamin C absorption decreases to around 50% when consumption of vitamin C exceeds 1000mg and as mentioned, you can’t store it so it just ends up in the toilet. Exceeding intake of 3000mg of Vitamin C can also cause some digestive issues and often can result in diarrhoea as it will act as an osmotic laxative.
Why is Vitamin C important? It’s an antioxidant so it reduces free radicals and therefore the damage and inflammation these free radicals cause, it increases the absorption of plant based iron sources, supports the immune system and wound healing, plays a role in collagen production, required for norepinephrine synthesis and production of cortisol.
Luckily Vitamin C can be found in a variety of foods such as: berries, kiwi fruit, oranges, lemons, limes, guava, blackcurrants, broccoli, snow peas, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, capsicums, kale and pawpaw. Although it is abundant in foods, vitamin C is really affected by heat so its best to try and eat some of these foods raw. Vitamin C diminishes quite quickly once a fruit or vegetable has been picked so try to eat as fresh and locally grown as possible. Might be a great excuse to start growing some of your own strawberries!
The recommended daily intake for an adult in Australia for vitamin C each day is 45mg, that is equivalent to about half a cup of strawberries!
11/03/2024
Lemon balm is often used for its calming nature or sleep enhancing properties but it can also be used for premenstrual syndrome syndrome. It is theorised that this is due to this herbs effect on the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter which is known to have a calming effect.
There are only a few studies on lemon balm but there is evidence showing that there is decrease in PMS symptoms and increase in quality of life after supplementation of lemon balm. The only downside to these results are that they have often been used in small sample sizes and results have shown the best results after at least two months of supplementation.
This herb has also previously been used for diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting for the antispasmodic properties. Therefore it has been suggested that lemon balm would be beneficial for those women who suffer from pain and increased IBS symptoms during menstruation.
There is a study comparing antidepressants with their effectiveness at reducing mild anxiety and depression compared with lemon balm and lavender. Lemon balm combined with lavender showed to be nearly as effective as the antidepressants compared in the study for mild anxiety and depression. This means that lemon balm should not be used concurrently with antidepressants as it may increase the drugs effectiveness and cause adverse events.
Lemon balm is a great option for those who notice an increase in anxiety prior and during their period. However it is important to remember two considerations, this can not be used in conjunction with antidepressants and that it may take up to two months to show an improvement in symptoms.
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Send a message to Inspired By Wellness- Dianna Bedran Naturopath:
Welcome to Inspired By Wellness. My name is Dianna and I’m a naturopath living in Sydney. I am passionate about Women’s Health and Hormones, and that is at the core of all I do as a Naturopathic Practitioner. Having experienced debilitating hormonal issues in the past, I eventually came to understand that unless the root cause of the issue is addressed then it will not go away.
There seems to be a huge gap in the medical system when it comes to women’s healthcare. I’d like to change that. Not by changing the medical system, and I am not against the medical system at all, but I believe if we empowered ourselves through education then we are more capable of making better health choices for ourselves and our daughters. Through well informed practitioners, the knowledge should be accessible to everyone.
It’s time for a shift in perspective, a time to establish a healthy relationship with our bodies, and a time to recognize how capable we are in reversing or slowing down disease progression. Understanding that food is medicine, and that lifestyle choices have the ability to affect our overall well being.
Embracing over 18 years in the health and well being industry, my career began with a Health Science degree from the University of Sydney. With a particular specialisation in Counseling at the time, I later over the years studied various courses in the field of natural medicine attaining my qualifications at the Australasian College of Natural Therapies. I further deepened my knowledge in Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consulting, Traditional Hatha Yoga and Meditation when traveling to the Himalayas of India.
I truly believe healing occurs at many levels. Consultations with me take into account scientific approaches, the power of nature, the individuals perspective of their condition, and the importance of connecting beyond the physical body as we find balance in a fast paced society. Nourishing the mind, body and soul is key to achieving a complete state of healing.
My support team includes a number of health professionals that consists of Pathology Laboratory Specialists, Pharmacists, Fertility Specialists, Counselors, and various leading Naturopaths in the field.
I am currently a member of The Australian Natural Therapists Association ANTA, and continue professional education throughout each year to remain ahead on the most recent research available. All part of being able to empower others as best I can through education. Only then can real change occur, and I'd like to see that happen in the field of women's healthcare.
