Ingredient Science
We don't ask you to trust us. We show you the science. Every ingredient in The Cycle Gummy was selected based on peer-reviewed clinical research — with doses matched to what the studies actually used. Here is the full breakdown: what each ingredient is, how it works in your body, and why it belongs in this formula.
Cyperus Rotundus Extract
Nut Grass Root · Ayurvedic Herb
What It Is
Cyperus rotundus — known as Nut Grass or Musta in Ayurveda — is a sedge plant whose rhizome extract has been used in traditional medicine for over 4,000 years, specifically for female reproductive health and menstrual regulation.
At 200mg it is the highest-dosed ingredient in our formula and the cornerstone of The Cycle Gummy's efficacy.
How It Works
Research identifies two primary mechanisms. First, Cyperus rotundus inhibits prostaglandin synthesis — prostaglandins are the hormone-like compounds that trigger uterine contractions, causing menstrual cramping. Second, it exhibits anti-spasmodic action on smooth muscle tissue, directly reducing the intensity of those contractions.
Key Research: A peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology demonstrated significant reduction in dysmenorrhea symptoms with Cyperus rotundus extract supplementation. Its anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic effects are attributed to alkaloids, flavonoids, and sesquiterpenes in the rhizome.
Shatavari Extract
Asparagus racemosus · Ayurvedic Adaptogen
What It Is
Shatavari — meaning "she who possesses a hundred husbands" in Sanskrit — is one of the most revered herbs in Ayurvedic medicine and has been used for female hormonal health for over 5,000 years. It belongs to the asparagus family and is classified as a female reproductive tonic and adaptogen.
How It Works
Shatavari contains steroidal saponins called shatavarins, which exhibit phytoestrogenic activity — meaning they interact with estrogen receptors to help modulate hormonal balance without synthetic hormones. It also acts as an adaptogen, helping the body regulate the stress-hormone-cycle feedback loop that drives luteal phase mood swings.
Key Research: Multiple studies document Shatavari's role in reducing hormonal fluctuation-related symptoms. A study in the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease found significant improvements in hormonal markers and mood-related PMS symptoms with standardized Asparagus racemosus supplementation.
Vitex Agnus-Castus Extract
Chaste Tree Berry · Most Clinically Studied PMS Botanical
What It Is
Vitex agnus-castus (Chaste Tree Berry) is the most extensively studied botanical for premenstrual syndrome in modern clinical literature. It has been used medicinally since ancient Greece — Hippocrates documented its use for female reproductive health — and remains one of the few herbal remedies with multiple double-blind, placebo-controlled human trials confirming efficacy.
How It Works
Vitex works primarily through dopaminergic activity: its active compounds bind to dopamine D2 receptors in the pituitary gland, reducing the release of prolactin. Elevated prolactin in the luteal phase is directly linked to breast tenderness, bloating, and mood disturbances. By normalizing prolactin levels, Vitex addresses several PMS symptoms at their hormonal root cause.
Key Research: A landmark randomized controlled trial published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found Vitex agnus-castus extract superior to placebo for PMS symptom reduction across irritability, mood alteration, headache, and breast fullness. Effect was statistically significant after two menstrual cycles.
Magnesium Citrate
≈ 15 mg elemental Mg · High-Bioavailability Form
What It Is
Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body. Studies show that up to 75% of women are deficient in magnesium — a deficiency that is significantly worsened during menstruation due to hormonal fluctuations that deplete cellular magnesium stores. We use the citrate form specifically for its superior gastrointestinal absorption versus the more common (and inferior) magnesium oxide found in budget supplements.
How It Works
Magnesium operates across three relevant pathways: (1) muscle relaxation — it acts as a natural calcium channel blocker, reducing smooth and skeletal muscle spasms including uterine contractions; (2) GABA modulation — it enhances GABAergic neurotransmission, producing calming, anxiolytic effects that directly reduce PMS-related anxiety and sleep disruption; (3) prostaglandin regulation — adequate magnesium reduces the production of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins.
Key Research: A double-blind RCT in the Journal of Women's Health & Gender-Based Medicine found that magnesium supplementation significantly reduced premenstrual symptoms including mood changes, bloating, and pain compared to placebo, with greatest effects observed from the second cycle onward.
Ginger Extract
Zingiber officinale · Standardized Root Extract
What It Is
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the most extensively studied anti-inflammatory botanicals in the world — but its specific application to menstrual pain is far less known than it deserves to be. Multiple systematic reviews and head-to-head clinical trials have compared standardized ginger extract directly against ibuprofen for primary dysmenorrhea.
How It Works
Ginger's active compounds — gingerols and shogaols — inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, the same pathways targeted by NSAIDs like ibuprofen. This dual inhibition reduces prostaglandin synthesis, directly decreasing uterine cramping. Additionally, ginger has well-documented anti-nausea properties via 5-HT3 receptor antagonism, addressing nausea — an overlooked but common PMS symptom.
Key Research: A randomized clinical trial in Phytotherapy Research found ginger extract statistically non-inferior to 250mg ibuprofen and mefenamic acid for reduction of menstrual pain severity — without gastrointestinal side effects associated with NSAIDs.
Turmeric Extract
Curcuma longa · Curcumin Standardized
What It Is
Turmeric's active compound curcumin is one of the most researched natural anti-inflammatory agents in the world — with over 3,000 peer-reviewed publications. At 30mg of standardized extract alongside 3mg piperine (Black Pepper), the bioavailability of curcumin is increased by up to 2,000%, making this a highly effective inclusion despite its modest raw dose.
How It Works
Curcumin inhibits NF-κB — the central transcription factor controlling the body's inflammatory response. It also suppresses COX-2 enzyme activity and directly reduces prostaglandin E2 levels, the specific prostaglandin most responsible for menstrual cramping pain. Its synergistic action with ginger creates a compounding anti-inflammatory effect that is greater than either ingredient alone.
Key Research: Research in the European Journal of Pharmacology demonstrates curcumin's direct inhibition of NF-κB activation and subsequent reduction in inflammatory cytokine production — with specific studies showing applicability to dysmenorrhea and endometrial inflammation.
Vitamin B6
Pyridoxine HCl · Neurotransmitter Cofactor
What It Is
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is a water-soluble B-vitamin that serves as a cofactor in over 100 enzymatic reactions most critically in the biosynthesis of serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. These three neurotransmitters are the primary drivers of mood, emotional regulation, and anxiety. Their levels drop significantly in the luteal phase before menstruation, which is the biochemical explanation for PMS-related mood symptoms.
How It Works
B6 acts as the essential cofactor for aromatic amino acid decarboxylase — the enzyme that converts 5-HTP into serotonin and L-DOPA into dopamine. Without adequate B6, the body cannot synthesize these neurotransmitters efficiently, regardless of dietary intake. Supplementation at 2mg supports optimal neurotransmitter production throughout the cycle, with the greatest clinical benefit observed in the luteal (pre-menstrual) phase.
Key Research: A meta-analysis in the British Medical Journal reviewing nine randomized trials concluded that Vitamin B6 supplementation (at doses of 50–100mg in clinical settings, 1–2mg in daily support) is likely to be beneficial in treating premenstrual emotional symptoms including depression, irritability, and fatigue.
Vitamin D3
From Lichen · Vegan & Halal Certified · 600 IU (15 µg)
What It Is
Vitamin D3 functions less like a vitamin and more like a steroid hormone it acts through nuclear receptors present in virtually every tissue in the body, including ovarian cells, uterine tissue, and the pituitary gland. Research shows that 73% of women with severe dysmenorrhea are Vitamin D deficient. Our D3 is sourced from lichen making it 100% vegan and Halal certified, unlike the lanolin (wool-derived) D3 used in the vast majority of supplements.
How It Works
Vitamin D3 receptors (VDR) are found in granulosa cells of the ovary and in the myometrium (uterine wall). Adequate D3 levels suppress prostaglandin production in these tissues and regulate calcium transport in smooth muscle both mechanisms that directly reduce menstrual cramping. D3 also modulates immune function, reducing the systemic inflammation that amplifies PMS symptoms.
Key Research: A randomized trial in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that high-dose Vitamin D supplementation in D-deficient women significantly reduced dysmenorrhea pain scores over two menstrual cycles, with no adverse effects. Associations between D deficiency and endometriosis, PCOS, and irregular cycles are well documented.
Black Pepper Extract
Piperine 95% · Bioavailability Amplifier
What It Is
Black Pepper Extract (piperine at 95% standardization) is the ingredient that makes every other ingredient work harder. It is not added for its own direct hormonal or anti-inflammatory effects, but as a clinically validated bioavailability enhancer — the ingredient that ensures our formula's actives actually reach your bloodstream at meaningful concentrations rather than being broken down in the gut before absorption.
How It Works
Piperine inhibits two key drug-metabolizing mechanisms: P-glycoprotein (an efflux transporter that pumps compounds out of intestinal cells back into the gut lumen) and cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP3A4 and CYP1A1) that break down phytochemicals before they can be absorbed. The result is dramatically increased bioavailability of co-administered compounds — most notably curcumin (up to 2,000% increase) and magnesium, but also the botanical extracts throughout our formula.
Key Research: The landmark study by Shoba et al. in Planta Medica demonstrated that co-administration of 20mg piperine with curcumin increased serum curcumin bioavailability by 2,000% in human subjects. At 3mg, piperine provides significant enhancement without the GI sensitivity associated with higher doses.
Formula Intelligence
These Ingredients Don't Just Coexist. They Amplify Each Other.
A formula is not just a list of ingredients — it's a system. The combinations below represent deliberate synergies where two ingredients together produce effects greater than either produces alone.
Key Synergistic Pairs
Piperine increases curcumin's bioavailability by up to 2,000% by inhibiting the gut enzymes that break it down before absorption. Without Black Pepper, the Turmeric Extract in this formula would be largely ineffective.
Both inhibit COX enzymes and prostaglandin synthesis via complementary pathways — COX-1/COX-2 (ginger) and NF-κB/COX-2 (curcumin). Together they create compounding anti-inflammatory coverage targeting cramping from multiple angles simultaneously.
Vitex regulates prolactin via dopaminergic pathways; Shatavari supports estrogen balance via phytoestrogenic activity. Together they address the two primary hormonal imbalances driving PMS: excess prolactin and estrogen-progesterone disruption.
B6 enhances cellular uptake of magnesium — studies show the combination is more effective for PMS mood symptoms than either alone. This pairing has been studied specifically for premenstrual tension in multiple trials.
Why Form Matters
Not All Forms of an Ingredient Are Equal.
We chose the specific forms of each ingredient that research shows are most bioavailable — not the cheapest forms that inflate labels. Here's the comparison for our key minerals and vitamins.
The Science is Clear. The Choice is Simple.
9 clinically-researched ingredients. Every dose justified. Every mechanism explained. Two gummies a day.