Your heavy period may actually be caused by a lack of this specific protein

Let’s just get the obvious out of the way, shall we? Periods are the worst. The cramps, the bloating, the crazy cravings, and what about when your flow is SUPER heavy?!

If you’re one of the ONE THIRD of women who’ve had the nightmare of experiencing a heavy period even ONCE in your life, you know the struggle is real.

Dr. Jackie Maybin, a clinical lecturer in OBGYN studies at the University of Edinburgh, recently told New Scientist,

Clinically called “menorrhagia”, heavy bleeding during your period can actually be caused by a number of factors like uterine fibroids, polyps, and medications among many other things. But it turns out about half the time, there is no actual cause found.

However, thanks to a new study by Dr. Maybin, there may be another answer – a protein called HIF1. In her study, small samples of cells were taken from women’s uteruses (half of whom were experiencing heavy periods) over the course of a month.

When these samples were studied, it was discovered that the women who had experienced heavy bleeding also had LOWER LEVELS of the HIF1 protein.

But why is that important?

Well, the H1F1 protein plays an important role in helping repair the body when your oxygen levels are low (which is something that happens when you’re on your period). The protein is also helpful in repairing the gut.

So, the conclusion in Dr. Maybin’s study was that when there’s less HIF1 protein, your uterus does not repair as fast, and therefore menstrual bleeding tends to be heavier.

Unfortunately, because it’s such a new discovery, there is no treatment yet for a lack of HIF1. But if you’re experiencing severely heavy periods and it’s becoming a detriment to your quality of life, you should definitely make an appointment with your doctor to figure out the underlying cause.