Many women today are wondering if period vitamins really work on menstrual cramps.

The truth is thousands of women across the country actively take period vitamins for menstrual cramps with outstanding results. In particular, these women are taking period vitamins that contain: vitamin E, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D along with other herbs that have been shown to work on menstrual cramps.

The important thing to keep in mind is that taking vitamins and minerals is a great way to replenish what you are missing.

So many times deficiencies in minerals lead to problems such as cramping. By taking supplements and ensuring your levels are up in essential minerals you may be to avoid cramps all together or at least dramatically reduce their severity.

Keep in mind that depending on how low your reserves are it can take a while to build up your levels to a point where you notice a difference. The key is to keep going and not give up. Supplements don’t generally produce immediate results. You have to stick with them over time to see their effect become clearer.

Here are some things to look for to determine if you may have a vitamin or mineral deficiency:

If you do have a deficiency, you may start to experience “little things” – like cracked nails, which can be a sign of calcium deficiency. Or maybe your lips begin to chap easily, which can be a sign of folic acid and Vitamin B deficiency.

Other signs include your skin breaking out, which can be a sign of Zinc deficiency or you experiencing menstrual cramps, which can be a sign of multiple mineral deficiencies in your body.

If you are deficient, the only way to bring your levels up is to adjust your diet or begin taking a supplement.

But the truth is getting the necessary vitamins and minerals by diet alone can be very difficult. Often, this would mean consuming much more food, which in turn could cause you to gain weight. Eating all that extra food can also get expensive.

Supplements, such as a high quality period vitamin, offer an easy, inexpensive solution. For example, with a period vitamin you get the vitamins and minerals that are essential for preventing cramps without eating numerous large meals.

Bonus tip: one thing to keep in mind, if you do choose to use a period vitamin look for one that contains iron. Many do not, which is a mistake.

You’ll need extra iron because you’re losing iron in your blood flow.

Another potential solution to deficiency problem is to see a professional nutritionist who can 1′ you for vitamin and mineral deficiencies and tell you exactly how much you should take of each.

Vitamins for menstrual cramps often contain a foundational formula of calcium, magnesium and omega-3, but vitamin A, C, E, D, K, and B vitamins are also important to prevent cramps.

The best vitamins for period cramps are ones that supply all of them you need and then let your body decide what to save and what to discard.