Foods to Eat (and Some to Avoid) During Your Period
Eating certain foods while on your period, including fruit
and leafy veggies, may reduce symptoms while others, such as spicy foods and
red meat, may make them more severe.
Many people have uncomfortable symptoms during menstruation.
Some foods can lessen these symptoms, while other foods can make them worse.
These symptoms include:
abdominal cramps
headaches
nausea
fatigue
bloating
mood swings
diarrhea
If you experience any of these symptoms, adding certain
foods to your diet and removing others can help you feel better.
Foods to eat
1. Water
Drinking a lot of water is always important, and this is
especially true during your period. Staying hydrated can reduce your chances of
getting dehydration headaches, a common symptom of menstruation.
Drinking plenty of water can also stop you from retaining
water and bloating.
2. Fruit
Water-rich fruits, such as watermelon and cucumber, are
great for staying hydrated. Sweet fruits can help you curb your sugar cravings
without eating a lot of refined sugars, which can cause your glucose levels to
spike and then crash.
3. Leafy green
vegetables
It’s common to experience a dip in your iron levels during
your period, particularly if your menstrual flow is heavy. This can lead to
fatigue, bodily pain, and dizziness.
Leafy green vegetables such as kale and spinach can boost
your iron levels. Spinach is also rich in magnesium.
4. Ginger
A warm mug of ginger tea can improve certain symptoms of
menstruation. Ginger has anti-inflammatory effects, which can soothe achy
muscles.
Ginger may also reduce nausea. Ginger effectively reduced nausea and
vomiting during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Don’t consume too much ginger, though: Consuming more than 4
grams in one day could cause heartburn and stomachaches.
5. Chicken
Chicken is another iron- and protein-rich food you can add
to your diet. Eating protein is essential for your overall health, and it can
help you stay full and sated during your period, curbing cravings.
6. Fish
Rich in iron, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, fish is a
nutritious addition to your diet. Consuming iron will counteract the dip in
iron levels that you might experience while menstruating.
Omega-3s can reduce the intensity of period pain, who took
omega-3 supplements found that their menstrual pain decreased the amount of
ibuprofen they took.
Omega-3s can also
reduce depression. For those who experience mood swings and depression around
menstruation, omega-3s may be helpful.
7. Turmeric
Turmeric is known as an anti-inflammatory spice, and
curcumin is its main active ingredient. Effects of curcumin on PMS symptoms and
found that people who took curcumin had less severe
8. Dark chocolate
A tasty and beneficial snack, dark chocolate is rich in iron
and magnesium. A 100-gram bar of 70 to 85 percent dark chocolate contains 67
percent of the recommended daily intake (RDI) for iron and 58 percent of the
RDI for magnesium.
Magnesium reduced the severity of PMS symptoms. It is found
that people with magnesium deficiencies were more likely to have severe PMS
symptoms.
9. Nuts
Most nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and they’re a
great source of protein. They also contain magnesium and various vitamins. If
you don’t want to eat nuts on their own, try nut butters or nut-based milks or
add these ingredients to smoothies.
10. Flaxseed oil
Every 15 milliliters of flaxseed oil contains 7,195
milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids. For perspective, the Office of Dietary
Supplements says you need only about 1,100 to 1,600 milligramsTrusted Source of
omega-3s per day.
It is found that consuming flaxseed oil soothed
constipation, a common symptom of menstruation. However, more research is
needed to show how flaxseed oil can improve digestive health.
11. Quinoa
Quinoa is rich in nutrients such as iron, protein, and
magnesium. It’s also gluten-free, so it’s a great food for those with celiac
disease. Plus, it has a low glycemic index, which means you’re likely to feel
full and have energy for a long time after eating it.
12. Lentils and beans
Lentils and beans are rich in protein, so they’re good meat replacements
for vegans and vegetarians. They’re also rich in iron, which makes them great
additions to your diet if your iron levels are low.
13. Yogurt
Many people get yeast infections during or after their
period. If you tend to get yeast infections, probiotic-rich foods like yogurt
can nourish the “good” bacteria in your vagina and may help you fight the
infections.
Yogurt is also rich in magnesium and other essential
nutrients, like calcium.
14. Tofu
A popular source of protein for vegetarians and vegans, tofu
is made from soybeans. It’s rich in iron, magnesium, and calcium.
15. Peppermint tea
Peppermint tea can
soothe the symptoms of PMS. Specifically, it can relieve menstrual cramps,
nausea, and diarrhea.
16. Kombucha
Yogurt isn’t the only probiotic-rich food with
yeast-fighting benefits. If you’re avoiding dairy, kombucha tea is a great
fermented food that’s more widely available than ever before. Try to avoid
kombucha drinks that contain too much sugar.
Foods to avoid
While all foods are OK in moderation, you might want to
avoid certain foods that worsen the symptoms of your period.
1. Salt
Consuming lots of salt leads to water retention, which
canresult in bloating. To reduce bloating, don’t add salt to your foods
and avoidhighly processed foods that contain a lot of sodium.
2. Sugar
It’s OK to have sugar in moderation, but eating too much of
it can cause a spike in energy followed by a crash. This can worsen your mood.
If you tend to feel moody, depressed, or anxious during your period, watching
your sugar intake can help regulate your mood.
3. Coffee
Caffeine can cause water retention and bloating. It can also
exacerbate headaches. But caffeine withdrawal can cause headaches, too, so
don’t cut out coffee completely if you’re used to having a few cups a day.
Coffee might also cause digestive issues. If you tend to get
diarrhea during your period, reducing your coffee intake could stop this from
happening.
4. Alcohol
Alcohol can have a number of negative effects on your body,
which can exacerbate the symptoms of your period.
For example, alcohol can dehydrate you, which can worsen
headaches and cause bloating. It can also lead to digestive issues, such as
diarrhea and nausea.
Plus, a hangover can bring on some of the same symptoms that
occur during your period, including:
headaches
nausea
vomiting
diarrhea
fatigue
5. Spicy foods
Many people find that spicy foods upset their stomachs,
giving them diarrhea, stomach pain, and even nausea. If your stomach struggles
to tolerate spicy foods or if you’re not used to eating them, it might be best
to avoid them during your period.
6. Red meat
During your period, your body produces prostaglandins. These
compounds help your uterus contract and get rid of the uterine lining,
resulting in your menstrual flow. However, high levels of prostaglandins cause
cramps.
Red meat may be high in iron, but it is also high in
prostaglandins and should be avoided during menstruation.
7. Foods you don’t
tolerate well
This might seem obvious, but it’s worth emphasizing: If you
have food sensitivities, avoid those foods, especially during your period.
If you’re lactose intolerant, you might occasionally treat
yourself to a milkshake, regardless. But during your period, it’s especially
important to avoid the foods that can trigger issues in your body.
Eating these foods can cause nausea, constipation, or
diarrhea, which will only add to your discomfort when you’re having a painful
period.
Other cramp remedies
Eating and avoiding certain foods isn’t the only action you
can take to ease the symptoms of your period. Try these, too:
Exercise- Some evidence suggests that exercise, such as
light cardio and yoga, can reduce menstrual cramps.
Hot compresses - Hot water bottles or microwaveable hot
compresses can soothe pain in your abdomen and back.
Over-the-counter medication- Ibuprofen and other OTC meds
can reduce your cramps
