A healthy diet goes a long way in providing relief from menstrual cramps. Explore various food/ foods that help in easing mild & severe pain during menstruation.

Food And Menstrual Cramps

Most of the women, at some point of their lives, experience menstrual cramps, i.e. pain in the pelvic or abdominal area during menstruation. In medical jargon, this pain is also termed as ‘dysmenorrhea’. Menstrual cramps range from mild to severe. In mild cases, the cramps are of short duration and experienced in the form of a dull aching sensation or heaviness in the abdomen. On the other hand, acute cases of menstrual cramps can be unbearably painful and at times even require medical intervention.
 
However, instead of taking resort to pain killers or undergoing tiring regimes of hot baths, the best way to tame such cramps is by keeping a check on your diet. A proper and nutritional diet will enhance your overall well-being and thus, help to combat menstrual cramps with ease. If you are one of the many women who dread those unavoidable five days in your calendar, just check out these quick self-help tips that spell out the importance of healthy food in alleviating unwarranted menstrual cramps.
 
Food During Menstruation 
  • Do not eat food that makes you feel lethargic and bloated. Junk food and fatty sweets are a strict no-no.
  • Avoid meat and dairy products, as they contain arachadonic acids, which increase the production of cramp-causing prostaglandins.
  • Include plenty of whole grains, vegetables, fruits and food rich in calcium and magnesium in your diet. Vegetables and fruits will satiate your appetite without making you feel sluggish.
  • Fatty acids (omega 3) found in fish oil have anti-inflammatory properties that help in getting relief.
  • Instead of taking three square meals in a day, try to space them out in small meals all throughout the day. It will help you to meet the nutritional requirement of the day without leaving you with a heavy or upset stomach.
  • Cut out caffeine from your list of food. Caffeine in coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate make you feel nervous during periods and thus, lead to menstrual discomfort to a large extent. The oils found in coffee can also upset your intestines.
  • Do not consume alcohol. If your body has the tendency to retain water during periods, alcohol will only aggravate the problem. If you find it difficult abstaining from the same, limit consumption of alcohol to a glass or two of wine.
  • Various researches have revealed that flaxseed have curative properties as far as menstrual cramps are concerned. It contains omega 3’s (like fish) and thus, slows down the release of certain prostaglandins in the body. Include two teaspoonfuls of ground flaxseed on your daily meals.

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