What can women eat to relieve menstrual cramps?

Women's menstrual period not only causes psychological changes, but also physical discomfort. Once dysmenorrhea occurs, it is unbearable. So what can women eat to relieve dysmenorrhea during their menstrual period?

Causes of dysmenorrhea in women

Main causes of menstrual pain: From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the main causes of menstrual pain are deficiency of qi and blood, heat in the blood, and stagnation of qi. In addition to various menstrual disorders and discomfort, different types of pain symptoms may also occur from time to time, such as headaches during menstruation and breast pain during menstruation. Menstrual pain in women is related to the fact that modern women pay less attention to conditioning their bodies, prefer cold foods, and have high work pressure.

Physical dysfunction: Eating frozen food will damage the spleen's yang energy, causing digestive disorders, damage to the spleen and stomach, and internal cold and dampness, which can easily cause stomach pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Therefore, you should pay attention to your diet before menstruation, and avoid eating raw, cold, fried, or hot foods.

How to relieve dysmenorrhea in women

High nutritional value: Durian has a strong smell, and it is no exaggeration to say that it stinks. However, in Thailand, due to its high nutritional value, durian is often used as a tonic for patients and postpartum women to nourish their bodies.

Improve abdominal coldness: Durian is hot in nature, can invigorate blood circulation and dispel coldness, relieve dysmenorrhea, and is especially suitable for women suffering from dysmenorrhea. It can also improve the symptoms of abdominal coldness and promote body temperature rise, making it an ideal tonic for people with cold constitution. Cooking soup with durian shells and pig bones is also a traditional folk recipe for dietary therapy.

Intestines cannot absorb: Although durian has many benefits, you cannot eat too much at one time, otherwise it will easily cause the body to become hot and dry, and it will also cause "getting angry" because the stomach cannot fully absorb it. While eating, you may want to drink some light salt water or eat some fruits with more water to balance it.

Very good at eliminating heat: For example, pears, watermelons, etc. can eliminate heat very well. The best partner of durian is mangosteen, known as the "Queen of Fruits", which can subdue the heat of the "King of Fruits" and protect the body from damage.

Slow down vasodilation: Warm food can help relieve pain, but sweets should not be consumed in excess. Experts say that if it is primary dysmenorrhea, drinking hot chocolate and applying hot compresses to the abdomen can have some effect, because warm food can dilate blood vessels and help relieve dysmenorrhea.

Psychological influence on physiology: Relying on sweets such as chocolate to relieve menstrual cramps is mainly due to psychological influence on physiology, and eating chocolate to gain temporary happiness and forget the pain. Eating chocolate and other sweets can divert attention and forget the pain.

Brown sugar replenishes energy: It has the effects of relieving gastrointestinal discomfort, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, warming the meridians and dispelling cold, and relieving pain, so it helps relieve menstrual cramps. During menstrual cramps, the body consumes a lot of energy to deal with the pain, and brown sugar is a refined sugar that is easily absorbed and has the effect of replenishing energy.

Pay attention to the amount when taking: Because brown sugar is easy to absorb, you should pay attention to the amount when taking it. For example, for an adult woman who takes 1,500 calories a day, it is best not to eat more than two and a half tablespoons of brown sugar a day, which is about 37.5 grams.

Keep your mood happy: Before your period, you can eat more foods containing tryptophan, such as bananas, milk, nuts, etc. These foods can make you feel calm and relaxed and keep you in a good mood.

Avoid excessive calories: Although plantains are also rich in tryptophan, they have twice as many calories as bananas of the same weight, so you should be careful when eating them to avoid excessive calories. In addition, don't overeat to avoid unstable blood sugar levels.

Daily care for women with dysmenorrhea

Drinking more warm water or hot soup can relieve lower abdominal discomfort.

Eat a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, chicken and fish.

Try to eat less stimulating foods, such as alcohol.

Eat less sweet or salty foods.

Avoid eating raw or cold foods during menstruation, such as ice cream, soda, etc.

Drink less caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, chocolate milk, and tea, to reduce nervous tension and physical discomfort during menstruation.

Foods such as aspirin, fish oil and ginkgo can hinder blood clotting and should not be taken during menstruation to avoid excessive blood loss.

Women's menstrual emergencies

Severe and unbearable menstrual pain: Those who are over 25 years old or married, especially those who have given birth, have severe menstrual pain that is unbearable without treatment. Those whose menstrual pain gradually subsided but has recently worsened may have a retroverted uterus or other diseases.

Endometrial inflammation: If the body temperature rises during menstruation, or even a high fever, you should consider the possibility of endometritis. If the menstrual period is too long or too short (normally 3 to 7 days), or if the bleeding is too much, you generally need 6 to 8 sanitary napkins per day.

Blood clots in menstrual blood: If there are liver-like lumps in menstrual blood that are larger than the little finger, you should suspect serious diseases such as uterine fibroids. If the pain in the lower abdomen becomes more obvious as the menstrual period approaches, and disappears on the first day of the menstrual period, it is a manifestation of premenstrual tension.

Observe the color and smell: Normal menstrual blood is dark red, containing old blood, mucus and fragments of shed endometrium. If the color of menstrual blood is light brown, or the smell changes, it should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.