Many people experience painful periods every month. Certain food choices may reduce or risk worsening inflammation, which plays a key role in menstrual pain, according to a recent study.
- Dysmenorrhea, or period pain, refers to pain in the lower abdomen, lower back, hips, or inner thighs that precedes, accompanies, or follows menstruation.
- According to an Ifop study, nearly one in two women suffers from painful periods. Severe dysmenorrhea affects approximately one in four women.
- The cause of these pains is unclear, but inflammation plays an important role. Good food choices could help relieve them, according to a recent study.
Although menstrual pain ruins the lives of many women and teenage girls every month, many feel there is not much you can do about it. Over-the-counter pain medications are often used, but with limited positive results. However, a new study shows that diet can be a key factor in reducing this pain.
Diets High in Omega-3s and Low in Processed Foods Recommended
Diets high in meat, oil, sugar, salt and coffee tend to cause more inflammation. On the contrary, diets high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in processed foods, oil and sugar reduce inflammation. People following a vegan diet (excluding animal fats) had the lowest levels of inflammation.
Inflammation plays an important role in menstrual pain and reducing it helps relieve it. The muscles of the uterus contract due to prostaglandins, which are active in inflammatory responses.
Changing your diet can be a solution against menstrual pain
To study the effect of diet on menstrual pain and identify the foods that contribute to it and those that can reduce it, the researchers conducted a review of the scientific literature on the subject. The results, which have not yet been published, were presented at the annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), held in Atlanta, USA, from October 12 to present.
“I hope this research can help menstruating women reduce the pain they feel”said Serah Sannoh, co-author of the study and researcher at Rutgers University, in a communicated. “Since menstrual pain represents [entre autres] one of the leading causes of truancy in teenage girls, it’s important to explore options that can minimize the pain. Changing the diet could be a relatively simple solution that could provide them with substantial relief.”added Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of NAMS.
