Women with dysmenorrhea should pay attention to their diet not only during menstruation but also in their daily non-menstrual routine. So, how should women with painful periods adjust their diet?
Increase Vitamin D Intake
>According to American nutritionists, foods like fish, egg yolks, and margarine are rich in vitamin D. Women require 75 to 99 milligrams per liter of vitamin D to maintain bone health. Levels below 25 milligrams per liter increase the risk of chronic pain. Pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and elderly women should ensure adequate daily vitamin D intake to alleviate chronic pain.
Experts indicate that increased intake of calcium and vitamin D can reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in women, such as anxiety, depression, headaches, and abdominal cramps.
Consider supplementing with magnesium
Recent international studies indicate that 45% of individuals with dysmenorrhea exhibit significantly lower magnesium levels than healthy individuals, falling below average concentrations. This suggests that consuming magnesium-rich vegetables and fruits may help alleviate menstrual pain.
Researchers suggest magnesium possesses multiple specialized functions: activating various enzymes, inhibiting nerve excitability, maintaining nucleic acid structural stability, participating in protein synthesis, muscle contraction, and thermoregulation. Additionally, magnesium influences mood—its deficiency can heighten tension, increasing cortisol secretion and thereby raising the incidence of dysmenorrhea.
Given this, experts recommend that individuals prone to menstrual cramps not only balance work and rest, avoid excessive stress, and ensure adequate sleep for prevention, but also increase magnesium intake through magnesium-rich vegetables, fruits, and other foods to elevate magnesium concentration in body tissues.Nutritionists recommend magnesium-rich foods that also provide a comprehensive range of other nutrients, including: Grains Buckwheat noodles, millet, sorghum flour, and corn.
Legumes
Include soybeans, peas, cowpeas, black beans, broad beans, and tofu.
Vegetables and Fruits
Include snow pea shoots, peanuts, dried shrimp, walnut kernels, amaranth, dried mushrooms, dried chili peppers, shepherd's purse, sesame paste, mustard greens, seaweed, star fruit, and longan.
During menstruation, prioritize foods that promote blood circulation and regulate qi flow.
Before, during, and after menstruation, poor blood circulation and qi deficiency can cause dysmenorrhea, leading to lower abdominal and sacral pain. Women with severe symptoms may also experience cold hands and feet, pallor, or even fainting.Women with dysmenorrhea can regulate their menstrual cycles through diet, primarily by consuming foods that promote blood circulation and invigorate qi.
Three to five days before each menstrual period, maintain a light diet with easily digestible foods. Avoid raw or cold foods, as they can stimulate the uterus and cause fallopian tube contractions, increasing the likelihood of menstrual pain. Refrain from consuming raw or cold foods during menstruation as well.
To alleviate menstrual cramps, moderately consuming sour foods can be beneficial. Since constipation increases the likelihood and intensity of menstrual pain, women should also incorporate honey, bananas, celery, and sweet potatoes into their diet during their period.