Girls know eating ice cream and drinking cold beverages can trigger menstrual cramps, but there are many other foods you might not be aware of. Here are 14 foods to avoid during your period!
1. Milk
Dairy products are a major cause of menstrual pain: milk, cheese, cream, yogurt—these foods interfere with magnesium absorption.
2. Chocolate
Chocolate can trigger emotional instability. It exacerbates mood swings and sugar cravings, leading not only to weight gain but also increased demand for vitamin B. Simultaneously, sugar depletes the body's vitamin B and mineral reserves, fueling further sugar cravings.Consuming high-sugar sweets not only fails to alleviate menstrual discomfort but may worsen it by destabilizing blood sugar levels, disrupting hormonal balance, and intensifying discomfort.Tea contains over 30% tannic acid, which readily binds with iron ions in the intestines, forming precipitates that hinder intestinal mucosa absorption of iron ions. This can cause breast tenderness, trigger anxiety, irritability, and emotional instability, while also depleting stored vitamin B and disrupting carbohydrate metabolism.In summary, avoid raw and cold foods during menstruation. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that blood flows with warmth but stagnates with cold. Consuming cold foods during menstruation hinders digestion and damages the body's yang energy, generating internal cold. This cold stagnation impedes blood flow, leading to scanty menstruation or even dysmenorrhea. Even during the hottest summer months, cold beverages should be avoided during menstruation.During menstruation, opt for cooked and warm foods. In winter, moderately incorporate warming tonics like lamb, chicken, or longan. 5. Carbonated Beverages Many women who enjoy fizzy drinks experience fatigue and lethargy during menstruation—a sign of iron deficiency. Most sodas contain phosphates that react with iron in the body, hindering iron absorption.Additionally, excessive soda consumption neutralizes stomach acid with its sodium bicarbonate, reducing digestive and antibacterial functions while suppressing appetite.
7. Alcohol
Alcohol depletes the body's vitamin B and minerals. Excessive drinking disrupts carbohydrate metabolism and produces excessive estrogen, stimulating blood vessel dilation, which can cause early menstruation and heavy flow.
8. Pears
Avoid eating raw pears during menstruation.
9. Persimmons
Persimmons contain tannic acid, which binds to iron and hinders the body's absorption of dietary iron. Since women lose significant blood during menstruation and require iron supplementation, persimmons should be avoided.
10. Salt
Consuming excessively salty foods before menstruation is harmful. High-salt intake increases salt and water retention in the body, potentially causing headaches, agitation, and irritability before menstruation begins.
11. Sichuan pepper, cloves, black pepper
During menstruation, opt for light, neutral-flavored, nutrient-rich foods. Avoid highly stimulating spicy foods to prevent vascular dilation, which may cause early menstruation or excessive flow. While Sichuan pepper, cloves, and black pepper enhance flavor when used sparingly in cooking,However, women should avoid these pungent, stimulating foods during menstruation, as they may lead to dysmenorrhea or excessive menstrual flow. 12. Bamboo Shoots Bamboo shoots are cold in nature and contain significant amounts of coarse fiber and insoluble calcium oxalate. Women should avoid them during menstruation. 13. Snails Snails are extremely cooling and have heat-clearing properties.Avoid cold-natured foods like snails during menstruation.
14. Crab
Crab is highly cooling, clearing heat, cooling the blood, and dispersing stasis. Women should avoid raw, cold, or cooling foods during menstruation, especially those with cold-type dysmenorrhea.Women must be mindful of dietary restrictions during their menstrual cycle. Avoid indiscriminately consuming cold or icy foods and pay close attention to habitual dietary missteps. Prevent these 14 foods from compromising your health during this special period.