10 Period Pain Remedies
Period pain is different for everyone and can be from breast soreness, headaches, digestion issues, bloating, and menstrual cramps. Having a toolkit of hacks for your period pain can make that time of the month so much better. Remember, while period cramps are common that does mean that they are normal. Any sort of pain is a sign from your body to look at what may be causing the symptom.
Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances that the body releases around menstruation that cause the uterus to contract to shed the lining. They are involved in pain and inflammation. High levels of prostaglandins can mean more severe pain.
There are a couple of significant problems with downing ibuprofen and waiting it out with a heating pad. One is just that it interferes with your time, mood, and energy to be suffering in pain. And prolonged use of NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory meds like ibuprofen) can seriously affect your gut over time. Poor gut health is just going to add more fuel to the fire of your symptoms.
Period pain can be due to:
Blood sugar imbalances
Gut issues
Too much caffeine or alcohol
Inflammation
Estrogen/progesterone imbalances
Stress
Poor estrogen detoxification
Here are 10 period pain remedies:
1. Turmeric
Curcumin is the bioactive ingredient in turmeric, making it one of the period pain remedies. Curcumin is best known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It helps to reduce inflammation and scavenges free radicals that can damage cells. Moderate or severe cramping can be an indication of inflammation in the body. The antioxidant effects are beneficial for reducing the internal stress response, which can balance out progesterone and estrogen, resulting in decreased prostaglandins.
Curcumin is not absorbed well in the bloodstream. Combining turmeric with black pepper or looking for curcumin supplement formation with black pepper or piperine can enhance curcumin absorption. Piperine is the bioactive compound found in black pepper that has been shown to increase the absorption of curcumin.
2. Omega-3
Omega 3s are one of the period pain remedies. Most western diets consume a ratio of 1:20 of omega 3 to omega 6 when it should be 1:3. This evidence is correlated with endometriosis period pain incidence, showing that omega 6’s are pro-inflammatory and promote the pain. In contrast, omega 3’s have protective effects of decreasing the period pain caused by inflammation. Omega 3s have these anti-inflammatory properties that can help balance out prostaglandins that are anti-inflammatory products produced in the body.
The best-absorbed forms of omega-3s are called DHA, and the EPA found in fatty fish like salmon and sardines, and fish oil. While there are plant foods that contain omega-3s like walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flaxseeds, these include the form called ALA, which does not convert to DHA and EPA that well. Since we need these essential nutrients, for vegans or those who don’t eat fish, you can get enough by taking an algae-based omega-3 supplement, a plant-based alternative for fish oil.
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3. Vitamin B6
Another one of the period pain remedies is vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin used to create red blood cells and aid in macronutrient metabolism. Additionally, Vitamin B6 has been broadly accepted over many studies to treat PMS symptoms, including pelvic cramps. Estrogen metabolism is another one of the properties of Vitamin B6, which helps convert estrogen into its active form. With its benefits in aiding in stable hormone levels, this makes Vitamin B6 one of the period pain remedies
4. 70% Dark Chocolate
70% dark chocolate is another one of the period pain remedies due to its high magnesium content. You can think of magnesium as our calming and relaxing mineral. It helps to loosen tight muscles, maintain our muscles’ health (including our heart – the most important muscle), prevent migraine headaches, balance blood sugar, ease anxiety due to its role in our stress response, and ease menstrual cramps. A study found that magnesium supplementation was linked with an inverse relationship to endometriosis risk, a condition defined with life-disrupting period pain.
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5. Clary Sage Essential Oil
Clary sage essential oil is another one of the period pain remedies. In a group of 67 college-aged females who report their menstrual cramps on a scale of 6-10, the research found that the pain was lowered in most of the group when aromatherapy with clary sage oil was used. Other research suggests that the study for clary sage essential oil to mediate dysmenorrhea effects is valid to be recommended in the clinical practice.
6. Cruciferous Vegetables
Another one of the foods that is one of the period pain remedies is cruciferous vegetables. Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C) is the main compound in these vegetables that aids in relieving period pain. A study found that participants who were given the I3C had decreased concentrations of metabolites that would activate the estrogen receptor, which shows that it can lower estrogen naturally.
DIM is another component in cruciferous vegetables that helps it be one of the foods for period pain. DIM lowers total estrogen by improving estrogen detoxification. If we aren’t correctly detoxifying estrogen and eliminating it, it can build up in the system and contribute to menstrual cramps. Additionally, broccoli is high in fiber, which detoxifies excess estrogen that could contribute to period pain.
Sulforaphane is another compound found in cruciferous vegetables. A study found that sulforaphane has protective effects against these pathways to inhibit estrogen-induced DNA damage and lower estrogen naturally through detoxification.
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7. Lower Caffeine
Another one of the period pain remedies is to lower caffeine intake. Caffeine can increase the stress response in the body to promote inflammation and imbalanced hormone levels. Studies have found that caffeine consumption is linked with increased estrogen levels, leading to estrogen dominance, slower estrogen detoxification, and period pain. In addition, in a study of college students, they found a significant correlation that as caffeine consumption increases, more participants experienced painful periods. A possible mechanism is that since caffeine can raise your blood pressure, this induces an inflammatory response that causes pelvic pain during menstruation. This is why lowering caffeine intake can be one of the period pain remedies.
8. Magnesium
Another one of the period pain remedies is magnesium. Many of us have low magnesium levels, but it goes unrecognized in clinical medicine because levels are rarely evaluated. As mentioned in dark chocolate, magnesium is our calming and relaxing mineral that can ease internal stress and inflammation, improving period pain relief.
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9. Gentle Movement
Gentle movement and stretching is also found to be one of the period pain remedies. Research has shown that exercise can decrease period cramps by reducing the inflammation, and it can help reduce the stress response in the body. Exercise can increase the parasympathetic nervous system during rest while suppressing the stress response from the sympathetic nervous system. Stretching also loosens up tense or tight muscles, which will prevent more discomfort during your menstrual cycle.
Source: Journal of Research in Health Sciences, 29417063, 30654775
10. Limit Inflammatory Oils
Lastly, limiting inflammatory oils is another one of the period pain remedies. Inflammatory oils are high in omega 6s, and these include sunflower, corn, soybean, and canola oils. Research has found that these oils have been found to induce more elevated inflammatory markers in the body than the control. It is important to include a variety of fats in your diet and include enough omega 3s to aim for a ratio of 1:3 for omega 3 to omega 6.
