Foods that help fight menstrual cramps … what are they?

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – 85% of girls experience bloating, cramping and painful abdominal pain during their period, and for some, these problems can last for years.

“Since menstrual pain is the leading cause of school dropouts for teenage girls, it is important to explore options that can reduce their pain,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health in a statement. of Jacksonville, Florida.

However, according to a new analysis of the studies, there are behavioral adjustments that girls and young women can make to reduce pain.

Faubion explained, that did not participate in the study, that “Adjusting their diet can be a relatively simple solution that can provide them with significant relief.”

It reviewed the summary presented at the annual meeting ofNorth American Menopause SocietyThe relationship between diet and dysmenorrhea, which is the medical term for painful periods.

The lead author of the study, Sera Sanoh, told CNN she became interested in the subject because of the menstrual pain she had experienced since adolescence.

“I have found that diets that are high in inflammatory foods, such as animal meats, oils, sugars, salt, and coffee all contribute to an increased risk of pain during a woman’s cycle,” Sanoh said.

“Many foods that young people like to eat are inflammatory, such as meat, foods high in sugar and fat,” said Dr. Monica Christmas, board member of the North American Menopause Society, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago.

Christmas, who was not involved in the study, noted that an anti-inflammatory diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, which includes fruits, vegetables, and olive oil, reduces cramps.

Christmas said scientific evidence has shown that eating a healthy diet, getting a good night’s sleep, and exercising are all effective in reducing the duration and severity of cramps.

However, Christmas pointed out that it is important for women to see a healthcare provider, to make sure there are no other medical conditions that may also be contributing to these symptoms.

As the body prepares for menstruation, the endometrial cells, which receive the fertilized egg, begin to break down.

During collapse, these cells release large amounts of fatty acids, called prostaglandins, to contract the uterine layer and expel unused tissue.

The body also naturally produces prostaglandins during labor, to open the cervix for delivery (labor).

Prostaglandins act like hormones, causing blood vessels and smooth muscle to constrict, causing cramps and pain.

The researchers found that prostaglandin levels are higher and uterine contractions are stronger and more frequent in women with menstrual pain, compared with women with little or no pain, according to the American Association of Family Physicians.

Another study conducted in 2018, including Spanish university students, found that women who consumed the “cola” drink and ate meat were more likely to suffer from pain during their menstrual cycle than women who ate more fruit and vegetables.

And in 2020, a study found that women who ate fewer than two servings of fruit a day were more likely to experience menstrual pain.

Similarly, Sanoh found that part of the problem is an imbalance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in foods such as salmon, tuna, sardines, oysters, walnuts, chia, and flax seeds, are anti-inflammatory.

Studies have linked omega-3 fatty acids to a reduced risk of many chronic diseases caused by inflammation.

Omega-6 fatty acids keep skin, hair and bones healthy and help regulate metabolism, as well as their role in the reproductive system.

But too many of these fatty acids can cause inflammation when the body eventually breaks them down into arachidonic acid, lowering the body’s pain threshold.

“Through my research, I have found that people who eat a diet rich in omega-6 fatty acids, especially those derived from animal products, have a higher percentage of arachidonic acid in the body, which increases the amount of prostaglandins they contain. they help the uterus contract, “Sannoh said.

“A diet that balances omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and reduces the amount of inflammatory foods (foods that increase inflammation) reduces menstrual pain,” added Sanoh.

Two separate studies, from 2011 and 2012, found that women taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements had fewer menstrual disturbances enough to reduce their use of the pain reliever drug ibuprofen.

A 1996 study found a very significant relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and mild PMS symptoms in adolescent girls.

Other solutions

And changing your diet isn’t the only way to combat menstrual pain.

Christmas noted that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce the production of “prostaglandins,” which is why they are a mainstay in the treatment of menstrual cramps.

However, these pain medications also have side effects.

According to a 2015 Cochrane Library review of evidence, NSAIDs are associated with bloating, diarrhea, dizziness, indigestion, headache, heartburn, high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, and, in rare cases, elevated liver enzymes.

Instead, Sanoh recommends following an anti-inflammatory diet.

Sanoh put her research into practice by reducing her intake of red meat and other inflammatory foods like sugar and coffee, and confirmed to CNN that it reduced her menstrual pain.