The average woman's menstrual cycle is 28 days long from the first day of her period to the first day of bleeding the next month. Average, however, is a broad term; many women have irregular cycles that are significantly longer or shorter, or they suffer from amenorrhea, a lack or periods altogether. Other women, even those who menstruate regularly every 28 days, can suffer from a variety of uncomfortable symptoms leading up to their periods. Herbal teas can help some women with their menstrual cycles, regulating hormone levels and making periods painless. Discuss your desire to use teas as a menstrual aid with your doctor before you begin.
Regulate Flow
Herbal teas might be able to regulate both the frequency and volume of your menstrual flow if you are suffering from abnormalities in these areas. According to the Association of Women for the Advancement of Research and Education's Project AWARE, red raspberry leaf tea is one that can help bring on your period if you're experiencing amenorrhea, and can also manage spotting between periods. Stay safe by taking a pregnancy test before drinking red raspberry tea, as it may lead to uterine contractions, which are not safe if they continue throughout your pregnancy. Teas made with chasteberry, also called vitex, can also be beneficial to menstrual irregularities, as this herb acts like the hormone progesterone and can regulate a cycle that comes and goes without a reliable pattern. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine recommends that women who take birth control pills or undergo hormone treatment for breast cancer or menopause steer clear of chasteberry tea to avoid harmful hormonal interactions.
Cinnamon bark is another ingredient that can be brewed into a tea and taken if you suffer from heavy periods and an overabundance of blood loss each month. Drink several cups daily to reduce flow.
Relieve Pain
Chasteberry tea can also be used to relieve some of the discomforts that arrive prior to your period, including breast tenderness and cramping, and may also take the edge off your irritability during this time. Ginger tea can be taken as needed to treat diarrhea that some women experience prior to menstruation, as well as nausea that can accompany stomach cramps. Sage tea is another herbal concoction that can soothe your cramping uterine muscles through its natural antispasmodic properties.
Basic Recipe
You can buy herbal teas that contain ingredients to help regulate your menstrual flow and premenstrual symptoms at supermarkets, as well as natural food or vitamin stores, but you can also make your own. Natural food stores sell packaged herbs, and if you've got a teapot or even a saucepan at home, you can brew tea at your convenience. Generally, you'll use a ratio of 1 cup of water to 1 tsp. of dried herbs, but some herbs may not be as strong as others and you might need to use more to brew a potent cup of tea. Pour the boiling water over the dried herbs or berries and allow the liquid to steep for at least five minutes before straining. Experiment in terms of both the amount of herb to use and the steeping time to your taste, and after drinking the tea you'll be able to tell if you need to make a stronger brew next time to relieve symptoms.
Considerations
Though herbs are natural ingredients, they can interact with the functioning of your body and the medications you might be taking, just like other drugs. Consult your doctor before you begin to drink significant amounts of medicinal tea daily, and make sure your health care providers have a list of current supplements and medications you take. Herbal teas that purportedly help with the menstrual cycle may not work for everyone, and in some cases, the evidence is more anecdotal than scientific in nature. Keep this in mind, and don't substitute your own self-treatment for professional medical advice if your symptoms continue.
