Whether you experience your menstrual cycle as a mild inconvenience or as painful and disruptive, you can help alleviate some of its associated symptoms by eating healthy foods. During your cycle you need additional nutrients to support the hormonal changes in your body, and you can also benefit from the soothing properties of certain foods. Focusing on healthy foods also helps eliminate cravings for sugary or fatty foods that can make you feel worse.
Iron-Rich Foods
Blood loss during menstruation can make you vulnerable to anemia, so eat plenty of iron-rich foods during your cycle, notes the American Dietetic Association. The most easily absorbed sources of iron include lean beef, poultry and enriched cereals. Other good sources are eggs and legumes, though the ADA notes iron from plant sources is harder to absorb. Eat plant-based sources along with vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruit that promote iron absorption.
Fresh Vegetables
Menstrual cramps are common and uncomfortable, but you can ease them by eating lots of fresh vegetables, especially leafy green vegetables, according to the Feminist Women’s Health Center. The spasmodic cramping you feel during your period is caused by prostaglandins, chemicals that affect muscle tension. Vegetables are high in linoleic and liblenic acids, which promote the creation of relaxing prostaglandins to ease cramps.
Oily Fish
“The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet” explains that before your period begins, your cells release an excess of omega-6 fatty acids. This triggers an inflammatory response that can generate premenstrual symptoms such as cramps, nausea, bloating and headaches. You can counteract this release by increasing your consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory. Oily fish such as mackerel and salmon are good sources of omega-3.
Soy
Hormones govern your cycle. One way to ease unpleasant symptoms is to eat plenty of soy, which is a natural source of phytoestrogens, according to Brigitte Mars and Chrystle Fiedler, authors of “The Country Almanac of Home Remedies.” Phytoestrogens help normalize the levels of estrogen in your body, so you won’t experience unsettling highs and lows during your cycle. Tofu and soy milk are two accessible sources of soy, though the authors recommend eating fermented soy products such as miso or tempeh, which are easier to digest.
References
- “American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide”; Roberta Larson Duyff; 2011
- Feminist Women’s Health Center: Menstrual Cycles – What Really Happens In Those 28 Days?
- “The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet: Maximize the Power of Omega-3s”; Evelyn Tribole; 2007
- “The Country Almanac of Home Remedies”; Brigitte Mars, Chrystle Fiedler; 2011
