The discomfort, sometimes referred to as dysmenorrhea or period pain, can be mild and irritating or intense and severe.
When an egg is released from the ovaries and travels down the fallopian tube during ovulation, menstrual pains often start to develop.
Lower back and abdominal can both be painful.
According to research published in the National Library of Medicine, discomfort during menstruation affects roughly 10% of people’s everyday lives for one to three days each month.
Primary dysmenorrhea is pain that only occurs during menstruation. Period pain known as secondary dysmenorrhea results from a medical condition such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids or pelvic inflammatory disease.
Some women use tea to help naturally ease their cramps rather than over-the-counter drugs. Although there isn’t a lot of research on the subject, some data does suggest that particular teas may help lessen unpleasant cramps and other unfavourable side effects of the menstrual cycle, like bloating.
Having said that, you could individually discover that some of these teas relieve your pain or cramps. It would be worthwhile to give them a try as they are all regarded as safe to eat.
Listed below are five teas that may relieve menstrual cramps in accordance with research from the National Institute of Health.
Ginger tea
The spicy, pungent ginger root is used to make ginger tea. For many years, people have used ginger in both food and medicine. Today, many illnesses, including menstrual cramps, can be treated at home using this method.
It may assist with discomfort and bloating because it has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects.
Consuming 750 - 2 000mg of ginger powder during the first 3-4 days of your period may help ease period discomfort, according to a study of research involving more than 600 women.
In 168 female university students, a different study found that taking 200mg of ginger every six hours was just as helpful in easing menstruation pain as taking the pharmaceutical drug Novafen, which contains ibuprofen, acetaminophen and caffeine.
Green tea
L-theanine, a substance found in green tea, can make you feel calm and may even aid with period cramp relief.
In reality, according to a 2015 study by the National Centre for Biotechnology and Information in China, women of reproductive age who drank green tea experienced less period discomfort than those who didn’t.
But keep in mind that green tea does include caffeine; the FDA estimates that a cup has roughly 29mg. That’s less than about 95mg in a cup of coffee, but it’s still enough to keep you from falling asleep.
You might want to keep this beverage for the morning.
Additionally, caffeine may have an adverse effect on your cramping. Caffeine may make some people feel more pain and discomfort because it can make the uterus contract more forcefully.
According to anecdotal evidence, some people claim that coffee relieves their cramps while others claim that caffeine makes cramps worse.
Therefore, it might be better to start slowly and observe how your body responds if you wish to try green tea for cramps.
Green tea without caffeine is another option.
Chamomile tea
The calming effects of chamomile tea may be familiar to you if you’ve ever tried sipping a warm cup of tea before bed to help you sleep faster. Apigenin, a molecule found in chamomile, aids in promoting sensations of relaxation and sleepiness.
According to a study of the literature, chamomile tea can relieve numerous symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), including cramping.
Additionally, studies have shown that chamomile tea may be a wise choice if you have a difficult period because it can aid in promoting sleep and reducing stress.
Peppermint tea
Leaves of the peppermint plant are used to make peppermint tea. Menthol, a chemical with a strong scent that provides various possible health advantages in addition to its cooling effect, is abundant in peppermint.
A common home cure for gastrointestinal pain, especially pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome, is peppermint essential oil.
The menthol in peppermint oil helps lessen severe stomach cramps by diminishing smooth muscle spasms.
The menthol in peppermint, according to anecdotal sources, may assist lessen uterine contractions, which would lessen cramping, even though there is no scientific evidence to support its usage for menstrual cramps.
However, it is unknown to scientists if the uterus would be affected by the minute levels of menthol found in peppermint tea, particularly after digestion and absorption.
Cinnamon tea
The dried cinnamon that is used to produce cinnamon tea gives the beverage a warm, sweet and gently spicy flavour.
According to some research, cinnamon may aid in reducing inflammation, which could lessen the painful bloating that frequently follows your monthly period.
The polycystic ovarian syndrome, which is distinguished by irregular menstruation and poor blood sugar regulation, may also be managed with the use of cinnamon.
The possible advantages of several teas for menstrual cramps are still being studied by experts. The good news is that tea probably won’t harm you, though.
Therefore, even if drinking tea just partially relieves your cramps or has more of a placebo effect, you can continue doing so without risk.
However, if you are already taking any prescriptions, speak with your doctor before attempting any herbal teas as some of them may interfere with specific pharmaceuticals, according to specialists.