Scientists have found that eating these foods can worsen menstrual cramps

Recent studies have shown that diets high in meat, oil, sugar, salt, and coffee can cause menstrual cramps
.

Although menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea) is the most common cause of absenteeism in adolescent girls, few girls seek treatment
.
Analysis of relevant studies suggests that diet may be a key factor, especially diets high in meat, oil, sugar, salt and coffee, which are all linked
to inflammation.
The results of this study were recently presented
at the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) 2022 Annual Meeting.

90% of adolescent girls report menstrual pain
.
Most people use over-the-counter medications to control pain, but the results are limited
.
Diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids and low in processed foods, oils, and sugars have been shown to reduce inflammation, a key factor
in causing menstrual cramps.

This study aims to investigate the effects of diet on dysmenorrhea and discover which foods cause dysmenorrhea and which may reduce dysmenorrhea
.

Overall, these studies found that diets rich in omega-6 fatty acids promoted inflammation, while foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids reduced inflammation
.
The muscles in the uterus contract because of prostaglandins, which are active
in the inflammatory response.
When measuring dietary inflammation index, vegetarians (without animal fats) were found to have the lowest
rates of inflammation.

"The study of the effects of diet on dysmenorrhea was initially done to treat dysmenorrhea that I personally experienced; I wanted to understand the science behind this connection
.
Understanding that different foods increase or decrease inflammation and thus menstrual cramps reveals that diet is one of
many factors that are often overlooked for health outcomes.
I hope this study can help those who have menstruation reduce the pain they experience and illuminate the importance of holistic treatment options," said
lead author Serah Sannoh, lead author of the poster presentation from Rutgers University.

"Since period pain is the leading cause of school misses in adolescent girls, it is important to explore ways to
minimize pain.
Methods like dietary modification can be a relatively simple solution that can provide them with substantial relief," said
Dr.
Stephanie Forbiang, medical director of NAMS.