Can you eat mangoes during your period? Because mangoes are considered cooling in nature, it's best not to eat them during menstruation. Since mangoes are not one of the fruits unsuitable for the menstrual period, what fruits should be avoided during this time?
From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, women are advised to avoid consuming foods with a cooling nature during their menstrual period. Menstrual blood is the shedding of the uterine lining, expelled through uterine contractions. When you eat cooling foods, the temperature of the digestive tract drops, which can impair uterine contractions, making it harder for the menstrual blood to be discharged. This can lead to the formation of blood clots. For the uterus to expel these clots, it must contract more forcefully, which is a possible cause of menstrual cramps.
What are some examples of cooling fruits?
Fruits like pears, bananas, water chestnuts, rock ear, moss, and earth ear are all considered cooling. Because these foods often have properties like clearing heat and detoxifying, nourishing yin, and reducing fire, consuming them during menstruation can easily lead to symptoms like menstrual cramps and irregular periods. In addition to the aforementioned, other cooling fruits include muskmelon, pomelo, persimmons, kiwi, starfruit, mulberry, banana, mango, pear, mandarin, monk fruit, and strawberry. Experts suggest that it is generally fine to consume a small amount of cooling fruits during your period.
Furthermore, you should avoid consuming sour, astringent, spicy, and fried foods during menstruation. This includes sour plums, unripe tart fruits, as well as pungent and heaty foods such as fried items, chili, pepper, and mustard. These should be avoided during your period to prevent poor blood circulation.
During menstruation, you can eat fruits that are neutral and gentle in nature.
Among fruits, some are classified as "warm" in Traditional Chinese Medicine, such as lychee and longan. Lychee has translucent flesh, a sweet and sour taste, and is rich in vitamin C and protein. It is known for replenishing energy and boosting the immune system, and has long been regarded as a precious tonic. Besides lychee, other warm fruits include kumquats, pomegranates, bayberries, peaches, cherries, tangerines, oranges, plums, and papaya.
Neutral fruits are also safe for women to consume during their period. Typical examples include lemons and apples. Apples are neutral in nature, slightly sweet, and contain vitamin A, a large amount of tannic acid and organic acids, pectin, and fiber. They are also rich in nutrients like cellulose, minerals, fat, carbohydrates, carotene, potassium, and zinc, and can help alleviate diarrhea and promote bowel movements, which is very effective for the common issue of constipation during menstruation. Other neutral fruits include lemons, jujubes, sour plums, grapes, figs, coconuts, pineapples, and olives.
For "warm" and "neutral" fruits, women can fully embrace them during their period. This not only helps replenish fluids but also provides vitamins and minerals, alleviating common symptoms like poor appetite, lower back pain, and fatigue.