Diet during a woman's menstrual period is crucial. Improper diet can easily lead to menstrual cramps. Today, the editor has compiled a list of delicious foods that women should avoid during their period. Although these foods are rich in nutrition, they are the main culprits that induce menstrual cramps. Let's quickly take a look at what the dietary taboos during menstruation are.
Crabs: They are very cooling in nature and can clear heat, cool the blood, and dissipate stasis. During menstruation, women should avoid raw, cold, and cooling foods. This is especially true for those who suffer from cold-type menstrual cramps.
River Snails: They are very cooling in nature and can clear heat. It is advisable to avoid cold foods like river snails during menstruation.
Milk: Dairy products are a source of trouble for menstrual cramps, such as milk, cheese, cream, and yogurt. These foods can interfere with the absorption of magnesium.
Chocolate: Chocolate can lead to emotional instability. Chocolate can make emotions more unstable and increase sugar cravings. Besides causing weight gain, it also increases the demand for Vitamin B. At the same time, sugar depletes the body's Vitamin B and minerals and makes a person crave more sugar. Consuming high-sugar sweets not only fails to alleviate menstrual discomfort but may also, due to blood sugar instability, affect the body's hormonal balance and worsen the feeling of discomfort.
Green Tea: Menstrual blood contains relatively high levels of hemoglobin, plasma protein, and blood pigment, so women lose a significant amount of iron after their period and should replenish it. Tea contains more than 30% tannic acid, which easily combines with iron ions in the intestines to form a precipitate, hindering the intestinal mucosa's absorption of iron ions. It can also cause breast tenderness, leading to anxiety, irritability, and emotional instability. Furthermore, it depletes the body's stored Vitamin B and disrupts carbohydrate metabolism.
Sichuan Peppercorns, Cloves, and Black Pepper: During menstruation, one should eat light, mild, and nutritious foods. It is not advisable to eat strongly stimulating spicy foods to avoid dilating blood vessels, which can cause an early onset of menstruation and excessive flow. Foods like Sichuan peppercorns, cloves, and black pepper are seasonings that can make dishes taste better when used in normal cooking. However, women should avoid these spicy and stimulating foods during their period, as they can easily lead to symptoms like menstrual cramps and excessive bleeding.
Soda: Many women who enjoy carbonated beverages experience fatigue and listlessness during their menstrual period, which is a sign of iron deficiency. This is because most sodas contain phosphates, which have a chemical reaction with iron in the body, making it difficult to absorb. Additionally, drinking too much soda can neutralize stomach acid with its sodium bicarbonate, reducing the stomach's digestive and bactericidal abilities and affecting appetite.
Persimmons: Persimmons contain tannic acid, which easily binds with iron and hinders the body's absorption of iron from food. Since women lose a significant amount of blood during their period and need to replenish iron, it is not advisable to eat persimmons.
Caffeinated Drinks: They can cause breast tenderness, leading to anxiety, irritability, and emotional instability. They also deplete the body's stored Vitamin B and disrupt carbohydrate metabolism.
Bamboo Shoots: Bamboo shoots are cold in nature and contain a high amount of coarse fiber and insoluble calcium oxalate. Women should avoid them during their period.
Alcohol: Alcohol depletes the body's Vitamin B and minerals. Excessive drinking can disrupt carbohydrate metabolism and produce excessive estrogen, dilating blood vessels and causing an early onset of menstruation and excessive flow.
Salt: It is harmful for women to eat salty food before the onset of menstruation. Salty food can increase the body's reserves of salt and water, leading to headaches, agitation, and irritability before the period begins.