First, drinking hot brown sugar water can warm the body, increase energy, invigorate blood and qi, and accelerate blood circulation, leading to a smoother menstrual flow. For women who experience difficult or painful periods, this method is worth a try. Adding ginger juice to the boil can also supplement middle qi, nourish blood and liver (from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, the uterus is connected to the liver meridian), and provide a better effect of warming the meridians and unblocking collaterals.
However, brown sugar is considered "hot" in nature and can easily lead to "internal heat" and "flaring up." For women with a weak constitution, cold-dampness, blood deficiency, or qi and blood stagnation, brown sugar water can increase the body's "heat" and alleviate menstrual pain caused by coldness and blood stagnation. Conversely, if you have a "fiery" constitution, meaning you have significant internal heat and rising deficiency fire, consuming very "drying" brown sugar water is like adding fuel to the fire. The body cannot handle excessive deficiency fire, so it may discharge the internal heat through bleeding, leading to excessive blood loss.
Secondly, brown sugar water has a certain therapeutic effect on secondary dysmenorrhea and is more suitable for postpartum women to replenish blood and energy. It can help postpartum women relieve uterine contractions, but for women during their regular menstrual period, its use is not significant. Sometimes, consuming too many sweets can instead increase their anxiety. Therefore, preventing dysmenorrhea also requires paying attention to menstrual hygiene, avoiding getting cold during the period, and definitely avoiding spicy and irritating foods.
For patients with dysmenorrhea, eating more sour foods, such as pickled vegetables and vinegar, can relieve pain to a certain extent. If the menstrual flow is not heavy, you can also drink a moderate amount of wine, which can promote menstruation and invigorate collaterals, dilate blood vessels, and relax smooth muscle, having a good effect on the prevention and treatment of dysmenorrhea.