By Niveditha Kalyanaraman
January 1st, 2024
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Most women experience fatigue, bloating, mood swings, and cramps during their periods due to hormonal imbalance, or premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Certain food items can also worsen the period pain. It has been found that these foods lead to the release of excess estrogen hormone in the body. Here are 7 foods to avoid during menstruation.
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Your body produces prostaglandins throughout the menstrual cycle and causes contractions in your uterus to remove its lining. Avoid eating red meat as it can induce severe cramps.
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Stop drinking alcoholic beverages during menstruation. Blood loss during periods lowers the body's blood pressure, making it more vulnerable to the adverse effects of alcohol. Furthermore, it also increases menstrual flow and fatigue.
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Canned foods, overly processed meat, and foods containing too much salt, chemicals, and preservatives can aggravate bloating and water retention during periods.
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Eating spicy foods may cause gas and bloating during periods. One can replace spices with healthier alternatives like fresh chillies or cinnamon, turmeric, and fennel.
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Avoid eating fried items like chips, cheese, and salad dressing as it contains trans fat that can raise oestrogen levels. Excess oestrogen during periods can result in digestive discomfort and mood swings.
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Consuming refined grains hinder your average blood sugar level and disturb your regular appetite control. Therefore, one must avoid pasta, bread, or noodles during periods. Instead, switch to whole grains.
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Excess caffeine causes water retention in the body and leads to stomach bloating. It may also cause digestive issues. So you must decrease coffee consumption if you have diarrhoea during periods.
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