Excruciating and debilitating menstrual cramps remain one of the main problems faced by women and young girls all over the world.
Different treatment options of dealing with the pain exist; but did you know that your diet could also play a role in reducing the pain?
Dr Arikawe Adeolu, a Medical Practitioner at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja, in an interview, said that women who avoid sugary foods before their menstruation experience less cramp.
What then is the role of sugar in menstrual cramping?
According to Dr. Adeolu, research shows that sugar increases the level of inflammation in the body, which would in turn increase the production of prostaglandins – the hormone that triggers the contraction of the muscles of the uterine wall.
He advised that refined foods made with flour and sugar be avoided before the period commences, and a diet rich in vitamins E, D and calcium be consumed instead.
The main goal in dealing with menstrual cramps is to reduce the production of prostaglandins with a proper diet. If medications are to be used for pain, they have to be taken at the right time for them to be effective.
“There are Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug (NSAID) that can block the production of prostaglandin like Diclofenac and Ibuprofen. If you are expecting your menstrual cycle in two to three days time you can begin taking anti inflammatory drugs to prevent the body from producing excess amounts of prostaglandin. If you wait to take the medication when the period has already commenced, the drugs will not have the effect they would have had if you had taken them two days to the commencement of menstruation. Once menstruation kicks in, it means the prostaglandin has been produced which will cause contraction of the muscles of the uterus leading to cramping,”
Throwing more light on the cause of menstrual cramps, Dr. Akeolu added that hormones were the major trigger.
“What causes these cramps in the first place is the cyclical hormonal change in women which is responsible for the menstrual cycle. Once your menstruation begins, oestrogen starts building up. At your mid cycle you ovulate and when this occurs progesterone is produced. The progesterone tries to maintain the uterus in a favourable condition to receive a fertilised egg but if after about nine days the egg is not fertilised the ‘corpus luteum cyst’ which produces the progesterone shrinks and dies. If for any reason the egg is fertilised, the egg produces some signal to maintain the corpus luteum cyst telling the uterus to be in a state of readiness for pregnancy.”
Source: Vanguard
