Can We Drink Milk During Periods?
Periods are hard enough without certain foods adding to your woes. The menstrual cramps that visit you every month along with your periods may require a heating pad, painkillers and lots of rest. Avoiding certain kinds of foods can help you ease your ordeal a bit.
According to a report, women who show symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) most likely have increased levels of inflammation markers. This requires further studies, but following an anti-inflammatory diet can help in reducing those symptoms.
You may want to reach for your favourite ice cream or gorge on a cheese burst pizza during your periods. But is that really the best idea? And will eating dairy in any form help your periods or make them worse? Let’s answer these questions.
Milk is a large part of maintaining a well-balanced diet. However, eating too much cheese or drinking milk during period may not be the best idea. It can, in fact, cause your period cramps to worsen and result in more agony. Besides, milk can also cause bloating, gas, cramps, and diarrhoea that will add to your period woes.
Dairy products contain an omega-6 fatty acid, arachidonic acid. This results in an increase in the levels of inflammation that can worsen your period pain. In fact, arachidonic acid can act as a trigger for period cramps.
Further, there have been several reports in recent years that artificial hormones are added to dairy products. This has been a leading cause of hormonal acne in adult women. If you have been suffering from PCOS or painful cystic acne, discussing your dairy consumption with your doctor would be helpful.
So what can you have if you can’t have milk during periods? Today’s market offers several alternatives to dairy milk. You can drink buttermilk, toned milk, almond milk and even soy milk.
Also, several brands sell ice creams made from alternative kinds of milk instead of dairy milk.
If you are worried about missing out on all the nutrients that a glass of milk can offer, rest assured that there are suitable alternatives. You can swap milk with plant-based sources of calcium, such as cabbage, spinach, broccoli, nuts and whole grains.
So, go ahead! Try a diet without dairy products during periods and see the effects on your health.
References
- Ellen B. Gold, September 2016; The Association of Inflammation with Premenstrual Symptoms - https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jwh.2015.5529?journalCode=jwh
- Man Zhang, September 2014; Effects of daily consumption of milk powder on menstrual cycles and urine sex hormone concentrations of young women - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25438529/
