Nothing beats any health condition in the body like healthy lifestyle. Diet can help you cure several health conditions effortlessly, including irregular periods. Before we look into foods for irregular periods, you may consider using home remedies to cure irregular periods naturally.
Wellness professionals poise that good diet will curb a lot of conditions that cause irregular cycle1. In this article are also listed foods that you should avoid if you will maintain healthy menstrual cycle.
Food can help you overcome menstrual cramps, and supply many health benefits. Your eating and drinking will help you maintain right body mass index and healthy weight.
What are irregular periods?
An average menstrual cycle happens every 28-35 days in normal circumstances2. The period lasts for approximately 4-7 days. If your periods don’t start after 35 days or every time it comes with a different number of days, you have irregular menstrual cycles3.
What to eat if periods got delayed?
To treat irregular periods diet is the first thing you should consider in women’s health. You may add natural remedies, aerobic exercise and other lifestyle changes to cure menstrual irregularities.
Here are foods you can include in your diet to help you regulate periods without spending a coin on pills.
1. Ginger
Peer-reviewed journals poise that ginger is a medicinal plant for several health complications. Ginger has magnesium and vitamin C to help your uterine wall contract hence starting periods. You may also use ginger for colds, flu viruses, and indigestion.
2. Semi-ripe papaya
The most common cause of irregular periods is hormonal imbalance. Papaya contains carotene, which helps stimulate and regulate estrogen levels in your body. Papaya also aids in the contraction of the uterus walls, which stimulates menstrual flow.
3. Cinnamon
Do you love the taste and aroma of cinnamon in food? It does more still. This spice can improve menstrual cycle according to a 2015 study, thereby helping you get regular periods.
Cinnamon also regulates insulin hormone levels in the body, controlling hormonal balance in your system and the menstrual cycle.
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome who suffer from irregular periods due to high insulin in the body can use cinnamon and regulate periods.
4. Aloe vera
Aloe vera has several health benefits, including balancing hormones in the body. With the ability to rectify the hormonal imbalance, Aloe vera can help regulate menstrual cycles4.
Take one teaspoon of fresh Aloe gel and mix it with one tablespoon of natural honey before breakfast. Take it daily until you realize changes.
5. Turmeric
Turmeric components can stimulate blow flow in the pelvic region and the uterus. A 2015 placebo-controlled trial shows that curcumin has an antispasmodic effect that expands the uterine walls inducing menstruation.
Use turmeric with natural warm milk like almonds before bed.
6. Pineapple
Medically reviewed studies show that pineapple has bromelain enzyme, which aids in the menstruation cycle5.
The enzyme stimulates the shedding of the uterine lining, which starts the menstrual bleeding. Furthermore, it helps increase the production of white and red blood cells, enhancing blood flow.
7. Parsley
Parsley is an effective home remedy for irregular periods. It stimulates menstrual bleeding in the body regulating your menstrual cycles. You can use it to garnish your dishes or take it in the form of tea every day for better results.
8. Vegetables and fruits
Including leafy green vegetables and fruits in your diet can help you overcome irregular periods. Vegetables have high amounts of Vitamin C, beta carotene, and antioxidants that help maintain menstruation.
9. Whole grain cereals
Whole grains are rich sources of vitamin B, proteins, and dietary fiber. If you suffer from heavy bleeding during your periods, you need to include whole grain cereals in your diet. Consider taking brown rice, oats, corn, Barley, etc.
Fiber in whole grains tends to bind estrogen in the intestines lowering their level in your system. A randomized clinical trial showed that women need 25 grams of dietary fiber every day.
10.Eat Omega-3 fatty acids foods for irregular periods
Omega-3 fats can help you achieve hormonal balance. Besides its importance for regular menstruation, it has a lot of health benefits in the body6.
You can get this vital fat in chia seeds and some traces in flax seeds7. Use these seeds in powder form in your smoothies or add them to your porridge. Flaxseeds also help increase body iron content which is crucial in women with heavy bleeding.
11.Carom seeds
If you are suffering from irregular periods, you need to drink carom seeds in a cup of boiled water or warm milk. These seeds contain antispasmodic properties that stimulate the uterine wall and cause menstrual flow.
What can I drink to regulate my period?
Herbal teas
Herb teas are full of antioxidants, theanine which controls cortisol in your body. Therefore taking a cup of herbal tea will ease your period pains and regulate periods. Using herbs like black cohosh, dong quai and chasteberry you will overcome several health issues besides irregular periods.
Beetroot juice
Medically reviewed studies show that beetroot has emmenagogue properties. It contains a high amount of folic acid and iron7.
Beets can help with irregular periods, period pain and other menstrual abnormalities. You may mix beets with honey to sweeten the juice.
Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has several health benefits, especially for women. For women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, it regulates hormonal balance and periods.
ACV can also help you lose weight and blood insulin levels which helps cure irregular periods. You can sweeten ACV with honey to curb its bitter taste.
Blackstrap molasses
Regular consumption of molasses may help with irregular periods. It also helps increase water absorption in the system for proper hydration.
Molasses also reduce uterine cramping during menstruation. You can use jaggery in cases where you cant get blackstrap molasses.
Foods to avoid for regular periods
Avoid refined sugar when you consider foods for irregular periods
Refined sugar is harmful to your health in whatever form you take it. It tends to reduce body immunity, accelerating underlying health conditions. Sugar is inflammatory and may affect menstrual flow.
Processed food
These foods will disrupt your mood, affecting your periods with high salt and chemical preservatives. Processed foods are low in vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, which help regulate periods.
These foods tends to cause abnormal uterine bleeding and menstrual pain in women with pms symptoms.
Caffeine-containing products
Caffeine may cause you mood swings. In fact, it’s prone to cause inflammation which affects women’s ovulatory function. It increases the chances of painful periods and irregular cycles.
Peer reviewed studies poise that caffeine is linked to period cramps, and irregular menstrual cycle. It worsen primary dysmenorrhea in women of reproductive age8.
Too fatty diet
A lot of fats in the body affect reproductive hormones. A clinical trial study found that excess fats in the body increases estrogen levels.
What are the common causes of irregular periods?
There are several causes of irregular periods. They range from health conditions to lifestyle. Below are some of the medically reviewed causes of menstrual irregularity in most women’s periods.
- Emotional stress-induced
- Free use of contraceptive pills (birth control drugs)
- Obesity/overweight
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
- Thyroid disorders
Other factors to consider in treating irregular menstruation
Underlying medical conditions
If you have other reproductive health issues, they you need more than good diet and food to curb irregular period.
Conditions like primary dysmenorrhea, emotional symptoms, poly cystic ovarian syndrome and thyroid disorders must be treated prior to eating your way back to healthy menstrual cycle.
Changes in routine
Irregular menstruation is often associated with changes in ones normal routine. In addition to diet management, maintain regular lifestyle to keep your menstrual cycle regular.
Monitor your body weight
Weight gain and extreme weight loss are linked to irregular monthly cycle. in your quest of regulating periods, ensure if you are overweight you work on losing weight.
Reduction of fats in your system will help improve irregular periods and heavy menstrual bleeding.
Avoid birth control pills
Over-the-counter birth control drugs cause hormonal imbalance which will affect your regular cycles. Furthermore, you should consider medical advice before choosing any birth control pill from the shop.
When to seek medical advice from a healthcare professional
While menstrual abnormalities are a cause of concern, you can manage this condition easily using home remedies.
However, you may call on your healthcare professional when the symptoms become severe, and you don’t experience any relief after using home remedies for irregular periods.
Seek medical advice if you face the following cases with irregular periods:
- When the bleeding exceeds seven days
- If your period pains are more severe than you usually experience
- Experiencing an abnormal tremendous amount of bleeding during your periods
- You get your menses more frequent than 21 days or higher than the usual 35 days
- You missed more than three periods in a year without pregnancy.
Take away on foods for irregular periods
Lifestyle changes have a lot to do with irregular periods. If you can maintain healthy diet and life practices, you will easily regulate periods.
If you have cases of eating disorders, or excess weight, you can exercise regularly to attain to normal body weight changes.
The information in this article should not supersede the advice of your healthcare professional.
But, its advisable to try these foods along side natural remedies for irregular periods before taking any actions to see a doctor.
Pingback: Home remedies for Irregular Periods | GILEAD THERAPY
Pingback: How to overcome irregular periods naturally | GILEAD THERAPY