Are you one of the many women who experience period pain? Period pain or medically termed dismenorrhoea reported to affect approximately 80% of women. It can make that time of the month less than optimal and may even affect your quality of life and function.
The cause of period pain comes down to compounds called prostaglandins. These compounds cause the contractions which are the cause of the pain and discomfort felt during your period. Women who experience dysmenorrhoea often have higher levels of these prostaglandins. This type of dysmenorrhoea caused by an increase in levels of prostaglandins is called primary dysmenorrhoea. There can also be other underlying reproductive conditions which are linked to dysmenorrhoea such as endometriosis, fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, and adenomyosis. This is classified as secondary dysmenorrhoea.
There are many ways that you can help to manage the pain associated with that time of the month. The most common ways to manage symptoms are through use of a heat pack, exercise, relaxation techniques, the oral contraceptive pill and pain relief medications such as ibuprofen.
You may not be aware that your diet can be one another way to help reduce symptoms of dysmenorrhoea. Research suggests that including dietary sources of calcium, vitamin E, vitamin B1 or thiamine, vitamin C, magnesium and minimising the amount of salt in your diet may help reduce symptoms of dysmenorrhoea. In addition to these vitamins and minerals new research shows the potential of fish oil to help reduce the symptoms of period cramps. It is proposed it can do this by inhibiting the production prostaglandins.
The researchers investigated the effects on primary dysmenorrhoea of 120 students who were diagnosed with moderate to severe dysmenorrhoea. The students were randomly assigned into two groups. One group was given one thousand milligrams a day of fish oil on every day of her menstrual cycle. Fish oil contains essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fat. This type of omega-3 fat is made from two types of omega-3 fat called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Omega-3 fat is a type of fat that you need to obtain from your diet as your body cannot make this type of fat. This is why it is classified as an essential fat.
The other group received ibuprofen when pain began during their period. Ibuprofen works by reducing the creation of prostaglandins. Each student reported the intensity and duration of pain of their period cramps before receiving either the fish oil or ibuprofen and after a two-month period.
The researchers found that not only did the fish oil group experience less pain during their period but a lower level than the ibuprofen group. These results were statistically significant. This is good news for those wanting to use a more natural approach to help reduce period pain.
While this study used fish oil tablets, including fish oil from whole food is recommended as well. Fatty fish like sardines, herring, salmon, and mackerel not only give your body a good dose of omega-3 fat but also other nutrients which are linked to a reduction in period pain such as thiamine (vitamin B1), magnesium found in seafood like mackerel, and calcium. Fish with bones such as salmon and sardines are a good source of calcium. It is recommended to enjoy seafood two to three times a week. A serve of seafood is one hundred grams of cooked seafood.
Take home messages: If you find that time of the month a dreaded experience taking fish oil may help alleviate some of the discomfort associated with period cramps.
References:
- Different Type of Period Pain and What They Might Mean. Jean Health. https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/news/different-types-of-period-pain-and-what-they-might-mean?gclid=CjwKCAjwyaWZBhBGEiwACslQo7Y-0C1ZP9zsh5f0jNIJSbw9fWRR4IEO2WZ6p0ejBftMv8L_vCXpohoCB0MQAvD_BwE
- Grandi G, Ferrari S, Xholli A, Cannoletta M, Palma F, Romani C, Volpe A, Cagnacci A. Prevalence of menstrual pain in young women: what is dysmenorrhea? J Pain Res. 2012;5:169-74. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S30602. Epub 2012 Jun 20. PMID: 22792003; PMCID: PMC3392715.
- Zafari M, Behmanesh F, Agha Mohammadi A. Comparison of the effect of fish oil and ibuprofen on treatment of severe pain in primary dysmenorrhea. Caspian J Intern Med. 2011 Summer;2(3):279-82. PMID: 24049587; PMCID: PMC3770499.
