Using Turmeric to Relieve PMS Symptoms and Maintain a Healthier Cycle

Menstruation is part of every woman’s health, and for some, every cycle comes and goes without much fuss. However, some women are presented with a lot of challenges that getting through every phase is nightmarish. Some women experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) before their cycle begins. PMS is a mash-up of behavioral, physical, and psychological changes. Women experience symptoms like bloating, mood swings, irritability, flu-like symptoms, back pains, among others, when undergoing PMS. Although it is common, it is not necessarily typical, and you shouldn’t have to endure these symptoms. There are remedies you can use to minimize the effects.

Maintaining a Healthy Cycle
A lot of women will keep suffering if we keep saying that physical and emotional pain is normal during menstruation. Talking about healthy period cycles will significantly encourage research toward having healthy cycles. The various symptoms you experience during your cycle are a way of your body, asking for your attention. The body needs proper digestion, enough sleep, enough exercise, stress management, the right nutrition, and adequate flow of blood. Leptin is a hormone that regulates menstruation and promotes ovulation. This hormone is changed by sleep, so enough sleep is needed to maintain the desired levels of Leptin and foster a healthy cycle.

The kinds of food you take significantly determine the amount of energy you generate and the quality of your blood, and it directly alters your cycle. For a healthy period, you need vitamin Bs, mainly B12, magnesium, and calcium in your diet. Exercise helps to manage your menstrual cycle, but you should know that excessive exercise may cause adverse effects on your period. When you are under stress, the body produces cortisol and adrenaline, hormones that regulate flight or fight responses. With increased tensions and anxiety in our daily lives, the body uses progesterone to create cortisol. A high level of cortisol limits the body’s ability to produce progesterone, and that affects your cycle.

The Cause of Period Pains
A lot of symptoms of PMS are associated with inflammation; it is for this reason that Koya associates that the anti-inflammatory capabilities of turmeric to its effectiveness in treating PMS. Turmeric is used to treat various ailments. In a study conducted in 2016, researchers linked the severity of PMS symptoms to high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP), a biomarker for inflammation.
The study suggested that acute inflammation might be the cause of bloating and cramping during menstruation. A woman with high quantities of this protein in her body is likely going to suffer from intense premenstrual symptoms. Symptoms like weight gain, bloating, abdominal cramps, breast pains, cravings, and bloating are considerably associated with elevated levels of hs-CRP.

Turmeric as a Remedy for PMS
Kanchan Koya, Ph.D., an expert in spices, believes that turmeric may help alleviate the symptoms of PMS. She spoke of the health benefits you can get from taking turmeric. A clinical trial conducted by researchers using 70 premenopausal women showed a reduction in the symptoms of PMS. The trial focused on physical symptoms, including anxiety, restlessness, and irritability, behavioral traits like depletion of energy, loss of appetite, and fatigue. It also examined temperament symptoms like anxiety, restlessness, and irritability.

One group took two pills of placebo while the other took an active medicine containing curcumin every day in the seven days before their period and three days after. This study was done for three periods, and the results indicated a significant reduction in the symptoms among the women who took the active pill. The study recommended that curcumin should be considered for treating PMS, and the ideal dosage is 200 milligrams.

When and How To Take Turmeric
Women who suffer from severe premenstrual syndrome should take two daily doses every twelve hours for seven days before and three days into your period. Koya also suggests that you combine turmeric supplement with a product like piperine that will elevate curcumin’s bioavailability. You can find piperine from black paper.

Besides taking turmeric as a supplement, cooking is another method. However, without supplements, it won’t be effortless to attain a daily dose of 200 milligrams. A turmeric-based supplement that contains curcumin is, therefore, the best option. If you decide to go with cooking, you can opt for preparing turmeric tea, salad dressing, adding turmeric to a tofu or egg scrambles, rice, and green smoothies. Adding turmeric to vegetables, soups, fish, and nuts are other options.

Besides combating PMS, turmeric is also suitable for reducing malaise and pain, treat causes of irregular menstruation, and inhibit the growth of uterine fibroids.