Does drinking coffee cause menstrual pain? Don’t fall for it again, the culprit is actually this…

The older generation often reminds their female juniors, "Be careful, drinking coffee will cause menstrual pain!" Therefore, when menstruation comes, people always stay away from the strong aroma of coffee. Does coffee really cause menstrual pain in women? The answer will surprise you.

About 40~90% of adult women suffer from menstrual pain. If combined with endometriosis, the problem of menstrual pain will be more serious. The reason is that a hormone that the human body can synthesize on its own - "prostaglandin" is one of the culprits.

Does caffeine really cause menstrual pain? New research overturns this claim

The precursor of prostaglandins is dietary fat, such as n-6 fatty acids, which are a type of pro-inflammatory factor and can also cause uterine and blood vessel contraction, leading to menstrual pain. The caffeine contained in coffee is also a central nervous system stimulant, which may cause vasoconstriction and affect normal physiological metabolism. Thinking this way, it seems that drinking coffee can really cause menstrual pain to worsen.

However, the human body structure is extremely complex. Is the answer really as easy to decipher as academic speculation? Nutritionist Su Yanchen said that an early epidemiological study pointed out that if you consume more than 7 grams of caffeine per month, the risk of developing endometriosis will be greatly increased, which will in turn cause dysmenorrhea problems; however, a human study in 2004 overturned this statement and found that there was no significant correlation between dysmenorrhea and coffee intake. Interestingly, a 2007 human study found that combining caffeine with painkillers provided better pain relief than taking painkillers or caffeine alone.

Causes of menstrual pain: Intake of more ham, red meat, etc.

What exactly causes menstrual pain? In addition to the physical discomfort caused by stress, consuming more food such as ham and red meat may lead to aggravated menstrual pain. As for other lifestyle habits, such as smoking and drinking, there are still no definite research results.

Improve menstrual pain: Eat a low-fat vegetarian diet

Can adjusting my diet on a daily basis help improve menstrual pain? Nutritionist Su Yanchen said that you can change your eating habits and adopt a low-fat vegetarian diet. Studies have found that after two months of adopting a low-fat vegetarian diet, in addition to improving menstrual pain, you can also lose weight. If you supplement vitamin B1, human studies have shown that a daily intake of 100 mg of vitamin B1 can indeed alleviate menstrual pain.

Don’t worry if you already have menstrual pain, you can try hot compress. Studies have found that continuous hot compress for 8 hours can relieve pain better than taking painkillers. Please remember to exercise more often, such as yoga, which can also help relieve discomfort during menstruation.