Many people love consuming beverages as they provide hydration and various other nutrients, depending on the added ingredients. These beverages could be any liquid other than water, such as tea, milk, coffee, beer, carbonated drinks, etc. However, coffee remains to be one of the most popular drinks in many places for several reasons.
Is Coffee Really Good For Periods?
Almost every woman goes through her period once a month for at least 35 years. During their menstrual period, they lose blood and go through painful cramps, mood swings, lower back pain, headache, and fatigue, to name a few. Most people turn to pain-relief medications when the pain is unbearable, but the other problems still remain, which makes them weak and sick.
Bulletproof coffee is a popular drink consumed by a large number of people, but is it really good for periods? We shall find out. There’s an ongoing debate about how caffeine affects one’s menstrual cycle and how beneficial it is to drink coffee.
Known Benefits Of Having Coffee During Pregnancy
There are very few scientific shreds of evidence on coffee’s benefits, especially during periods. Although coffee is known to have many health benefits, some of which may help you to deal with your menstruation. Here are some of the benefits:
Relieves Pain:
As mentioned earlier, women who go through periods have to deal with excruciating pain, which makes it difficult to even get up from bed, let alone do simple activities. The caffeine in coffee contains an agent called a natural pain reliever. So, consuming coffee during periods may help relieve cramps and other pain related to periods. Consuming a high amount of caffeine can relieve pain quickly, but you must always be careful because too much of it can cause serious harm.
Improves Mood:
Menstruation can cause fatigue and mood swings due to hormonal changes in the body. Sometimes, women experience extreme mood swings, which can be due to fluctuations in pain intensity. Coffee, when it is generally consumed, can boost energy.
Reduces Bloating:
One of the common problems women face going through periods is bloating. Bloating is the swelling or feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen. It can be caused by constipation, gas, or overeating. But bloating can also happen during menstruation.
Increases Alertness:
Because women face all these problems during periods, they may feel weak and lethargic and face difficulties in focusing. They may also face problems in being productive and carrying out heavy tasks due to hormonal changes in the body.
Has Antioxidant Properties:
Sometimes periods can also have several features of an inflammatory process which can cause inflammation in the body. Coffee can help you with inflammation during periods because it has antioxidant properties. The antioxidants can reduce inflammation and prevent your body from cellular damage or degradation.
It can be particularly relieving as inflammation can worsen period cramps and other problems related to it. So, add coffee to your diet if the inflammatory process increases in your body during periods.
Potential Risk Of Having Coffee During Periods
While coffee may have some amazing health benefits that help women deal with their periods, it also has disadvantages. You must be aware of the health risk coffee can pose when you have it during your periods. These include:
Cramping:
While coffee is known to provide pain relief and comfort, in some cases, it may also increase cramping during periods. Coffee can stimulate the uterus, which has smooth muscles, and this effect can increase cramping and make it extremely unbearable. So, when there’s little or no pain in the lower abdomen, avoid having coffee, as it may worsen the situation. You can, instead, go for pain-relief medicines to deal with pain.
Dehydration:
You know how hydration is important for health, and the absence of enough water in the body can cause many health problems, like losing strength and stamina. Drinking excessive coffee can make your body dehydrated.
Insomnia:
Although coffee can improve alertness and productivity in the body, too much of it can disrupt your ability to sleep because the mind is alert. The caffeine in coffee interferes with sleep, so for people who have insomnia, consuming coffee during your period can make it worse. This can make you weak and paranoid after a few days. So, reduce the consumption of coffee to keep your sleep cycle healthy.
Hormonal Imbalances:
Coffee can improve your mood during the period, which is true, but it can also disturb your hormonal balance. Caffeine can cause your body to produce excessive cortisol.
Now, cortisol isn’t bad for the body, but too much of it can disrupt your body’s ability to control and regulate inflammation. This is problematic, especially for women during periods, as hormonal changes are occurring, and extra cortisol can upset hormonal balances.
Digestive Issues:
Coffee can reduce bloating in the body, which is caused by periods, but can also give rise to digestive issues. Consuming too much of it from Bulletproof Canada can cause improper bowel movements.
How To Incorporate Coffee Into Your Diet During Periods?
Now that you know consuming coffee during a period has its own advantages and disadvantages, you must know how to incorporate it into your diet. But you should know that coffee isn’t a medicine to deal with periods and problems related to it.
Limit Your Consumption:
It’s a general recommendation is not to exceed caffeine consumption of more than 400 mg or 4 cups a day. Too much of it can disorient your entire system and cause serious health issues. However, try to have less than the mentioned amount during periods to avoid increased cramping, dehydration, and other problems.
Keep Yourself Hydrated:
As your body flushes out blood every day during the period cycle, a lot of essential minerals like iron also get flushed out. It also makes your body dehydrated. So, drink plenty of water, at least 8-10 glasses a day, along with coffee. It will keep you hydrated, cleanse your system, and improve your blood circulation in the body.
Avoid Adding Sugar:
Sugar or sugary substances like flavored syrups and creams are bad for your health; it doesn’t matter if you are on your period. These sugary substances can add extra calories to your diet. So, instead of adding sugar to your coffee, consider adding coconut or almond milk or black coffee.
Monitor Your Body’s Reaction:
Everyone’s body reacts differently after consuming coffee, so you must pay attention to how your’s respond. You can continue having it if your body responds normally and shows no side effects. But, if you experience bad side effects like digestive issues, increased cramping, insomnia, etc., reduce your intake or don’t consume coffee at all.
In Conclusion
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages consumed by a large population worldwide. It also has potential benefits that can comfort women during their menstrual cycle, but it also has limitations and disadvantages. So, it would be wise to consult a doctor before you start consuming coffee during your periods. You can try bulletproof MCT Oil Canada instead for pain relief.