The International Day Of Action For Women's Health is celebrated on May 28 every year. On this occasion, we are addressing one of the most common problems faced by women – irregular periods. What are Irregular periods? An irregular period is when the length of your menstrual cycle unexpectedly falls outside of your regular range. It generally happens due to imbalanced estrogen levels and improper blood flow in the pelvic area. Irregular periods can include abnormal uterine bleeding, such as:
• Bleeding or spotting between periods
• Bleeding after sexual intercourse
• Heavy bleeding during your period
• Menstrual bleeding that lasts longer than normal
• Bleeding after you've reached menopause
What can cause irregular periods?
There are a lot of factors that can affect menstrual cycle. Apart from stress, side effects of medications, thyroid and age, the main factor is lifestyle. The food you eat, physical activity level, sleep cycle plays a major role in keeping your menstrual cycle regular.
So, what foods should you be eating for irregular periods?
Gaining excess weight may cause hormonal dis-balance and disturb insulin levels. This hormonal imbalance can lead to irregular periods. Since obesity could lead to such issues it is necessary to choose our foods wisely.
Some foods that might help are:
1. Parsley
Compounds like myristicin and apiole in parsley help in the proper production of Estrogen which in turn helps manage menstrual cycle.
2. Papaya
Carotene in papaya stimulates and regulates Estrogen levels in the body. Additionally, it helps relieve menstrual cramps.
3. Ginger
Magnesium and vitamin C in ginger helps us normalise the regularity of periods.
4. Cinnamon
It warms up the body from within and increases the blood flow. Adding cinnamon to food is a great way to not just improve the flavour but also improve health.
5. Turmeric
The ingredient that has multiple benefits is also found to improve the regularity of periods.
6. Pineapple
This fruit is said to increase red and white blood cells. It also helps in regulating blood flow and shedding the uterus lining during menstruation.
7. Carom seeds
Carom seeds have antispasmodic qualities that work excellently to relieve menstrual irregularities. Moreover, they work impressively in stimulating the uterus.
8. Beetroot
A rich source of iron and folic acid is seen to reduce bloating during periods. It is also seen to manage the disturbed menstrual cycle.
9. Aloe vera
It manages our hormones the best and thus regulates periods.
10. Stay away from
We all know that we should limit ourselves from eating packaged, canned, ready to eat foods. Avoid refined flours and sugars along with carbonated beverages. These foods are the reason for hormonal imbalance which further leads to such health issues.
Lastly, all these foods can be included in your diet to help you manage the condition. The main thing being improvement of the overall lifestyle. If you know the root cause of your irregular periods try to fix that by taking a help from qualified nutritionist and additionally work on including these food items. When you notice any signs of hormonal imbalance be it irregular periods, unnatural bleeding patterns or missed cycle that's your signal to improve your lifestyle. Strength training along with clean eating is utmost importance.
About the author: Prachi Shah, Clinical Nutritionist and Founder of Health Habitat
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.