wellness-guides

Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Periods: How Food Affects Cycle Pain and Hormones

An anti-inflammatory diet for periods targets prostaglandin production - the mechanism behind cramping and heavy bleeding. Here's what to eat, what to reduce, and the evidence behind each recommendation.

Every recommendation in cycle health eventually comes back to inflammation. Inflammation here is not a vague concept. It is a specific biochemical process driven by specific molecules. Those molecules are partly determined by what you eat. The Prostaglandin Connection Prostaglandins are lipid compounds made from arachidonic acid, an omega 6 fatty acid. The prostaglandins most responsible for period pain are PGF2alpha and PGE2: PGF2alpha causes uterine smooth muscle contraction (cramping) and vasoconstriction, which reduces blood flow and creates ischemia. PGE2 causes uterine contractions and has additional inflammatory effects. It also stimulates aromatase in endometriotic tissue. People with severe period pain have higher prostaglandin levels in their menstrual fluid than people with mild cramping. This is not purely genetic. Diet influences it. When EPA and DHA (omega 3 fatty acids) are present in cell membranes, cyclooxygenase enzymes act on them instead of arachidonic acid. They produce PGE3 and PGI3, prostaglandins that are far less potent as inflammatory agents than their omega 6 counterparts. This is the core mechanism behind anti inflammatory diet recommendations for period