What Should Be Avoided During Menstrual Cramps?

Recently, I’ve been experiencing severe abdominal pain during each menstrual period. My doctor diagnosed it as dysmenorrhea. I’d like to ask: Are there any dietary restrictions for dysmenorrhea? Specifically, what foods should be avoided?

Foods to Avoid with Dysmenorrhea

1. Acidic foods: Although acidic foods may cause blood stasis and vasoconstriction, they impede smooth menstrual flow and expulsion of menstrual blood. Therefore, women with dysmenorrhea should avoid acidic foods such as pickled vegetables, green plums, strawberries, starfruit, mangoes, plums, lemons, pomegranates, rice vinegar, and waxberries.

2. Spicy and stimulating foods: Some women experience dysmenorrhea due to accumulation of damp-heat in the uterus. Consuming spicy foods may exacerbate this condition. Spicy foods include Chinese chives, white liquor (baijiu), hot seasonings, chili peppers, and onions. Stimulating beverages—particularly those containing caffeine—can also worsen symptoms. Such beverages not only cause breast tenderness but also disrupt metabolism, thereby intensifying dysmenorrhea.

Women with dysmenorrhea should also avoid cold foods—especially before, during, and immediately after menstruation. These include cold dishes, watermelon, oranges, crab, ice-cold beer or other chilled beverages, and freshwater snails.

Conversely, women with dysmenorrhea are encouraged to consume foods rich in protein and minerals to support blood replenishment. Examples include milk, eggs, fox nuts (Euryale ferox seeds), spinach, dried longan flesh, lychees, and cherries. During menstruation, it is also beneficial to include foods that support healthy menstrual function, such as red dates (jujubes), soy products, apples, coix seed (Job’s tears), and ginger. We hope this information proves helpful!