does chocolate help with periods

Should you eat chocolate during your period?

When you crave chocolate during your period, it could mean that you are deficient in Magnesium. Chocolate contains magnesium and could be a good reason why you are carving chocolate during your menstruation. Studies show that only 25% of U.S. adults get the recommended daily amount of magnesium required for their bodies a day.

Does eating chocolate affect your periods?

Stay away from chips and french fries. Chocolate craving is pretty normal during this time, but it is not good when it comes to managing your period. Chocolate can elevate your prostaglandins level and you may experience more period cramping. If you want to have chocolate, have only dark chocolate and that too in a limited quantity.

Does chocolate make your mood swings worse during your period?

Studies say eating dark chocolate with a slightly lower count in sugars but higher in cacao beans can improve your mood swings, cramp and iron levels throughout the duration of your period. This type of chocolate will relax your muscles as it contains magnesium, omega-3 and omega 6 fatty acids.

Why do women crave for chocolate during periods?

Women may crave chocolate on their period due to the emotional and hormonal changes that are happening in their bodies. Another factor is culture. Many cultures are indifferent to eating certain foods like chocolate during periods. The truth is no one knows exactly why women get these cravings. Having small amounts of dark chocolate will not ...

Does milk chocolate help with periods?

Chocolate may help relieve period cramps, but which type of chocolate you buy matters. A small 2019 study found that dark chocolate helped to reduce cramps, but milk chocolate had no effect. Dark chocolate may help because it provides a dose of magnesium.

Does chocolate increase period flow?

Chocolates Yes, they are great for your bad moods and cramps but, do you know that eating chocolates while menstruating can make your periods heavy? Chocolates are great in taste but they can trigger the blood flow.

Why do females eat chocolate on their period?

Some believe chocolate is the snack of choice due to hormonal imbalances during the menstrual cycle. When estrogen, progesterone and serotonin (the happiness hormone) levels drop, and cortisol (the stress hormone) rises, the result is a sugar craving.

What foods make periods worse?

While all foods are OK in moderation, you might want to avoid certain foods that worsen the symptoms of your period.Salt. Consuming lots of salt leads to water retention, which can result in bloating. ... Sugar. ... Coffee. ... Alcohol. ... Spicy foods. ... Red meat. ... Foods you don't tolerate well.

How do you end your period sooner?

If women are on oral contraceptive agents (the pill) their periods often shorten and lighten.Orgasm. ... Exercise regularly. ... Get the right nutrients. ... Try clinically-proven herbal remedies. ... Stay hydrated. ... Hormonal birth control. ... Maintain a healthy weight. ... Phases of the menstrual cycle.More items...

What we should eat during periods?

Lean meat (red meat or chicken) is an important source of iron and protein, especially for women with heavy periods. Avoid saturated fats such as butter, cream, bacon and potato chips; limit salt and caffeine. Drink more water and herbal teas such as chamomile.

Does chocolate help cramps?

Certain foods can help with period pain by reducing the inflammation and muscle contractions associated with cramps, including one of the world's fave treats. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can help ease cramps.

Does chocolate make cramps worse?

Though chocolate cravings are pretty common, the sweet snack not be the best thing when it comes to managing period symptoms. "Chocolate, also, can elevate your prostaglandins," Dr. Salas-Whalen said, explaining that it means you may experience more period-related cramping when you eat it.

Does chocolate cause irregular periods?

But don't eat too much chocolate. You'll gain weight and confuse your hormones, which can contribute to irregular periods.

Can I drink hot chocolate during period?

It turns out a lot actually. The chocolate used, and we mean real chocolate, can reduce stress, boost your mood and energy, improve your skin and reduce the pain of cramps. This is due to the essential minerals such as Magnesium and Potassium found in chocolate.

What does big blood clots in period mean?

People may worry if they notice clots in their menstrual blood, but this is perfectly normal and rarely cause for concern. Menstrual clots are a mixture of blood cells, tissue from the lining of the uterus, and proteins in the blood that help regulate its flow.

Does banana reduce period flow?

Banana: With a high content of vitamin B6, banana is a great food for boosting your mood and keeping you happy! It is also rich in potassium and magnesium, which reduces bloating. Along with that, it also helps in digestion. So, enjoy bananas during your periods and keep those period problems at bay!

Why do women eat dark chocolate during their period?

People have a belief that dark chocolates during periods help to ease the pain, but it is actually not dark chocolate—the reason is its vitamin and mineral content. Chocolate bars have a fair amount of magnesium and potassium, which is essential for our body. That is why women usually crave dark chocolates during menstrual days. Their sweetness works wonders during the menstrual cycle, and they are one of the best remedies to ease period pain and cramps.

Why do women crave chocolate?

That is why women usually crave dark chocolates during menstrual days. Their sweetness works wonders during the menstrual cycle, and they are one of the best remedies to ease period pain and cramps.

What foods should you eat on your periods?

These foods include leafy vegetables rich in iron content, cold-water fish rich in omega 3 content, oats, cashew nuts, and apples that are good sources of magnesium and zinc. Additionally, bananas and eggs are highly rich in vitamin B, and dark chocolate, which contains 85% of cocoa.

Does dark chocolate help with bloating?

Milk chocolates help to ease the pain, but they are not as effective as dark chocolates. The reasons are myriad. Milk chocolate contains cocoa and is loaded with excess sugar, butter and has double the calorie amount, which usually worsens bloating and causes weight gain, unlike dark chocolate. On the other hand, dark chocolate consists of heavier amounts of the healthy cocoa bean, and is high in magnesium, potassium, and iron. All these minerals help to relax your muscles and uplift your mood without resulting in high calorie consumption.

How long does it take for chocolate to turn your mood around?

In fact, research shows that chocolate can turn around your bad mood in as little as three minutes, which is as good a reason as any to keep some stowed away in your car (and your bag, and your bedside table drawer) at all times.

Does dark chocolate help with mood?

This type of chocolate will relax your muscles, and it also contains magnesium, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids. These will all help to boost your mood without giving you that deceptive sugar high followed by the resulting crash. Oh, and dark chocolate makes you live longer, too, so there's that.

Can chocolate help with cramps?

Submit. Well, yes and no. Basically, you're right that your body is craving something like chocolate when you're PMSing, or in the middle of a super bad cramp session, but that doesn't necessarily mean that chocolate will "heal" you, so to speak.

Can you take calcium instead of chocolate?

Instead of eating chocolate, LIVESTRONG advise s you to take a calcium supplement instead, which gives you all of the nutritional benefits without any of the aggravation found within some of chocolate's ingredients.

Why do I feel tired during my period?

This can be linked to low iron levels as this usually transports oxygen around the body however, the mineral is lost as you bleed. This means parts of the body do not get the oxygen they need and as a result, you can begin to feel tired and lethargic.

What is the cacao content of Jan de Vries?

If you are looking for a much quicker chocolate fix though, Jan de Vries also stock Lovechock’s Cacao Bar which is a whopping 93% cacao!

Does chocolate help with stress?

1 What’s more, there is also some suggestion that chocolate could help to reduce cortisol, our natural stress hormone, and so it could raise mood in this way too.

Does dark chocolate help with cramps?

If dark chocolate fails to improve your cramp, mood swings or energy levels then at the very least it will provide you with a distraction from these things. It does, after all, have a delicious taste!

Does chocolate cause cramps?

Any white or milk chocolate product will be full of sugar which is pro-inflammatory and so is likely to worsen any period cramps you may already be suffering from. This means that when it comes to choosing chocolate on your period, the type matters a great deal.

Does chocolate help with period symptoms?

A small amount of high quality chocolate could help with a number of period symptoms however, in order to reap these benefits the chocolate must be at least 60% cacao.

Does chocolate give you energy?

Plus, the sugar in chocolate is quickly converted into blood glucose and this gives a burst of energy, albeit temporarily. To sustain your iron and energy levels longer term however, there are a number of foods that can help such as lentils, spinach, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts.

What hormones are high before your period?

In addition to the prostaglandins squeezing your uterus, your hormone levels begin to fluctuate just before your period. Estrogen and progesterone levels are highest just before you start. The rise in these hormones can affect another hormone in your body, called insulin.

What hormones cause cramps during your period?

Prostaglandins are the hormones responsible for causing the uterine contractions that cause your period. Unfortunately, those contractions can sometimes be really painful, resulting in cramping that can be so uncomfortable you miss work or school.

What happens to the uterus when you have your period?

Each month that we have a period, our bodies release hormones that help the muscular walls of the uterus contract. These contracts help the uterus shed its lining and prepare for your next monthly cycle. The shedding of the uterine lining is what gives you your monthly period.

What to do when you have cramps?

If you’ve got cramps, grab chocolate. There are at least three ingredients in chocolate that can help alleviate cramps and help you feel better, not to mention you’ll get a nice little dopamine release which can help improve your mood, too. It’s a win/win.

What minerals help with muscle cramps?

Magnesium is a mineral that plays a role in the way our muscles contract and relax. It helps the muscles send messages to the brain that tells it it’s okay to relax the muscle or that the muscle needs to be engaged. Low levels of magnesium are associated with chronic muscle cramping.

Why is comfort food important?

Comfort food is comforting for a scientific reason! When we eat foods that are comforting to us, like chocolate, dopamine is released in the brain. Dopamine helps us feel relaxed, happy and gives us a sense of well-being.

Which chocolate has the highest fat content?

The comforting aspect of chocolate is likely the fat content, and dark chocolate contains the highest fat levels without as much sugar as milk chocolate.