Every girl will vouch that the monthly menstruation is one of the most excruciating part of their lives. You feel bloated, heavy, painful and generally sick of it all. All those commercials that sell sanitary napkins, showing girls dancing and having fun, are a lie. A sanitary napkin cannot reduce the pain. What affects your health during periods is the diet.
Many doctors advise against dairy products during periods. Ayurvedic practitioner Vishakha Moghe says that “Dairy should be avoided for many reasons. Firstly, it increases the bloating. Milk, especially buffalo milk is very heavy to digest. You should have only warm, easy to digest food during periods. And lastly, milk increases the element of ‘kaffa’ during periods, and this can cause pain by larger clots during menstruation.”
Another reason for lactose intolerance during periods is not the sugar (lactose) itself. The main culprit could be a protein called A1 casein. In some people, A1 casein cleaves in the digestive tract to form a potent opiate-type molecule that stimulates histamine and inflammatory cytokines. These can profoundly disturb periods. And that’s why dairy can cause period problems.
Fortunately, this is not the case with everyone. Girls who have grown up used to heavy consumption of dairy, often face no problems with milk and milk products during periods. But girls who detest having milk daily, or only having for the calcium, with a cringe, may experience heavy bloating when they have milk during periods.
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Also, the protein of A1 casein is not present in all milk products. It is very minimal in cow’s milk. Also, there is very little A1 casein in heavy cream, butter, or ricotta cheese.
A homeopathy doctor, Lily Deo, says, “In our school of medicine, there are very few generalistic rules. It depends on an individual basis. It is the same for dairy and periods. It varies from case-to-case whether a person can have dairy or not have dairy during periods.”
So, while it is generally advised to avoid dairy products during periods, you should ultimately test it out for yourself.
DISCLAIMER: While we have taken steps to check the accuracy of information & practices shared here; it is not a replacement for a doctor’s opinion. it is important to first always check with your own doctor before trying any medication, practice or suggestion from this site.
