🍦🩸🍺Ice Cream and Cold Foods During Your Period
Dear female subscribers,
Imagine this. It's that time of the month again, and your period has arrived. Cue the familiar cramps and stomach pain. All you want to do is snuggle up in bed, indulging in a tub of ice cream to ease your discomfort. But wait! There is that little voice that echoes in your head, warning against consuming cold treats during your period.
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Today’s Debunk: Ice Cream and Cold Foods During Your Period🍦🩸🍺
TL;DR Does your Asian mom forbid you from eating ice cream during your period? From a Western medicine standpoint, she may have a point! Ice cream and cold drinks can negatively affect your period.
Ice Cream and Cold Foods During Your Period
Traditional Asian practice
Everyone who has grown up in an Asian household would have heard at least once in their life that women should not consume cold foods/drinks during that time of the month.
The belief is rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and cultural superstitions. Cold foods, like ice cream, are believed to contain yin energy. Consuming such foods during menstruation, when the body already has a high level of yin energy, is thought to result in cramps, irregular periods, and other negative effects.
But how true is this practice from a Western medicine standpoint?
→See Superstition still guides women’s health in China, Asia Times
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Does the “cold” affect your period? Yes
Research in this area is very limited, but a recent study published in January 2024 examined the potential impact of cold exposure on menstrual pain.
The study found a positive association between the frequency of consuming cold water/drinks and ice cream during winter and the severity of period pain/dysmenorrhea.
One possible explanation for this association is that cold exposure leads to the constriction of blood vessels, which can reduce blood flow and oxygen supply to the affected area. This, in turn, may result in tissue damage, inflammation, and pain. Additionally, exposure to cold temperatures can stimulate the release of prostaglandins, which are substances that promote inflammation and cause blood vessels to become leaky. These factors may amplify the perception of cold and increase the sensation of pain during menstruation.
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Does ice cream affect your period? Yes
The underlying cause of painful periods is inflammation. During menstruation, the body releases large amounts of compounds called prostaglandins, which directly contribute to inflammation and period pain.
Ice cream, being a dairy product, contains arachidonic acid, which has the potential to increase prostaglandin levels in the body. Additionally, ice cream is high in sugar and saturated fat, which can further worsen inflammation and menstrual discomfort.
→See What To Eat During Your Period: Foods That Help Reduce Cramps and Foods To Avoid, Health Matters
→See Can I Eat Ice Cream on My Period, MSO at UCI
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Conclusion
Based on current research, your Asian mom may have a point! Ice cream and cold foods/drinks can negatively affect your period.
Nevertheless, current research is quite limited. Further studies are needed to investigate the effects of consuming cold foods/drinks during menstruation on a woman’s well-being.
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