13 Foods to Eat During Your Period: What To Avoid for Better Relief

Have you ever noticed how your food cravings completely shift the week before your period? Or how certain foods to eat on your period can make you feel dramatically better while others leave you bloated and miserable?

There's a reason for that, and it's not just in your head. What to eat on your period matters because your body is going through significant hormonal changes that affect everything from inflammation levels to blood sugar regulation to how you process nutrients.

Understanding which menstruation foods to eat can help you reduce cramps, manage energy crashes, minimize bloating, and stabilize mood all without medication.

Why Food Matters During Your Period

Your period isn't just about your uterus shedding its lining. It's a full-body experience that affects your energy levels, pain perception, mood, digestive system, and more.

During menstruation, several things happen simultaneously:

Hormone levels drop dramatically. Both estrogen and progesterone fall to their lowest levels, which affects how your body regulates mood, processes pain signals, and manages energy.

Your body is working hard. Menstruation requires energy when your uterus is contracting to shed its lining, which increases metabolic demands.

Inflammation increases. Prostaglandins (hormone-like compounds) trigger uterine contractions and inflammation, which can amplify pain throughout your body.

Blood loss occurs. Even normal menstrual bleeding results in iron loss, which can contribute to fatigue and difficulty concentrating.

The best things to eat on your period address these specific physiological needs. The right foods can reduce inflammation, replenish nutrients, support stable blood sugar (which affects mood and energy), and even influence how your body processes discomfort.

The Hormone-Food Connection

Here's what conventional nutrition advice often misses: your menstrual cycle is orchestrated by complex hormonal signals that affect how your body uses and needs different nutrients.

Your hypothalamus and pituitary gland send hormonal signals to your ovaries throughout your cycle. These hormones don't just control your reproductive system, they influence metabolism, inflammation, neurotransmitter production, and more.

Recent research shows that hormonal fluctuations throughout your cycle affect multiple body systems:

• Pain processing: How your body interprets and responds to pain signals
• Mood regulation: Emotional responses and stress reactivity
• Energy metabolism: How your body uses and stores fuel
• Inflammation response: How your system reacts to inflammatory triggers

This is why good food for period health isn't just about calories or nutrients, it's about choosing foods that support optimal function during a hormonally sensitive time.

13 Best Foods to Eat on Your Period

These foods to eat on your period are backed by science and chosen specifically to support hormone balance, reduce inflammation, and manage common symptoms during menstruation.

1. Leafy Green Vegetables

Spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are rich in magnesium and iron two nutrients many people lose during menstruation. Magnesium helps regulate muscle contractions and can reduce cramping intensity. Iron replenishes what's lost through bleeding, combating fatigue.

Why it helps: Magnesium has been shown to reduce menstrual pain in multiple studies by affecting muscle relaxation and reducing prostaglandin production.

2. Fatty Fish (Salmon, Sardines, Mackerel)

These best things to eat on your period are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which have powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Research shows omega-3s can reduce prostaglandin production, the compounds responsible for uterine contractions and pain.

Why it helps: Omega-3 fatty acids support overall health and can modulate pain pathways throughout the body.

3. Dark Chocolate

Good news: that chocolate craving has a biological basis. Dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher) contains magnesium and compounds that boost serotonin and endorphins natural mood elevators.

Why it helps: The flavonoids in dark chocolate can improve blood flow and support a stable mood during low-estrogen phases.

4. Bananas

Bananas provide quick energy through natural sugars while also delivering potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6. B6 is particularly important because it helps produce serotonin, which regulates mood.

Why it helps: Stable blood sugar supports steady energy and reduces mood swings by preventing stress responses to glucose fluctuations.

5. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are excellent menstruation foods to eat. They're complex carbohydrates that provide sustained energy without blood sugar spikes. They're also rich in fiber, vitamin A, and manganese.

Why it helps: Complex carbs support serotonin production, which can improve mood and reduce irritability. The fiber helps stabilize blood sugar, preventing energy crashes.

6. Nuts and Seeds (Walnuts, Flaxseeds, Pumpkin Seeds)

These provide healthy fats, protein, and minerals like zinc and magnesium. Walnuts and flaxseeds contain omega-3s, while pumpkin seeds are particularly high in magnesium.

Why it helps: These nutrients support neurotransmitter production and can reduce inflammation that amplifies pain signals.

7. Ginger

Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory that has been shown in studies to reduce menstrual pain as effectively as some over-the-counter pain medications.

Why it helps: Ginger compounds can modulate pain perception and reduce prostaglandin synthesis.

8. Quinoa

This complete protein provides all essential amino acids your body needs to produce neurotransmitters. It's also high in iron, magnesium, and fiber.

Why it helps: The combination of protein and complex carbs supports stable neurotransmitter production, which is essential for mood regulation during menstruation.

9. Berries (Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries)

Berries are antioxidant powerhouses that combat oxidative stress and inflammation. They're also relatively low in sugar while providing fiber.

Why it helps: Antioxidants protect cells from inflammatory damage and support overall function during hormonally sensitive periods.

10. Water-Rich Foods (Cucumber, Watermelon, Celery)

Staying hydrated is crucial during menstruation. Water-rich foods help prevent bloating and support overall bodily function.

Why it helps: Proper hydration supports optimal function even mild dehydration can affect mood, concentration, and pain perception.

11. Turmeric

This golden spice contains curcumin, a compound with powerful anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties.

Why it helps: Curcumin can modulate inflammatory pathways that contribute to menstrual discomfort.

12. Lentils and Beans

These menstruation foods to eat provide plant-based protein, iron, and B vitamins all essential for energy production and neurotransmitter synthesis.

Why it helps: The combination of protein and fiber prevents blood sugar crashes that can worsen mood swings and fatigue.

13. Chamomile Tea

While technically a beverage, chamomile deserves mention for its calming properties. It contains compounds that can reduce anxiety and support sleep.

Why it helps: Chamomile affects GABA receptors, promoting relaxation and potentially reducing stress-related symptom amplification.

Foods to Avoid During Your Period

Understanding what foods I should avoid in my period is just as important as knowing what to eat. Certain foods can worsen inflammation, disrupt blood sugar, or amplify symptoms.

Highly Processed Foods

Packaged snacks, fast food, and heavily processed items often contain trans fats and refined carbohydrates that trigger inflammation.

Why avoid: These foods can increase prostaglandin production and worsen cramping. They also cause blood sugar spikes and crashes that amplify mood swings.

Excess Caffeine

While moderate caffeine is fine for most people, excessive amounts can increase anxiety, disrupt sleep, and potentially worsen breast tenderness.

Why avoid: Caffeine affects cortisol levels and can make stress responses more reactive during an already hormonally sensitive time.

Alcohol

Alcohol can worsen bloating, interfere with sleep quality, and affect how your liver processes hormones.

Why avoid: It disrupts neurotransmitter balance and can worsen mood fluctuations. Alcohol also affects hormonal regulation pathways.

Excessive Salt

High sodium intake contributes to water retention and bloating, already common period symptoms.

Why avoid: Excess salt can worsen the inflammatory response and make you feel more uncomfortable.

Refined Sugar

Which food should I avoid during my period? High-sugar foods top the list. While you might crave sweets, refined sugar causes rapid blood sugar spikes followed by crashes.

Why avoid: These fluctuations affect your body's ability to regulate mood and energy. Sugar can also feed inflammatory processes.

Red Meat (in excess)

While some red meat provides iron, excessive consumption can increase prostaglandin production due to its arachidonic acid content.

Why moderate: Choose lean proteins and balance red meat with anti-inflammatory foods if you do eat it during your period.

Fried and Greasy Foods

These are hard to digest and can worsen bloating and sluggishness.

Why avoid: They promote inflammation and can make you feel heavier and more uncomfortable during menstruation.

How Nutrition Affects Menstrual Symptoms

The connection between what to eat on your period and how you feel goes deeper than you might think. Here's how nutrition specifically affects common menstrual symptoms:

Cramps and Pain

Pain during menstruation is largely caused by inflammatory compounds called prostaglandins. Anti-inflammatory foods to eat on your period (like fatty fish, ginger, and turmeric) can reduce these inflammatory signals that cause cramping.

Research shows that dietary patterns high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in trans fats can significantly reduce menstrual pain intensity.

Mood Changes

Your body needs specific nutrients to produce neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. When estrogen drops during menstruation, serotonin levels can fall too, contributing to low mood, irritability, or anxiety.

Good food for period mood support includes:

• Complex carbohydrates (to support serotonin synthesis)
• B vitamins (cofactors in neurotransmitter production)
• Omega-3 fatty acids (which support cellular health)

Fatigue and Concentration Issues

Blood loss during menstruation can deplete iron stores, leading to fatigue and cognitive difficulties. Additionally, hormonal changes affect how your body uses energy.

Best things to eat on your period for energy include iron-rich foods (leafy greens, lentils), complex carbs (sweet potatoes, quinoa), and foods that support stable blood sugar.

Bloating

While some bloating during menstruation is normal due to hormonal fluctuations, certain foods to eat on your period can minimize it:

• Water-rich foods help flush excess sodium
• Potassium-rich foods (bananas, avocados) balance fluid levels
• Anti-inflammatory foods reduce overall swelling

Avoiding excessive salt, alcohol, and carbonated beverages helps prevent additional bloating.

Track Your Patterns for Better Results

Understanding what to eat on your period works best when combined with tracking your unique patterns. The Samphire app helps you track over 250 symptoms including cravings, energy levels, pain, and mood to identify your unique patterns across your cycle.

What makes it different: Samphire uses neuroscience-informed algorithms to help you understand how your body responds during different menstrual cycle phases. By tracking what you eat alongside your symptoms, you can discover your personal best things to eat on your period.

The app helps you:

• Identify which foods improve or worsen your symptoms
• Plan meals around your cycle phases
• Predict when symptoms are likely so you can prepare
• Understand your unique patterns

Support Beyond Nutrition

For those in the United States, Lutea™ offers a wellness-focused approach to support calm, focus, and clarity during hormonally sensitive moments including menstruation.

Lutea™ works with your body's natural adaptability to help you feel more grounded throughout your cycle. It's hormone-free and drug-free, making it a perfect complement to nutritional strategies.

For EU and UK: Nettle™

Nettle™ is a CE-certified Class IIa medical device that uses transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) gentle neurostimulation to help with menstrual pain and mood symptoms.

Research demonstrates that non-invasive neurostimulation can influence how neural circuits process pain signals and regulate mood. The WIND trial confirmed Nettle's effectiveness for menstrual symptoms.

Nettle™ is:

• Hormone-free and drug-free: Works without altering your natural cycle
• Clinically proven: Backed by controlled trials funded by NHS and other organizations
• Convenient: Just 20 minutes per day, 5 days per cycle

Your Nettle™ purchase includes a Samphire membership with comprehensive cycle tracking tools.

Learn more about conditions affecting your cycle: dysmenorrhea, PMS, PMDD and endometriosis.

Take Control of Your Cycle Health

Understanding what to eat on your period and which foods to avoid empowers you to work with your body rather than against it. The right foods to eat on your period can reduce inflammation, support stable mood and energy, and help manage pain more effectively.

Remember: menstruation foods to eat are most effective when you understand your body's patterns. Hormonal shifts affect how your body uses nutrients and responds to different foods throughout your cycle.

At Samphire, we believe women shouldn't have to compromise on their health every day. With the right nutrition, cycle awareness tools, and support, you can feel clearer, steadier, and more in control across every phase.

Ready to understand your cycle better?

• Download the Samphire app to track your nutrition, symptoms, and personal patterns
• Try Lutea™ for wellness-focused support (US)
• Explore Nettle™ for clinically proven support with menstrual pain and mood (EU/UK)

Your period isn't just about your uterus, it's a window into your overall health. Understanding what your body needs during menstruation is key to feeling your best every day of the month.

Samphire is closing the gender gap in women's health. Learn more about our science-backed approach and explore additional perspectives on neuroplasticity, PMS, PMDD, and endometriosis.