Dietary Supplements to Help Ease Period Pain
There are some scientific publications advocating a role for dietary supplements in the management of period pain. However, the reality is that this is an under-researched area, and the studies that are available are typically of poor quality, with small sample sizes. There is also a shortage of safety data on dietary supplements. There is limited data supporting a beneficial role for fenugreek, ginger, zinc sulphate, fish oil, and vitamin B1 in the easing of period pain. However, other proposed ‘pain alleviators’ such as cinnamon, fennel seeds, dill, Damask rose and chamomile tea, have not, to date, been well validated.
Despite this, it is probably worth noting that herbs such as chamomile have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. Chamomile has been used in various formulations, as a tea, as a lotion and as an essential oil, for a multitude of human ailments. Many people have derived comfort from it, dating as far back as the ancient times. So if having a daily cup of chamomile tea relaxes and soothes you, it is probably a habit worth continuing with, including during your period.
