Can drinking brown sugar water during menstruation really relieve dysmenorrhea? The truth is different from what you think

Rumor: "During menstruation, drinking brown sugar water can relieve dysmenorrhea."

It is often said that if women experience dysmenorrhea during their menstrual period, drinking some brown sugar water can relieve the dysmenorrhea.

Rumor analysis: This statement is not rigorous.

Brown sugar water does not directly relieve dysmenorrhea. Women with dysmenorrhea feel better after drinking brown sugar water, probably because hot water dilates blood vessels and makes people feel psychologically comfortable. If you switch to hot water and sweet food, the same effect will be achieved. However, for relatively severe dysmenorrhea, these methods may not be able to completely relieve the pain.

Many women have suffered from dysmenorrhea. When suffering from dysmenorrhea, we always hear the saying "drink some brown sugar water and it will be fine", so is it really useful to drink brown sugar water during menstruation?

Can brown sugar water relieve dysmenorrhea?

In fact, brown sugar water is not that magical. Brown sugar is made from sugarcane. After the sugar juice is extracted and purified, it is directly boiled without separating the honey. The color ranges from golden yellow to reddish brown. The biggest difference between it and white sugar is that brown sugar is less refined than white sugar. The main component of brown sugar is sucrose, and it also contains a small amount of fructose and glucose, with a total sugar content of 96.6%. From a nutritional point of view, drinking brown sugar water during menstruation can not only replenish energy, but also does not contain any special ingredients that are effective in relieving dysmenorrhea. For relatively severe dysmenorrhea, drinking brown sugar water may not completely relieve the pain, and oral analgesics such as ibuprofen, or other medical means are needed to relieve abdominal pain.

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Many people say that they feel much better after drinking brown sugar water during menstrual cramps, and this is not the "exclusive effect" of brown sugar water. It may be a psychological effect, or it may be because hot water is used to make brown sugar water. Drinking one cup after another promotes blood circulation and makes the lower abdomen feel warm and comfortable, which has a certain effect on relieving dysmenorrhea. In addition, the sweetness of brown sugar water may improve the original irritable mood. These reasons combined will naturally make people feel better. In fact, if you replace the brown sugar water with a cup of hot water and a bite of sweets, it can also have the same effect.

To relieve menstrual cramps, try this

Dysmenorrhea refers to lower abdominal pain, heaviness, backache or other discomfort before, during or after menstruation. Dysmenorrhea is divided into primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea refers to abdominal pain during menstruation without organic lesions in the female reproductive system. Nearly 90% of dysmenorrhea is primary dysmenorrhea. Most of the dysmenorrhea that young women experience every month is primary dysmenorrhea. Secondary dysmenorrhea refers to dysmenorrhea caused by organic pelvic diseases. Secondary dysmenorrhea requires a detailed examination in the hospital to confirm the cause. The occurrence of primary dysmenorrhea is mainly related to the increase in the content of prostaglandins in the endometrium during menstruation. High prostaglandin content can cause excessive contraction of uterine smooth muscle, vasospasm, uterine ischemia, hypoxia and dysmenorrhea. In addition, primary dysmenorrhea is also affected by mental and neurological factors, and the subjective feeling of pain is also related to the individual pain threshold.

Secondary dysmenorrhea is caused by some gynecological diseases, such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, pelvic inflammation, etc. Secondary dysmenorrhea will be found to have some abnormal manifestations during the gynecological examination in the hospital. The treatment of secondary dysmenorrhea needs to target the primary disease, which is different from primary dysmenorrhea.

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For primary dysmenorrhea, taking ibuprofen and other drugs for pain relief can improve the quality of life of women during menstruation and no longer endure the torture of dysmenorrhea. In addition, there are some ways to try. First of all, we must pay attention to psychological treatment. Mild discomfort during menstruation is a normal physiological reaction during menstruation. Eliminating tension and worries can relieve some pain. Secondly, adequate rest and sleep, keeping warm, and hot compresses on the lower abdomen are all helpful in relieving pain. In addition to painkillers such as ibuprofen in drug treatment, women with contraceptive needs can take oral short-acting contraceptives to inhibit ovulation and reduce the content of prostaglandins in menstrual blood, which will also play a role in treating dysmenorrhea. Women who have difficulty taking oral medications can use another prostaglandin inhibitor, indomethacin suppositories, to administer anus, which can also relieve primary dysmenorrhea. If the symptoms of dysmenorrhea become more and more severe or persistent, you should still see a doctor in time to see what causes dysmenorrhea, and when necessary, the doctor can prescribe relevant drugs (such as short-acting contraceptives, painkillers, etc.) for symptomatic treatment. In summary, drinking brown sugar water during women's menstrual period may help relieve dysmenorrhea, but this is not the effect of brown sugar water, but the combination of "hot water + sweet taste". After being diagnosed with primary dysmenorrhea, if rest, drinking hot water or local hot compresses cannot improve the pain, we can take ibuprofen and other drugs to relieve pain under the guidance of a doctor. Drink less brown sugar water for dysmenorrhea, be careful of gaining weight!

Looking in the mirror of rumors

Rumors like "drinking brown sugar water to relieve dysmenorrhea" are widely spread mainly because they provide a "simple and universal" solution, catering to people's pursuit of convenience. At the same time, because they are spread repeatedly, it is easy for people to have psychological hints. Even if there is no effect, many people still believe that "it's always better to give it a try."

Such rumors are usually based on traditional experience or cultural customs, and use some scientific-sounding concepts, such as "promoting blood circulation" and "detoxification", which seem to have some scientific principles at first glance, but in fact have not been scientifically verified. Similar rumors include "drinking more milk can make bones stronger" and "vitamin C can prevent and treat colds."

When faced with these rumors, don't blindly follow popular opinion. Instead, seek scientific diagnosis and treatment, which is the most effective way.

References

[1] Zhu Yuanting, Yang Chaoqun, Xu Wei, et al. Analysis of the current status and influencing factors of primary dysmenorrhea in 2559 female high school students[J]. Chinese School Doctor, 2023, 37(03): 190-193+214.

[2] Zhao Tingyu, Yang Xinchun, Bao Meiru, et al. Clinical characteristics and related factors of dysmenorrhea caused by endometriosis[J]. World Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2023, 18(08): 1192-1197.

[3] Qin Weimeng, Qin Ying, Yang Jun. Preliminary study on the western medicine mechanism of hot water relieving dysmenorrhea[J]. Electronic Journal of Practical Gynecological Endocrinology, 2019, 6(33): 5. DOI: 10.16484/j.cnki.issn2095-8803.2019.33.003.

[4]https://www.uptodate.com/contents/zh-Hans/dysmenorrhea-in-adult-females-treatment

[5] Lei Guicheng. Research on the relationship between primary dysmenorrhea and abdominal fat content in female sports college students [C]//Chinese Society of Sports Science. Collection of abstracts of the 11th National Sports Science Conference. [Publisher unknown], 2019: 4903-4904. DOI: 10.26914/c.cnkihy.2019.031090.

[6] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 2[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2019

‍‍‍Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Zhai YanChief Physician, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

Review | Zhang Na, Associate Researcher, Doctoral Supervisor, Peking University School of Public Health

Lan Yibing, deputy chief physician, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine