When a woman’s not-so-welcome monthly visitor comes knocking at her door, things seldom turn out pretty. She becomes sullen and moody at the drop of a hat, indulges in the strangest of eating habits, and may even let off enormous amounts of gas in one sitting.
Not all women find themselves cutting too much cheese during their period. However, this is still a common symptom of the menstrual cycle and there could be a few reasons as to why we find ourselves in this embarrassing situation.
Your Hormones May Be The Culprit
A woman’s sex hormone cycle is quite complicated. In both absolute and relative concentrations, these hormones can be responsible for transforming you from a nookie-loving, lovable creature to a cranky, ravenous monster who feels the need to poop a lot more than usual. This not-so-pleasant transformation can happen all within a span of a few weeks.
When a woman starts her menstruation, her body predominantly produces estrogen till the ovulation stage. After ovulation, progesterone replaces estrogen to become the predominant hormone. It is this little dance between estrogen and progesterone that doesn’t just cause mood swings but also has a significant impact on the gastrointestinal system as well.
A higher level of progesterone in the body is often marked by uncomfortable bloating, constipation, and gas. Part of the reason could be the dampening effect on the smooth muscular walls of the digestive tract. Because of this dampening effect, the intestines start functioning slower, giving the gut bacteria more time to ferment the food. This, in turn, produces copious amounts of volatile sulfur compounds. The more these type of compounds are produced as an end product of digestion, the higher are your chances of letting out some dangerous stink bombs.
On commencement of the menstrual cycle, the level of certain hormone-like compounds called prostaglandins increases in the body. They lead to cramping and contraction of the uterus so that the body is able to slough off the inner lining of the uterus. This is what causes bleeding during the menstrual cycle. Prostaglandins are also responsible for causing contractions of the smooth muscles within the digestive tract. Because of this, intestinal cramping for some women often leads to the sudden development of gas.
The Anatomic Explanation For Menstrual Flatulence
Hormonal play during a woman’s period is generally a more accepted cause of menstrual flatulence. However, there could be an anatomical theory that explains why the gastrointestinal system is impacted by the menstrual cycle.
The uterus is located directly in front of the intestines and the colon. It is, therefore, suggested, that there could be a direct contact of the colon with even the most minute uterine contractions. This, in turn, may lead to more frequent bowel movements which would have an obvious impact on flatulence.
Binge-Eating Inflammatory Foods During Your Period
If you’re someone who wolfs down multiple bags of potato chips or finishes off kilos of cheese in one sitting when you start your cycle, your flatulence is probably the result of all that snacking. Eating foods that are high in sodium and sugar content will worsen inflammation, cause you bloating, and result in aggravating your flatulence problems.
What You Can Do To Decrease Flatulence During Your Period
There’s not much you can do about the hormonal havoc caused within your body by the onset of your period. There are, however, certain steps you can take to prevent, or bring down menstrual flatulence.
- Exercise: Make sure to get a decent amount of jogging or any form of physical exercise every day. This will promote good blood flow through your body including your abdomen and may help with bringing down those cramps.
- Activated Charcoal Capsules: Consult your doctor and ask if you may take these capsules. They can help relieve stomach and abdominal pain and can help cure flatulence by trapping the gas trapped in your digestive tract.
- Opt For Small, Regular Meals: Avoid eating large meals in one sitting as these may increase the pressure on your stomach and abdomen. Instead, go for smaller, more frequent meals. This way, your digestive system will find it easier to break down and process the food you eat more effectively.
- Eat More Probiotics: Eat a healthy quantity of khimchi, yogurt, or sauerkraut. These are natural sources of good, gut-friendly bacteria which can help neutralize the impact of the bad bacteria in your stomach that is causing all that flatulence.
- Ease Out On Greasy, Sugary Snacks: Menstrual cycles are not a joke, and it would be unkind to expect women to stay away completely from their favorite comfort food during that time of the month. However, you can definitely go easy on the portions of deep-fried onion rings and cheesy garlic bread and be mindful of consuming these in reasonable portions. This way you can not just cheer yourself up, but can also prevent your menstrual flatulence going from bad to worse.
Flatulence during your period is undoubtedly a very uncomfortable mess for you to be in. However, try to not let this stress you out too much. It is, after all, just one of the ways in which your body responds to the fluctuations in hormonal balance during the menstrual cycle. Focus on eating a healthy diet, sticking to a mild exercise routine, and getting a healthy amount of rest. This way, you can drastically bring down menstrual flatulence and feel a lot more cheerful!
