Does Intermittent Fasting Help Get Rid of Period Cramps?

Millions of women experience cramps and pain during their menstrual cycle. 

While there are many possible medications and treatments for period cramps, scientific evidence shows that intermittent fasting can be extremely helpful in getting rid of period pain altogether.

Intermittent fasting can help get rid of painful period cramps by balancing the female hormones and correcting the underlying conditions such as PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and insulin resistance. 

Continue reading to learn more about how fasting can help with your menstrual cycle.

How Does Intermittent Fasting Help With Period Cramps?

The Journal of Translational Medicine placed a group of women with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) on a 16:8 fast for Five weeks.

After five weeks, the study concluded: “The diet of TRF (time-restricted fasting) may be beneficial to anovulatory PCOS on weight loss especially reducing body fat, improving menstruation, hyperandrogenemia, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation.”

In other words, at the end of five weeks, the women had a tremendous improvement in their PCOS symptoms, including period cramps and fatigue. 

In addition, 73% had significant improvement and or complete correction of their cycle irregularities. 

Insulin resistance plays a massive role in PCOS and other menstrual irregularities.

Intermittent fasting helps lower insulin levels and get rid of insulin resistance. 

The menstrual irregularities also improve or disappear entirely by getting rid of insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity. 

This means lower insulin levels can help get rid of period cramps and other PCOS symptoms. 

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting For Women:

It is essential to remember that combining a healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet or the Ketogenic diet is critical for successful intermittent fasting. 

That is if you want to experience all the benefits listed below. 

• Weight Loss
• Reduced Period Cramps
• Improved insulin resistance
• Improved Menstrual Cycle Irregularities
• Reduced Inflammation.
• Improved PCOS Syndromes
• Lower Blood Sugar
• Decreased Cravings & Hunger
• Lower Blood Pressure
• Mental Clarity
• Better Cognitive Function.
• Gets Rid of Acne.

Is it Healthy To Fast Before Your Period?

Fasting right before your period could cause additional stress to your body due to hormonal shifts. Therefore, It’s best not to fast right before your period.

Instead, if you are not already, try following a low carbohydrate diet such as keto or Mediterranean diet the week before your cycle starts. 

This way, you will get the benefits of a healthy diet without the stress of fasting.

When is The Best Time For Women To Fast? 

The best time for women to fast is during the estrogen phase of their cycle, which is the second week. 

Estrogen lowers hunger and cravings, making fasting much easier, and you can fast for more extended periods of time. 

Common Mistakes Women Make With Intermittent Fasting:

• Fasting Too Often.
  • For women, fasting too frequently could cause hormonal imbalance. Therefore, It’s best to have at least one week of rest between your extended fasts in order to maintain your hormonal balance.
  • The Journal of Reproductive Medicine conducted a study on women during Ramadan. The study indicated that women who fasted less frequently had a lower chance of menstrual abnormalities than those who fasted daily. 
  • Fasting 3-4 days per week is ideal for women.  

• Not Consuming Enough Calories.
  • Studies suggest women are more affected by starvation than men. 
  • In women, Leptin levels (hunger hormone) decrease sharply during fasting.   
  • Not eating enough calories during your eating window may cause the leptin levels to fall and not rise back quickly enough.
  • Therefore, if you feel like you are starving during your fast, it’s best to break your fast and try it again another day, and don’t force yourself to finish the fast if your hunger increases. 

• Eating Too Late During the Eating Window
  • Eating too many calories towards the end of your eating window can cause fat accumulation and weight gain. 
  • A study done in the Journal of BMC Public Health indicated when women ate later in the evening, there was a 200% increased chance of Obesity compared to a 100% increased chance in men. 
  • Therefore, women should try and consume most of their calories during the beginning of their eating window.

• Not Enough Electrolytes.
  • One of the major mistakes women can make while fasting is not consuming enough salt and electrolytes. 

Can Pregnant Women Fast?

Fasting is NOT recommended for pregnant women or women who are nursing.

Also, studies indicate fasting increases cortisol levels (stress hormone), which can lower the chances of pregnancy by 40%.

Therefore, women trying to get pregnant should not fast during ovulation, nor should they fast for more than 48 hours at a time. 

Fasting For Women Over 40

After the age of 40, as women get closer to pre-menopause, progesterone levels decrease, and estrogen increases. Estrogen promotes fat accumulation and could cause insulin resistance. 

In other words, the increase in estrogen could cause weight gain. 

Fasting could help combat insulin resistance and weight gain. 

The Journal Obesity conducted a study that compared alternate-day fasting and calorie restriction diet in an eight-week trial. 

Subjects were primarily women. At the end of the study, they concluded that all groups had the same weight loss. 

However, the fasting group maintained their metabolism much better than the calorie restriction group. 

Therefore, practicing intermittent fasting 3-4 days per week would be an excellent way for women over 40 to maintain their metabolism and lower the chances of weight gain.

Bottom Line:

Period cramps are common for many women and can be extremely painful. While many medications can help relieve the pain, there are natural remedies you should try. Intermittent fasting has been shown to help ease period cramps and has many other health benefits for women. In the comments, let us know if you tried intermittent fasting and how it went. Thanks for reading!

Resources:

Li C, Xing C, Zhang J, Zhao H, Shi W, He B. Eight-hour time-restricted feeding improves endocrine and metabolic profiles in women with anovulatory polycystic ovary syndrome. J Transl Med. 2021 Apr 13;19(1):148. DOI: 10.1186/s12967-021-02817-2. PMID: 33849562; PMCID: PMC8045367.