Introduction

Heavy periods (also known as menorrhagia) are when blood flow seems to be more than normal, and periods last for more than 7 days instead of 5 days.¹

Heavy bleeding shows its impact on more than one-tenth of the ladies. A few common indicators of heavy bleeding are the need for more than one sanitary article to be used simultaneously (i.e. a sanitary napkin and a tampon) and/or the volume and flow of blood surpassing the fluid soaking capacity of the pad in a span of 60 minutes.²

It is the breakdown of the internal lining of the uterus (a tube-like structure in females, where the development and growth of an unborn child takes place) that initiates the release of various chemicals responsible for the contraction in the uterine muscles. These muscular contractions become a cause of cramps with pain.³

A few of those chemicals invade blood vessels, mix, and flow with the blood to the other sites, which causes vomiting, nausea, fatigue, headache, and diarrhea. It negatively affects the AFABs physically and mentally, as its effects are felt in daily activities such as working, shopping or even walking.⁴

If heavy bleeding lasts for more than a couple of menstruation cycles, it is always advisable to visit a doctor. However, there are dietary solutions which work in most cases and AFABs suffering from heavy bleeding get relief.

Diet to be taken

When all the required nutrients are provided by the diet, that diet is called a healthy diet, which includes vegetables, nuts, fruits, seeds, fish, dairy products (with low-fat), legumes, and wholegrains. All these articles have their own special constituents to serve as a solution to heavy periods.

Iron-rich food

Loss of iron is one of the major problems associated with heavy periods, which makes the person anemic. So, it is always recommended to have food with a high iron proportion in these periods, especially while dealing with heavy bleeding.^{2, 4, 5}

A few examples of iron-rich foods are as follows:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Chicken
• Oysters
• Turkey
• Beans
• Tofu

Food with vitamin C

Vitamin C is useful in protecting the cells and boosting the body's defense system. 

It would certainly be interesting to know that the role of vitamin C in absorbing iron is crucial, too. Thus, iron-rich food goes best with food items that have vitamin C.^{4, 6}

Here are a few examples:

• Oranges
• Grapefruits
• Strawberries
• Kiwis
• Broccoli
• Bell peppers

As you know, citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C. There is another benefit linked to the citrus fruits: they have a fairly good amount of water that is essential to hydrate the body.

Keep your body hydrated

For overall health, water is essential, and in the heavy bleeding phase, water consumption becomes even more important as water intake keeps the blood volume maintained. It is also found useful in the regulation of the levels of hormones.

It is good to have around 3 liters of water daily. Natural energy drinks, like fruits and vegetable-based smoothies and juices, can be added to the diet plan, too, as they help hydrate the body.

Many fruits and vegetables possess a high proportion of water, like watermelon, cucumber, gooseberry, and peaches, etc. Cucumbers contain more than 95% water, so these are outstanding edible articles to hydrate the body once taken.^4,5

Omega-3 fatty acids

One of the best chemical constituents in the management of heavy periods is omega-3 fatty acids. Its role is considered in the management of the complications associated with heavy bleeding, starting even before the bleeding, and also known as premenstrual syndrome.

Seafood, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, flaxseed oil, and soybean oil are examples of Omega-3 fatty acid sources.²

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are considered to be important in the management of the cramps a heavy bleeding person experiences. Dark Chocolate contains a minimum of 70% cocoa that is rich in antioxidants and fiber. It also provides the heavy bleeding sufferer with essential micronutrients, like zinc, magnesium, and iron.^{4, 7}

Calcium

Calcium is associated with the management of mood changes, cramps during heavy bleeding, and tiredness. There are certain types of foods, like fish with edible bones, dairy products, kale and chia seeds, that contain calcium.^{3, 8}

Magnesium

Magnesium relieves the pain due to cramps related to heavy bleeding. It also works to get rid of anxiety and irritation. As it helps pain management by relaxing the muscles, it also helps a heavy bleeding sufferer to have a good sleep.²

Herbs and rhizomes

There are a few herbs which act as pain relievers by managing cramps during heavy bleeding, and those are fennel, cinnamon, sage, cumin, ginger, chamomile, ginger, and turmeric. Turmeric is also found useful in the management of the inflammatory response.⁴

Diet to be avoided

There are a few foods that need to be avoided to get better in the state of heavy bleeding. One of the most important aspects is to eat food as raw as you can, for example, eat wholegrain or whole-grain flour rather than the processed flour or refined flour. Another example of this kind is to consider brown rice over white rice.

There are edible products that contribute to the initiation of the inflammation process in the body, which can be a reason for various other kinds of complications.

Packaged food, sweets, beverages that are sweetened, dough when refrigerated, fast food, and cooked food with the fried method are great contributors to the inflammation process, complicate the heavy bleeding and worsen the issues associated with heavy bleeding.

Dehydration of the body is done with the consumption of alcoholic drinks and foods, and intensifies the problems during heavy bleeding.^{3, 4}

A few aspects, in addition to diet

Apart from diet, there are a few crucial aspects linked to the diet, and those are extremely important to know, to make the full use of the diet.

Cast-iron for food preparation

Preparation of the food in cast-iron utensils allows the food to get boosted with an additional amount of iron, especially by flipping the flattened food and stirring the food with gravy.⁵

Change the way you cook

Shifting from frying to steaming or baking can reduce the oil intake, as well as the chances of inflammation. More use of oil is associated with the thickening of the internal lining of the uterus. The thicker the lining, the heavier the bleeding.⁹

Is your ingested calcium getting absorbed

Absorption of calcium in the body depends upon the presence of vitamin D. Thus, it is good to take an adequate amount of sunbath so that the dietary solutions you choose give you cent per cent results.

Vitamin D also plays a vital role in the regulation of the menstrual cycle and improves mood as well.³

Is your iron absorption fine

As you are now familiar with the fact that dairy products are good sources of calcium, they are useful for fighting against the issues related to heavy bleeding. However, dairy products are responsible for reducing iron absorption.

To take care of iron absorption, it is always recommended to formulate a dietary plan in which food rich in iron and dairy products are not eaten at the same time.¹⁰

Summary

Heavy periods, also known as menorrhagia, are a condition where blood flow during periods is more than normal, and periods last for more than a week. It is generally characterised by the need for two sanitary napkins at a time, and around 10 percent of the AFABs experience heavy periods.

It is the breakdown of the internal lining of the uterus that releases the many chemicals to contract muscles and cause cramps and pain. By changing your diet a bit, heavy periods can be managed.

Since blood loss happens during these periods, it is important to replenish the body's iron intake. This can be done with the consumption of iron-rich diets, like chicken and green leafy foods, but should not be taken with dairy products. Another important constituent is vitamin C protects cells and improves immunity; it also helps in the absorption of iron. Citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C.

Hydration of the body is extremely important to increase blood volume and regulate hormones, so water intake and the fruits that possess a high water content should be taken into account. Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants are useful in tackling the inflammation process; a few trace elements are found useful in managing the cramps. The use of herbs is also considered in the management of heavy periods.

There are categories of foods that worsen the condition in heavy periods, such as packaged food, sweets, canned beverages, alcohol, and caffeine.

A few changes that are associated with dieting can make the management better, like cooking food in cast iron to get more iron and taking proper sunlight to get vitamin D so that calcium can be properly absorbed. If the frying process is replaced with baking, the results would be even better.