At times, my menstrual cramps can be excruciating. While popping a few pain relief tablets gives me temporary relief, I hate the idea of continuously polluting my body with over-the-counter prescription drugs. Yes, a hot water bottle is a safe alternative, but it takes far too long to work and it’s not nearly enough to ease my mind-numbing cramps. The only thing that gives me instant relief is a hot cup of ginger tea. By instant, I mean the pain is gone within 30 minutes. The trick, however, is to use the actual ginger root, not the tea bags you’d find at your local grocery store.
Several studies that have been published over the past few years have suggested ginger may help relieve “dysmenorrhea,” which is the medical term for pain before and during menstruation. The following report published in Pain Medicine in 2015 concluded ginger was more effective in relieving menstrual cramps than a placebo. Researchers also found evidence ginger may help control heavy menstrual bleeding.
Warning
Ginger may act as a blood thinner, so please consult with your primary care physician before consuming it if you suffer from a blood condition like anemia, hemophilia, blood clots or blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. Other side effects include heartburn and diarrhea.
Check out my ginger tea recipe below:
Ingredients
(this batch should last two-three days)
Ginger root
Water
Directions:
Peel three-to-four bulbs of ginger and cut them into chunks. Place the chunks into a blender or food processor, pour in your desired amount of water and blend. I usually fill my blender to the brim because ginger is quite spicy and only gets spicier as you heat it up. Transfer the mixture into a pot and simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes. Strain the batch and refrigerate. You can serve the tea with raw honey and garnish with lemons.
Plus: my DIY cold and flu bomb is loaded with fresh ginger. Also, here are a few more ginger-related posts: non-alcoholic pineapple ginger mojito and lemon ginger infused water.
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