Tea
Ginger-cinnamon tea
This tea warms from the inside, and that is not a figure of speech. Ginger increases blood flow, and cinnamon does the same, so you can feel it spread out into your fingers.
Ginger is one of the best-studied plants for period pain. Several trials have compared it directly with anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen and found an effect of similar size. That is unusual for a herb.
Simmer it, do not simply pour water over. The active compounds in the root need heat and time to come out.
Ingredients
- 3 cm fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick, preferably Ceylon
- 300 ml water
- Honey to taste
Equipment
- Small pan with lid
- Strainer
- Cup
Method
- 1
Simmer 3 cm sliced fresh ginger and 1 cinnamon stick in 300 ml water for 10 minutes.
- 2
Drink 2-3 times daily from a few days before and during menstruation.
Dosage
2-3 cups daily from a couple of days before your period and during it.
Simmer with the lid on, so the steam does not carry off the volatile oils.
Shelf life
Drink fresh. Keeps 1 day refrigerated and can be reheated.
Safety
Ginger is mildly blood-thinning. If you take anticoagulants, or have surgery within two weeks, ask your doctor first.
If you have gallstones, be careful. Ginger increases bile production.
Ginger can cause heartburn and stomach irritation in some, especially on an empty stomach. Drink it with or after a meal.
Use Ceylon cinnamon rather than cassia where you can. Cassia contains coumarin, which in larger daily amounts can strain the liver. One stick in a cup is no danger, but if you drink it daily for weeks, choose Ceylon.
In pregnancy: no more than 1 gram of ginger daily, and speak with your midwife.
Honey must not be given to children under 1 year.
Period pain that makes you vomit, faint or call in sick every month is not normal and should be investigated.
How the herbs work
Ginger contains gingerols, which inhibit the same inflammatory messengers, prostaglandins, that anti-inflammatory drugs target. Those are exactly the compounds that make the womb contract during menstruation, so ginger works on the mechanism behind the pain, not just the experience of it.
Cinnamon relaxes cramping and warms, and has traditionally been used to ease a sluggish, painful period.
The content here is general knowledge and folk herbal lore, not medical treatment. In illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding or alongside medication: always talk to your doctor first.