Benefits of Ginger for Menstrual Cramps

An eighth of a teaspoon of ground ginger power is tested head-to-head against the leading drug for the alleviation of painful periods.



What else can really help with cramps, PMS, and cyclical breast pain? Check out:

Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM

Image credit: brenkee via pixabay. Image has been modified.

[combsandcocktails]

I have had horrible menstrual cramps. They come every 2 hrs and last for about 20mins. Basically debilitating pain, at work, in route, at home. Just terrible. I have literally called out of work and even left work early due to the pain.

My level of painful menstrual cramps were at about an 8. I would experience cramps, which caused hot flashes, sweating, nausea, and at times, vomiting.

I was taking 800mg of IBUPROFEN every 2 hrs and still in agonizing pain. The pain would start, I'd take the ibuprofen and I swear by the time it kicked in the pain was gone. But by the time the pain came back, the medicine had wore off.

I added less than a tablespoon of raw gjnger to my smoothies just for taste, and surprisingly I noticed that I didn't have painful menstrual cramps. The next month I didn't have any smoothies with ginger and the pain returned.

. But I learned that ginger is Phenomenal and it has changed my life! I eat raw ginger everyday and I have noticed a drastic decrease in menstrual cramps. I still have cramps, but no pain, just light pressure. No nausea, hot flashes, sweating, or vomiting. I am 100% confident that ginger will completely stop painful menstrual cramps or significantly reduce them.

[ericalindsey]

I tried this last week and it worked wonders! It decreased my cramp pain tremendously and it looks like it decreased my cycle time from 7 days to 5. I'll definite do this again next month! I'm on this for life!

[tia]

Ginger has worked wonders. It has made me put down the ibuprofen. I'll never go back.

[TheExMuslima]

I had horrible menstrual cramps and rectal pain every menses for the past few months. I took ginger powder last time and it made a HUGE difference. I'm glad there's more research on this. Thanks for the heads up in your previous videos!

[serafinamarotta]

I drink ginger tea daily, and also diffuse lavender oil, and my migraines have been controlled for months now.

[Ella-ysnm]

After going whole plant vegan, I don't even get cramps anymore.

[adg]

Drink this one or twice daily around the middle of your menstrual cycle. Mix in hot water: 1/4 teaspoon or a dash (about 1 gram) of ground organic ginger powder, 1/2 teaspoon of ground organic lemon peels powder (I make my own using Krups coffee grinder), and organic lemon juice. I drink this in the morning before gyokuro or matcha, and about an hour or two before my breakfast baby greens/ fruit smoothie. Then I'll drink this ginger/ lemon peel/ lemon juice tonic again at night before sleep.

Ginger and lemon peel are not just good for PMS symptoms but also anti-carcinogenic as well.

[StarFlower]

I used juiced ginger root + water for extreme pain relief after chemo when I had a reaction to rx drugs. It was the only thing I took for pain and nausea. My dr was in disbelief asking me several times am I on any pain meds!

[lucretiz]

OKAY I got my vegan organic ginger capsules on Saturday will be starting this tonight! HAPPY PERIODING ladies :)

[idahval]

I don't want my pain level to be at 5 or 6. I want the pain to go away!

[HolisticHealthatHome]

Good thing I keep fresh ginger in the fridge! Go plants! <3

[SoulintheRaw]

Such an important video to make. thank you Dr. Greger. I gotta say, you have been one of very few feminist vegan leading figures around. that touches my heart!

[jenniferherrerawolf]

Thank you Mr. Gregger, you have done what no other doctor could after so many years of very very painful periods. Any gynecologist or docotor HAS to learn about this and prescribe ginger instead of the horrible NAIDs or pills which have terrible side effects. Thank you so much for helping so many women!

[OneWayTheWayYahweh]

That's awesome, I love ginger. Soy really helped me. When I first went vegan I wasn't eating any soy products, my cramps went when I started drinking soy milk and eating soy ice cream. Maybe it was to do with hormonal imbalance? I'm just guessing, no idea.

[valnsky]

I wonder what the lost productivity would be if men had periods and ovulated? Having basically contractions and bleeding from your insides would put them out for days. We all know a men- flu is about 100 times worse than any flu

[gvas]

This is true. I watched a video from Dr. McGregor a while back with similar info and I decide it to... "put it to the test"!!!
This really works. And if you keep doing it month after month it helps even more, however, I wish there was something that would eliminate the pain. Ginger helps but does not eliminate the discontford.

[oOInuyashaOo]

I'm not whole plant vegan (some junk food in my vegan diet) but recently started having raw plant smoothies for breakfast each morning with a good chunk of ginger. Interested to see how this plays out.

[Cristeepi]

wow this is he answer to my monthly problem, haha. What amazed me more is that in the second month the pain dropped significantly compared to the first month, which means, probably, that the pain can disappear completely in the future, if of course, ground ginger is administrated in the known doses and for a longer period of time. Can it be replace by fresh ginger, though? I find that the ground ginger I buy is just a normal spice and doesn't have the health benefits it should have if it was organic, etc.. so maybe fresh is a better option? I will gladly participate in a study like this, but no placebo for me😂

[joanamnt]

Beetroot jus help me a lot with periods pain control! 4, 5 days before period i drink my jus once or twice a day and it's all good! No harsh pain anymore!!
Dr Greger, can you please do a study on beetroot??

[edrabogucki]

The only drug that ever helped my cramps was naproxen. I was past 35 when naproxen was approved, had severe cramps an heavy flow for 4-6 days. Ginger is so good for so many things!