International Women's Day 2024: Myths And Facts About Food Eaten During Menstruation

Myth 1: Hot beverages like tea and tea with clarified butter are believed to relieve menstrual pain and provide strength to the body.

Fact 1: While some women believe that hot beverages alleviate menstrual discomfort, scientific evidence supporting this claim is inconclusive. Similarly, the belief that clarified butter provides strength during menstruation lacks empirical support.

Myth 2: Consuming salt, cooking oils, meat, and Monosodium glutamate (MSG) during menstruation can lead to health issues.

Fact 2: While cultural beliefs may dictate the avoidance of these foods during menstruation among some communities like the Temiar, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that consuming these foods during menstruation poses any inherent health risks.

Myth 3: Menstruating women should not touch food.

Fact 3: There is no scientific basis for the belief that menstruating women's contact with food poses any risk.

Myth 4: Food cravings is because of the disturbed hormones during periods

Fact 4: Premenstrual cravings may result from inadequate levels of Vitamin D and calcium. It's important to maintain a balanced diet that includes a variety of macro and micronutrients to address these deficiencies effectively.

Myth 5: Strict dietary restrictions during menstruation, such as avoidance of sour foods like curd/buttermilk, tamarind, and pickles, are based on scientific evidence.

Fact 5: Many of the dietary restrictions during menstruation have no scientific support and are followed as a symbol of respect for elders, particularly common among women in rural settings.

Inputs From: Garima Dev Verman, Certified Dietician with The Healthy Indian Project (THIP) - A Health Literacy Platform.