Dread “Shark Week?” You’re not alone. 84% of women experience painful period cramps as part of a common medical condition called dysmenorrhea. Sipping a cup of tea can be relaxing, but did you know specific types of teas actually have health benefits? The best PMS teas can reduce period cramp symptoms like pelvic pain, inflammation, muscle spasms, and even anxiety.
Some of the teas listed below are unknown or even highly stigmatized, like tea made from medical marijuana. Be open-minded when it comes to your options for relieving period cramps with tea. Consider reading a book if necessary to get comfortable with these new pain relieving plants.
Here are our six top picks for period cramp teas:
Kratom Tea
Kratom tea is made from the ground powder of the leaves of the plant. While the green powder looks and tastes like a bitter version of green tea matcha powder,
If you’re interested in
Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is made from the sweet and spicy roots of the vegetable, and is renowned for its anti-inflammatory and pain relieving effects. Two research studies looked specifically at the effects of taking ginger supplements on period pain and cramping. One study found 500 mg of ginger taken three times a day reduced both pain severity and length of period pain. Another study found taking ginger reduced heavy menstrual bleeding and blood loss.
Keep in mind drinking a cup of ginger tea will likely not contain as much ginger as the supplements used in the studies. It’s still a smart idea to drink a cup or two of ginger tea a day when you first start feeling PMS symptoms all the way through when your period cramps finally end.
CBD Tea
CBD is short for cannabidiol, the active ingredient in hemp flower. Hemp oil tea works by gently activating your body’s endocannabinoid system to reduce inflammation, cramping, pain, and anxiety. Women’s levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide are lowest during their period, and this may contribute to PMS and period cramping. CBD may help restore balance and relieve period pain. My favorite CBD brand for menstrual cramping is Ladykind CBD. You can read my review and get my exclusive 15% off coupon here.
CBD can be bought online or in health stores, unlike the other cannabinoid THC, which must be purchased in marijuana dispensaries. It’s so popular it’s often out of stock. One way you can still enjoy the benefits of CBD in your tea is to add CBD sugar, CBD-infused honey, or even CBD oil directly to your tea. You may prefer CBD sugar over CBD tincture in your tea, because it’s more likely to mix into your tea rather than floating on top of your tea like an oily film.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea has delicious minty taste, but don’t let that fool you. Peppermint tea is powerful at boosting mood and decreasing pain, including period cramping. A recent study found that menthol in peppermint tea works as well as an NSAID pain reliever at reducing period pain.
Cannabis Tea
Drinking cannabis tea is a great way to get the benefits of THC, the active ingredient of marijuana, without smoking it. THC is a powerful anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxant, pain reliever, and mood booster, making it an insanely power tool for relieving menstrual cramps.
One downside is you’ll likely have to get a medical marijuana card from a doctor, which can cost anywhere from $40-$200 dollars, before you can purchase cannabis tea from a medical marijuana dispensary. The one exception is if you live in a state or country where adult-use, or recreational marijuana dispensaries are available and anyone over the age of 21 can purchase weed without a medical marijuana recommendation.
Cannabis-infused teas aren’t widely available throughout the United States yet. If you live in California, we highly recommend Kikoko Positivi-Tea which contains 10 mg THC, 5 mg CBD, peppermint, licorice root, and green tea for maximum pain relief. In other states where it’s not available, you can try adding THC-infused honey, THC sugar, or even just a THC tincture to your normal tea to get relief from period pain.
Chamomile Tea
Mild tasting chamomile tea is made from the flowers of the chamomile plant. Chamomile is a great tea to make at night for period cramps because it both relaxes muscles and promotes sleep. One research study found drinking two cups of chamomile tea a day for 1 week before women’s period started and for the first 5 days of their period reduced period pain, cramping, and anxiety.
Which Tea is Best For Period Cramps?
If you suffer from painful periods each month, it may be worth your time to try each of these menstrual cramp teas. For the most severe period cramps,
If you’re feeling creative, some people even mix and match teas. For example, you can add a bit of