Is Green Tea a Natural Pain Killer?

A person (me) with intense period cramps investigates.

It’s a well-known fact that green tea has a host of health benefits to boast about; but can green tea go so far as to provided relief from chronic pain and inflammation?

Science seems to say yes — so I tested this theory for myself. Here’s how I reduced period cramps (and as a bonus, reduced bloating!) my increasing my green-tea intake for one week.

How green tea relieved my painful period cramps

I’ve written at great length about my horrible PMS symptoms, and when I say I’ve tried everything the medical community can throw at the problem, I mean it. Unfortunately, birth control (after much trial and error) only shortens my periods (the PMS, however, persists), and all the extra-strength Midol and ibuprofen I’ve tried have done diddly-squat to provide any relief. The Good Patch’s period patches helped a bit, but only as spot relief for the overarching issue of hellacious cramps — doing little to ease bloating and other side effects that make cramps a million times worse.

So, it goes without saying that I’ve been at my wit’s end for a long time now, and recently I’ve been open to trying nearly anything that’s purported to work on these ridiculously intense PMS symptoms. That’s where good-ole’ Google came into play, and I began searching for alternatives to the more traditional methods.

Luckily, Reddit always comes through, and the r/PMDD subreddit (note, I am not officially diagnosed with PMDD) had some great thought-starter threads. Some users recommended supplements that have helped them in their chronic-PMS/PMDD journey, but I’d tried many of them before (and saw little to no benefit). Some suggested dietary changes (which I always try to be mindful of during my cycle!), and that lead me to this simple, powerful thought on my own — “Have I tried green tea?”

It seemed silly even to myself at first, but the thought took hold, and back to Google I went. Turns out, there is research to suggest that green tea (specifically, the L-Theanine and other anti-inflammatory compounds within green tea) actually does work as a natural painkiller, and can help to reduce bloating as a down-stream effect of reducing inflammation.

I was floored. My “I’ve heard green tea is good for everything” knee-jerk thought was surprisingly spot on, and I ran to the pantry on my office floor to make myself a cup.

And guess what? It worked. After about 30-minutes post ingestion, I noticed a great reduction in my bloating, and in turn, my formerly agonizing period cramps. At first I thought it might be a fluke; ya’ know, doing something once and getting a positive result doesn’t necessarily mean it works, but I continued to lean on this method during mornings and afternoons (since I can’t really handle caffeine at night) during the entirety of that particular cycle… and it kept working.

Though this method won’t work for everyone (hey, maybe traditional painkillers work for you just fine — congrats!), I was ultimately relieved to find a natural, safe and effective way to relieve the intensity of my pain (while also enjoying the additional health benefits polyphenol-rich green tea has to offer).

So, next time you’re gripping your stomach and sides begging for the sweet release of death (I kid, but it can be brutal for people who menstruate), I recommend reaching for a warm cup of green tea to take the edge off.

Xoxo,

MM.