Generally women experience pain to cramps on the first day of menstruation . Discomfort such as bloating, body aches are also often felt by some women.
Pain and discomfort due to menstruation can be overcome in an easy way. Consumption of one or two pieces of dark chocolate is believed to relieve pain in the first days of menstruation.
Scientists in Turkey have revealed that the endorphins released by the body after eating chocolate can help reduce pain and act as a natural sedative. Based on a study conducted on 84 female respondents aged 18 to 25 years, it was found that consuming chocolate a few days before menstruation can have a significant effect in reducing pain.
In a study conducted by Manisa Celal Bayar University, respondents were asked to eat 40 mg of dark chocolate with a content of 60 percent pure cocoa powder, three days before and on the first day of menstruation. As a result, their pain level dropped from a scale of 6 to a scale of 5. In addition, their anxiety level also dropped by 18 percent.
The research team led by Dr Asli Karakus Selcuk claims that dark chocolate can be used to treat dysmenorrhea - the medical term for menstrual pain. Dark chocolate in particular is very effective on young women.
"You could say that dark chocolate is safe to use and effective for controlling pain and anxiety due to menstruation," said Dr Asli, as quoted by the Daily Mail.
Flavonoids are the main substances that have the most positive effect on overcoming menstrual pain. The flavonoid content in dark chocolate can stimulate the endothelium or the lining of the arteries to produce nitric oxide.
This nitric oxide has a function to send a signal to the arteries to relax and have an impact on smoother blood flow and lower blood pressure.