Matcha vs PMS

I KNOW. It seems crazy, silly even. The thought that a matcha latte could help dissolve those ever so annoyingly occuring PMS symptoms.

For those who may be unaware of what I am talking about when using the term ‘PMS’ it is the term used for Premenstrual Syndrome and if you are still unaware entirely of what this means, similar to how i was for a very long time.

Somewhere in Malaga…

Heres a quick breakdown…

Premenstrual Syndrome is the name for the symptoms women can experience in the weeks before their period.

Symptoms of premenstrual syndrome include mood swings, fatigue, cramps, headaches and spotty skin.

This in its entirety is the least of what women can go through on the weeks leading up to their period, some cases can be severely worse which tend to be put in the category of PMDD rather than PMS.

Anyway lets get back to why you should 100% be spending that £300 on matcha a month (please do not spend this amount on matcha).

I have had incredibly bad PMS symptoms for a long time yet I lacked the knowledge to understand this was what it was. I look back on times where I made abrupt changes, left jobs, left relationships, felt anger, felt sadness, the list goes on…just to realise that my period would appear a few days later and I felt completely myself again, sane again for that matter.

It shouldn’t have took so long for me to find out why I was feeling all of these heightened emotions and worrying for my sanity when in reality it was just my hormones going through some craziness. Yet we are not taught these things in school and unfortunately if we don’t seek information it tends to struggle to get to us, my mum wasn’t aware of PMS until i started researching it, the same as other family members and friends.

92 Degrees Coffee - Leeds.

Okay so we’ve broken down what it is and why it’s important to be aware of it, but what’s even better is finding ways in which to help minimise these symptoms.

One way which I ever so accidentally came across begun with my matcha obsession, we’re talking ‘I want to try every matcha flavour to ever exist’ and ‘all i want for christmas is a ceremonial matcha kit’. Yes, that obsession.

How Does It Reduce Cramping?

There is not a TON of scientific research relating directly to matcha and PMS…however! There is research to show may help alleviate some PMS symptoms, particularly menstrual cramps, due to its L-theanine content, which can relax muscles and blood vessels, potentially easing uterine contractions. 

In less scientific terms, the hot water bottle is needed a lot less.

Nonetheless it is still stated that it can help to reduce cramping, when the uterus contracts to shed its lining, surrounding blood vessels can be cut off from oxygen, leading to cramping. L-theanine in matcha can help relax these blood vessels, potentially easing the cramping sensation.

Surely It Can’t Reduce Moodswings?

I thought the same until one day my period turned up and i had NO IDEA, this never happens, I am usually chaotic and a mix of irritabilty and tears the week before but not this time. I was trying to figure out what I had change and there was one pretty obvious alteration to my daily routine. A matcha, every single morning. This period came and went without much pain and with a lot less mental turmoil so I thank the ever growing obsession for that.

There’s no denying that fluctuating levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can make it hard to tell whether you should laugh about a period stain or cry over literally anything. Matcha probably won’t turn you into one of those way too happy girls in tampon commercials, but it does increase dopamine and serotonin production. Dopamine and Serotonin are both happiness hormones which can help you feel just a little less demonish.

Just for another reference, I had a month off, it was a brave move and almost accidental but it’s rare in Italy to get the standard blueberry matcha latte so after having a week off when i’d sat down in a local cafe back home and had what looked like an intensely strong matcha i got the caffeine jitters and it scared me so i had a break (bad idea) then came the worst pms and period of my life. Probably an exaggeration but we’ll go with it. I am now back to my morning fix and it’s going well. I would definitely recommend a matcha around 1-2 hours after waking up to allow the smaller mg of caffeine to not affect your natural sleep cycle but caffeine in the afternoon always hinders me whereas in the morning it helps.

I will link below the Matcha Latte I consume peacefully every morning to add a slice of zen to the usual routine, and with the rude health coconut milk it is a 10/10. Would recommend.

My Everyday. Click on the image for the link :)