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All, Women's Health

Menstrual Myths

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How to Induce a Period: 13 Natural Methods and Myths

Image from greatist.com

Prachi Shah

It’s a story passed from word of mouth, across households, generations and countries. Young people, often young women with an important event coming up, are told to eat certain foods to induce or delay their menstrual period in order to make sure that it doesn’t coincide with a birthday, religious occasion, or other event. Plants and herbs such as turmeric, mangoes, pineapple, and papaya have been touted for centuries as natural ways to encourage the early onset of a menstrual period. However, the evidence regarding these herbal treatments, known as emmenagogues, is often strictly anecdotal, and is often contradictory. 

A menstrual period is the culmination of the body’s roughly 28 day reproductive cycle. The cycle begins with the maturation of an ovum, or egg, which is then released into the body. Over the next few weeks, the endometrium (thick lining of the uterus) thickens. The cycle culminates with the shedding of this lining through the vagina, which is known as the menstrual period. The menstrual period is regulated largely by hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, among others. When these hormones are not present in the correct ratios, it can result in irregular periods, which may lead someone to seek out natural remedies to induce it. 

Anecdotes claim that foods such as citrus, berries, spinach, and tomatoes bring on a period through the increased intake of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), based on the rationale that this will have a hormone-like action that induces uterine contraction and a subsequent shedding of uterine lining. There are several hypotheses that need testing in theories like this. Other foods such as turmeric or pineapple supposedly induce periods by affecting levels of estrogen and progesterone (hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle) in the body. Unfortunately, there is little scientific evidence to support these concepts. Additionally, a few of these recommended herbal remedies, such as dong quai and parsley, can be toxic in high quantities or when children are exposed; therefore, they should be used in moderation. 

Aside from eating particular foods, there are some other suggested methods to help relieve irregular or painful periods. Exercise has been proved to help relieve menstrual pain. However, excessive exercise can delay or temporarily stop one’s menstrual cycle as can eating disorders or prolonged stress. People who seek regular periods may choose to participate in light/moderate exercise and relaxation techniques.

At the end of the day, the only reliable, scientifically proven method to fully control one’s period is hormonal birth control, which needs to be prescribed by a medical professional. 

https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/induce-period#natural-treatments

https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/dong-quai

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/apiol

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/abortifacients

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324830#inducing-a-period

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2095496417603480

All, Coronavirus

Coronavirus and the Loneliness Epidemic

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Mask-Wearing/Social Distancing for People who are Deaf/Hard of ...

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Eva Patel

From football games to in-person classes to family barbeques, the coronavirus pandemic has transformed our social lives.

At the end of March, when the United States had approximately 20,000 cases a day, 44% of Americans said their life had changed in a major way. In 2017, Vivek Murthy, the past U.S. Surgeon General, described loneliness as a major public health issue in the US. A January 2020 report from Cigna also reported that 60% of Americans over 18 felt lonely — the highest level of loneliness in American history. Coronavirus might make the  loneliness epidemic worse. Social distancing — which is proved to slow the spread of coronavirus and help flatten the curve — might also feed into America’s loneliness epidemic. And although loneliness is defined more by a lack of meaningful social connection than simply face-to-face interactions, a 2018 Cigna study shows that those who have daily in-person interactions are 38% more likely to say their overall mental and physical health is good compared to those who never have in-person interactions. 

Older adults are at an increased risk for loneliness, and as the highest at-risk group for coronavirus, they are also more likely to follow stricter social distancing guidelines, contributing to isolation. Loneliness has some concrete health risks, such as premature death, suicide, depression, heart disease, and stroke. Although loneliness is not something strictly defined by DSM-5, it is an increasingly recognized aspect of health. Many mental health experts advocate for the term “physical distancing”. Social distancing implies disconnecting from friends, family, and support networks at a time when these support networks are most needed.  

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200408-coronavirus-how-lockdown-helps-those-who-fear-the-phone

https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/amp/ncna945446 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/202004/unfortunate-allies-the-coronavirus-and-loneliness

https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2020/03/30/most-americans-say-coronavirus-outbreak-has-impacted-their-lives/

https://time.com/5833681/loneliness-covid-19/

All, Coronavirus

Racial Disparities in Coronavirus Outcomes 

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Are People Are Dying From COVID-19 Because They Are Black in ...

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Emily Samson

 When the coronavirus pandemic began, the phrase we’re all in this together was all over social media. The virus was supposed to be “the great equalizer”. It had the potential to infect anyone and everyone. But as more data emerges, we’re learning that not everyone is affected equally.

 In the United States, the coronavirus mortality is 2.3 times higher for Black Americans than White Americans. This is a higher mortality rate than any other racial group living in the United States. While black people make up 13% of the United States population, they represent 25% of all deaths in the pandemic. If Black Americans were dying at the same rate as White Americans, 15,000 more black people would be alive today.

The disparities in outcomes are a result of many systemic issues including decreased access to healthcare, less insurance coverage, and worse living and working conditions. For example, essential workers face a higher risk of infection, and black people are more likely to be in the frontline than any other racial group. Despite this risk, black workers are less likely to be employed in jobs that provide benefits such as paid sick leave, which could protect workers if they get sick. 

Black Americans are also more likely to have underlying health conditions that place them at higher risks for mortality from the virus. Historically, black people have faced more problems with health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and HIV that increase the risk of mortality from the coronavirus. The systemic issues combined with the risk of comorbidities are factors that lead to the disproportionate number of deaths in the black population. 

The coronavirus epidemic is manifesting extensive health disparities for Black Americans– the racial and socioeconomic inequities in American healthcare– making meaningful systemic changes more pressing.

https://www.apmresearchlab.org/covid/deaths-by-race

https://pnhp.org/news/health-care-system-a-major-factor-in-african-americans-poorer-health/

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/16/black-workers-coronavirus-covid-19