Eat raw carrots to alleviate period cramps, says health coach

She claims that eating a raw carrot a week before your period can end ‘miserable periods’

(AFP via Getty Images)

Period pain afflicts roughly half of the world’s population and its potency can vary from dull, background discomfort to paralysing abdominal spasms.

Despite this, we are still expected to go about our days as normal.

Though many people opt for painkillers, being dependent for up to a week each month on Ibuprofen or Aspirin is not always a popular option, leading people to seek out alternative remedies to quell the cramps.

Period pain usually starts when your bleeding begins, lasting for 48 to 72 hours on average. And although the cramping is often at its worst when your bleeding is at its heaviest, it can occur in unpleasant bouts several days before the start of your period – and it’s at this point that the raw vegetable hypothesis comes in.

Tiktoker Virginia Gruhler has espoused the benefits of chowing down on a humble raw carrot a week before your period arrives – and it’s by this simple dietary hack she has hailed an end to “miserable periods”.

In a viral video posted to the social media platform, Gruhler – who describes herself as a hormone and holistic health coach – told her followers that the trick has made her menstrual cramps “SO much better.”

Indeed, the businesswoman has taken the carrot-chomping one step further, and says she now makes certain to eat the raw vegetable every day to ensure she has an easier period.

The video catapulted Gruhler into the ‘Healthtok’ hall of fame after amassing more than 924,000 views and building up her follower count by some 12,000 people.

In the clip, she explains how she came across a video offering advice on how to ease period pain, before deciding to try it out herself.

Gruhler then goes on to claim that eating a raw carrot a week before your period help you “detox excess estrogen”.

“Food is medicine,” reads the clip’s caption, alongside a fire emoji.

In the text over the video, she wrote: “POV: You have miserable periods but then you see this video about how eating carrots the week before your period can help you detox excess estrogen so now you eat raw carrots everyday and your period cramps are SO much better.”

The video has caused a stir online, with many testifying in favour of Gruhler’s raw carrot method in the comments section.

“Yep gets rid of excess estrogen I’ve [sic] noticed a huge difference in symptoms since incorporating [carrots] and cruciferous veggies,” wrote one person.

Others offered secondary tricks to help bolster the carrot effect, with a second commenter suggesting: “The highest concentration of chemical that reduces estrogen in just under the peel, so, if possible just give the carrot a good scrub and eat the peel.”

“Girlies!!! Shred a carrot and an apple and add 1 teaspoon of sugar, only way I can eat a raw carrot tastes like a dessert sort of lol,” another proposed.

Other commenters averse to raw carrots asked Gruhler if a cooked iteration might offer a similar benefit. The coach rejected the switch, but mentioned that “cooked beets” could act as a viable alternative.

It is well evidenced that a good supply of magnesium can help relax muscles and thus alleviate cramping, while Vitamin K can help prevent excess bleeding – both of which carrots are a good source, which is perhaps at the root of Gruhler’s hack.

It is also worth noting that calcium has a similar effect to magnesium, and a diet rich in leafy greens, such as spinach and kale, is said to boost levels of both. They also act as a diuretic, helping to relieve bloating.