10 Best Teas for Menstrual Cramps and Bloating in 2022

While most teas are great for relaxation, choosing a particular tea for menstrual cramps and bloating can be a more involved task. For example, you may need to minimize caffeine, as this can aggravate cramps. 

The buying guide below will expound on the best herbs and roots for period pains and guide you in exploring the vast world of tea. 

After thorough research, we've picked the five teas that are specifically effective in minimizing menstrual cramps and bloating. Ginger, peppermint, chamomile, fennel, and green tea are known to be powerhouses in calming the abdominal muscles and encouraging your body to release retained water.

Ginger tea has a well-established reputation for having multiple health benefits, making it one of the best teas to drink to nourish your body and relieve discomfort. It has a warming, slightly citrusy flavor that becomes spicy when heated or dried. 

Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties, much like the medicine that doctors may prescribe, which boosts one's immunity and fights headaches, flu, and yes, menstrual pain! It improves your digestive system, too, meaning less bloating and nausea. Ginger tea is like a superhero drink for cramps and bloating. 

The maximum daily intake of ginger is four grams, which equals about four ginger teabags or a full teaspoon of raw, grated ginger. 

The menthol in peppermint tea has a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory property that treats period pain. Not only does it lessen cramps, but it can also boost your mood. You may have more energy to go about your day and perhaps even get some exercise to access those happy hormones. 

If your period comes with headaches and body pain, peppermint also provides pain relief from those concerns. What's more, peppermint is naturally calorie and caffeine-free, so you can drink it at any time. Plus, you get fresher breath! 

Although touted as generally safe, those who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or heartburn should approach peppermint tea with caution. Some people with these conditions have experienced worse symptoms after drinking peppermint tea.

Chamomile is considered one of the most effective and least risky herbal teas used to treat PMS (premenstrual syndrome); the symptoms women experience a week before their period. The symptoms include mood swings, bloating, cravings, fatigue, and nausea.

The anti-spasmodic properties of glycine in chamomile helps relieve those annoyingly painful cramps during your period. You can also experience more relaxed nerves and a balanced mood.

Experts suggest drinking chamomile about a week or two before your period to get ahead of your body's transition and minimize cramps when they occur. 

From its bulb, stalk, or seeds, fennel has been used since way back to remedy cramps and discomfort caused by menstruation. This is due to the anti-inflammatory properties (especially in the seeds) that fennel is loaded with. 

Furthermore, fennel is known to minimize water retention, which means less bloating! The plant also regulates female hormones, which can mean fewer mood swings. 

Fennel has often been recommended for women who suffer from dysmenorrhea or extra painful periods and resort to OTC medications to relieve pain. Fennel works by minimizing uterus contractions, which is the leading cause of pain. You can drink fennel tea twice a day for maximum relief.

Many consider green tea as the perfect period tea because of its diuretic properties. It removes excess water from your body (something that goes on overdrive during your period, hence the bloating) and makes you more comfortable throughout the week.

Meanwhile, the catechins in green tea boost blood flow and reduce inflammation. In other words, this means pain relief and soothing sensations. Green tea is also available almost anywhere and has become a household staple. You won't need to exert much effort looking for this tea or changing your regimen as you might already be drinking it.

You can even drink up to five cups of green tea a day, as it is a health drink with many benefits. Just be aware of the caffeine content! 

Another consideration to ensure an outstanding tea experience is the quality of your tea and the teabags. It may not make a difference for those just venturing out on this tradition, but avid tea drinkers have provided recommendations on what kind of teabag material and tea leaves to go for.

Paper is the most common material; it's cheap to produce and cheaper to buy. It's also said to be the easiest to use. However, paper bags can alter the taste of tea, which tea aficionados may dislike.

There is also the possibility that the tea leaves' quality isn't acceptable, which can't be confirmed due to the opaque paper. When choosing paper teabags, avoid bleached white tea bags due to chlorine that's used to make them. This chemical is not meant to be consumed. 

Plastic teabags are also popular. These are slightly transparent so that you can see the contents more clearly. However, there is a concern about microplastics from the bag seeping into your tea.

As an alternative, you can splurge on teabags made from fabric or plant-based materials. While it comes with added cost, handwoven silk or cotton muslin is the preferred tea bag of many. It preserves flavor, doesn't alter the taste, and is more durable than paper. The transparent material also lets you see the contents inside.

Also, avoid staples and other metallic additions to teabags because it could alter the taste. When in doubt about the teabag material, check the product description carefully and customer reviews for more information. Some teabags may even be compostable!

When choosing tea leaves, it is recommended to go for organic tea. Imagine drinking tea for the health benefits only to ingest pesticides and other chemicals that the leaves were treated with!

You can choose organic brands certified by the USDA or other organizations. These organizations uphold the standards of products and note that the tea is guaranteed to be safe for consumption from production to table.

Given that your period is a monthly occurrence, you might consider purchasing bulk loose leaf tea. You will need extra materials such as a tea infuser to strain the leaves out of your tea, a teapot, and the actual loose leaf tea.

Teabags are often purchased for their convenience. After all, you only need hot water, your mug, and the tea. The preparation is more straightforward and much quicker! 

Meanwhile, the advantages of choosing loose leaf tea include a better flavor and aroma due to the minimal breaking and crushing of the leaves. Plus, you don't have to worry about microplastics or chlorine, unlike with teabags.

The lower amount of packaging makes loose leaf tea an eco-friendly option, and you won't be creating single-use waste. You also usually don't have to squeeze the leaves or steep them for long periods to get the right flavor.

While there are over 20,000 types of tea globally, there are about six main tea categories to choose from. This makes it easier for you to pick out a tea based on your preferences.

Take note that cramps and caffeine do not mix well together. If you are a regular caffeine drinker and haven't experienced any worsening of cramps or bloating, then there's no harm in drinking black tea. You can also try green tea for the week as it has about half the caffeine. Otherwise, opt for a caffeine-free choice. 

Black tea is a popular tea that is full of flavor and fully oxidized. One way of choosing your tea is by going for the pure or flavored route. Pure tea, such as black tea, gives you the true tea experience to discover what black tea is all about. Meanwhile, flavored tea adds a bit more variety and fun to the flavor. 

Teas can be infused with fragrant ingredients that provide aromatherapy as well, so you can relax and destress while you sip your tea.

Taste: Full-bodied, strong, can be malty

Popular pure black teas to try: Golden Yunnan, English Breakfast, Lapsang Souchong, Assam

Flavored black teas: Bergamot (Earl Grey), vanilla, blueberry

While it also contains caffeine, green tea is often an alternative to black tea for those who need to lessen their caffeine intake. It is also unoxidized, meaning the leaves are dried, heat-treated, and packed before the leaves could oxidize. Oxidization often changes the chemical composition, flavor, aroma, or color of the tea.

Taste: Grassy, earthy, strong leafy taste

Popular pure green teas to try: Sencha, Matcha, Dragonwell

Flavored green teas: Mint, jasmine, roasted rice with green tea

Herbal teas are considered "faux" tea since they're derived from herbs and plants besides tea leaves. Regardless, they're highly popular for their soothing and relaxing properties. They are often caffeine-free, making them the tea of choice by those who have dietary restrictions. Plus, there are a ton of flavors to choose from!

Taste: Floral, fruity, sweet, light, delicate 

Popular herbal teas to try: Peppermint, chamomile, hibiscus, ginger, dried fruit

White tea is considered a very light tea due to the minimal processing of the leaves. They're left to wither or dry on their own, then are packed. What you get is a naturally delicate and well-rounded flavor with little to no caffeine.

Taste: Delicate, fruity, floral, malty 

Popular white teas to try: Silver Needle, White Peony, Yue Guang Bai

Oolong (aka Wulong tea) has a wide variety of flavors. It can have minimal oxidation or full oxidization. Depending on the desired oxidation, the leaves are bruised or shaken, then heated to pause the process. From there, you get many kinds of oolong tea flavors. 

Taste: Ranges from light, milky and fragrant to full-bodied, citrusy flavors depending on the oxidation

Popular oolong teas to try: Honey, ripe fruits, Osmanthus

The term “red tea” is often used for Chinese black tea or herbal rooibos tea. The first is made with the same tea plant the other tea types use, Camellia sinensis, while rooibos is derived from an herb called South African Red Bush.

Taste: Smooth and earthy, can be sweet

Popular red teas to try: Red rooibos, Green rooibos, Keemun

After reading countless reviews, we've picked out Amazon's best teas to help with menstrual cramps and bloating. You can pick from a wide variety of herbal, green, or red tea, depending on your taste preferences. 

Did you know you can use tea in other ways to address cramps or bloating? For example, you can soak a towel in warm ginger tea and use that to soothe the muscles in your lower abdomen and relieve cramps.

It might seem weird at first, but the heat of your mug of tea is like a hug to your abdomen area when experiencing pain. It’s an instant heat pack, and when the heat dies down, you can go on drinking your tea and relax some more.

Want to turn your cup of tea into a cozy and easy self-care ritual? Let's complete your tea set essentials with some of our favorite products below!

Author: Hana Otsuka