Severe Cramps? You May Have Your Mother To Blame

Many women experience heavy menstrual bleeding and severe cramps when they're on their periods. The exact reason why some women sail through their periods and others suffer through them is often unclear, but in one recent study, scientists have shed some light on why some women in particular go through this. Here's how your mother's choices might have impacted your cramps for life.

Soy Formula Studies

More than one recent study have shown that women that were given a soy-enriched baby formula while they were infants are far more likely to experience heavier periods and period pain in adulthood. In recent times, soy formula has become a popular option for its low price and its lack of lactose, which means that some children have a higher tolerance of it. However, it may not be the healthiest thing for little girls.

Why It Happens

The exact science on what causes this phenomenon is unknown, but it likely has something to do with estrogen.

Soy is a form of phytoestrogen, a plant version of the female hormone your body naturally produces. Phytoestrogen triggers the body in the same way as real estrogen, as both chemicals bind to the same receptors in your body. While there's nothing particularly harmful about that in adulthood, and some believe it can even reduce the risk of certain female-specific cancers, it could be harmful during infancy.

In short, infants of either gender produce exactly the amount of hormone needed to facilitate physical development. So a little girl's body will produce the estrogen it needs, and this will help to develop the reproductive system. With excess estrogen, things may go haywire, and high soy consumption in infancy could be partially to blame.

What to Do

If you're going through this problem and think that soy might be the culprit, unfortunately, there's no turning back the clock now. However, that doesn't mean you have to suffer in silence.

Instead, visit an obgyn. This type of doctor can not only prescribe medications like birth control to help control your cramps, but they can also provide screening services to find out if you have a medical condition behind your pain, like an ovarian cyst.

Women should be cautious when feeding their babies soy formula going forward. If you think your cramps could be tied to your childhood, talk to a doctor and start the process of getting help. For more information, contact a company like Women's Care Inc today.


Share