5 Teas You Should Drink And Avoid On Your Period
Did you know that there are certain teas you should drink and avoid on your period? On my life long journey with tea, I’ve come to realize that every tea comes with its own set of side effects other than being a warm hug in a mug.
What I didn’t know is that certain teas can affect my period in both a beneficial and/or a negative way.
I’m not kidding! They can influence everything from the length of your cycle, to those nasty cramps and mood swings!
So I figure, once I’m drinking tea, might as well drink some period tea that can help me live a bit more comfortably for a week. I researched and found the best tea to drink before and during your period, and the teas to avoid on your period altogether.
Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!
Why Drink Period Tea?
Not only can you drink tea during your period, but it’s one of the things you should be doing!
Staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do for yourself on your period to ease those pesky menstrual cramps and actually make your period end faster. Drinking water might be counter-intuitive as you already feel bloated with water weight. But the more water you drink, the better you’ll feel.
If you’re dehydrated on your period, you’ll just end up feeling worse – low energy, headaches, muscle aches, and you guessed it, cramps! This is because there isn’t enough oxygen reaching your red blood cells and brain.
So by drinking more water your body is in better condition and you’re actually flushing out your system. Water helps prevent your blood from thickening which can alleviate bad cramps, back aches, and also make your period end faster.
The recommended amount of water to drink during your period is 8 to 10 glasses of water a day. That can be kind of hard to do, especially if you aren’t used to it. So a great way to getting the recommended amount of water is to drink tea.
Tea is essentially steeped warm water. So not only is tea good to drink to add to your daily water intake, but there are also specific period cramp tea to help alleviate even more symptoms. So while we’re drinking tea, why not make it some beneficial period tea while we’re at it!
So say hello to faster and less painful periods! Read more about being dehydrated on your period.
Quick Disclaimer!
The problem with most of these home tea remedies is that there aren’t enough studies done on them yet. It’s hard to see the full scope of the side effects. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to limit consumption of all these teas until further studies are done.
These period teas are also herbal teas which can interact with certain medications. It’s also best to discuss with your doctor first if you have any underlying condition.
The Best Tea For Your Period
There are 5 main period teas (well tisanes) that help with different aspects of our periods. The top period tea I always have at home are chamomile, hibiscus, rose petal, ginger, and raspberry leaf tea.
Like I said, each tea will affect your period differently and have other added side effects. It’s important to find the one that works best for you, know when to drink it, and how much.
FYI, tea doesn’t just have the ability to make or break your period. Like did you know it can also help you live longer!?
1. Chamomile Tea: The Pre-Emptive Period Cramp Tea
Chamomile tea is probably the least controversial tea to drink because it has the least amount risks. For centuries, the chamomile flower has been known as a soothing tea. I always drink it after supper or before bed to help relax after a long day of work.
It turns out there’s a reason for this. Chamomile contains glycine which is a known chemical used for reducing muscle spasms and relaxing nerves. To take full advantage of chamomile as a period cramp tea, it’s recommended to start drinking it about 2 weeks before your period.
Chamomile is also very easily accessible to buy, they sell chamomile tea bags on Amazon.
2. Hibiscus Tea: The Bitter Period Regulator
The hibiscus flower, like chamomile, is one of those that has been around for centuries. Unfortunately, hibiscus tea is an example of a tea that can either be your best friend or worst enemy. Depending on the person, hibiscus tea can be beneficial or risky to drink. So before brewing a cup, make sure it won’t have any negative side effects for you.
For your period, it can help in two ways: it can help with painful cramps during your period and it can also help regulate it. You see, hibiscus affects your estrogen levels which can induce menstruation. Because of this, it’s important to not combine it if you’re taking birth control pills, drink it if you’re trying to get pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
Another potential bonus of brewing a cup of hibiscus period tea on your period is that it might help with those period munchies. Hibiscus is known to help manage weight gain because it lowers your blood sugar which decreases your appetite and motivates a healthy metabolism. Now you don’t have to worry about over eating during your time of the month either!
Another issue with hibiscus, is that it’s not the easiest to consume. It’s known for having a strong bitter flavour, so I put together 5 delicious ways to enjoy a cup of hibiscus tea, like why not make it into a latte?!
3. Rose Tea: For Period PMS
I hadn’t heard of rose tea until a few months ago when rose tea lattes suddenly became popular. As it turns out, rose tea is so much more than its cute pink facade, it’s actually good for you! Along with nipping menstrual cramps in the butt, it has a few other beneficial properties. There aren’t enough studies to know the full scope yet, but the results are looking promising.
So far what we know is that it definitely has an effect on moderating hormones. This is good news for us ladies because most of our period problems can be associated with our hormones being out of wack. Rose tea actually has the ability to help with mood swings, keeping us in a better psychological state (that means potentially saying goodbye to those period blues!).
Another period symptom linked to our hormones are those undesirable period acne breakouts. Rose petals are actually already used in several skincare products for a reason so I can only imagine that steeping them will have similar positive effects.
The problem is that there haven’t been studies with steeping rose petals yet, but I’m staying positive and it’s worth trying!
Watch out though, there are also two types of rose teas: rose petal and rosehip tea. The one you’re interested in for possible PMS benefits is rose petal tea.
4. Ginger Tea: Tea To Help With Period Cramps
Even though ginger is a root not a plant, you can still make tea out of it.
Ginger is a known anti-inflammatory so it’s no surprise that it also helps relieve menstrual cramps. In fact it was as effective as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for reducing period pain. Another study found that ginger can also help with reducing your period flow. Similar to hibiscus tea, ginger can also help regulate your period by balancing your hormones.
To make ginger tea you can use fresh or even freeze dried ginger (what I use) for the best results, or the easiest is to get some ginger tea bags. Check out my turmeric and ginger tea recipe for a immune boosting and period power drink.
Simply drink it two to three times a day during your period for best results. You have to try it for at least three consecutive menstrual cycles (that’s how long the study was).
5. Raspberry Leaf Tea: A Hidden Gem For Our Periods
I found raspberry leaf tea marketed online as “a woman’s best friend”. If that’s really true (which I think it is) then why don’t more women know about this supposed miracle tea!? It’s the only period tea that the sole benefit is described as helping women have better periods.
I had no idea this tea even existed before researching and stumbling upon this review on TheKitchn. So if all the other tea options fail, I don’t think this one will (but again you have to find something that works for you).
Raspberry leaf tea is exactly what it sounds like, it’s the leaves from a raspberry plant. It’s packed full with different compounds that help us period better, like tannins and fragarine. They help with PMS symptoms like cramping, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. But it also helps balance our hormones (alleviating major PMS mood swing symptoms).
It can also help relieve period cramp pain. Similar to chamomile tea, raspberry leaf tea is a muscle relaxer that can reduce uterine contractions. You’ll want to drink this period cramp tea before and 2-3 times a day during your period to lessen or reduce cramps.
Unlike hibiscus tea, raspberry leaf tea isn’t dangerous for women trying to get pregnant either. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s actually good to drink during your first trimester to deal with morning sickness. But even beyond that it can prevent miscarriages, and make labour shorter and easier!
Don’t think this tea is side effect free just yet though. Studies show that raspberry leaf is an estrogen supplement. Which as we know for women, too much estrogen can lead to a different set health problems. Best to ask a medical professional before trying this one, and everything in moderation gals!
Bonus: Spearmint Tea For PCOS
Spearmint tea can be very beneficial for people with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) as it can have antiandrogenic properties. Unfortunately, there’s only one study study from 2010.
There is a possible connection between spearmint tea and hormonal acne as well. The thing is, there aren’t any concrete studies on this yet – a lot of the results are simply anecdotal (like this positive story!).
But it might be worth trying for a few weeks and see if you notice a difference. It’s recommended to drink 2 cups a day everyday. You might start seeing results after one month, but more likely it can take 2 to 3 to see results.
P.S. you want to make sure to buy spearmint tea NOT peppermint tea. Often when you have mint tea, it’s peppermint because it’s stronger in mint flavour but spearmint has all the period tea benefits!
Teas To Avoid On Your Period: Black Tea
I’m very disappointed to report that at the top of the list of teas that are bad for your period is black tea. Period tea does not include teas that are high in caffeine (like black tea). Our periods are not caffeine friendly. For years I was under the impression that caffeine was good for our periods, and I’m not exactly sure why.
You shouldn’t drink caffeinated tea during menstruation because the caffeine can actually make your menstrual cramps worse. You see, caffeine is anxiety-inducing, which causes your muscles to contract even more.
So it’s time to put down your cup of black tea (yes your chai tea latte counts too) and brew one of the nice tisanes I mentioned above instead.
If it’s too hard to cut off caffeine altogether, switch to green tea for the week. It’ll cut your caffeine consumption down by half which should be enough to make a difference. Plus green tea is quite healthy for you as it’s loaded with antioxidants and even promotes blood flow.
Caffeine & Your Menstrual Cycle
Caffeine doesn’t just have the ability to affect you when you have your period, but it can also affect the length of your actual cycle.
A study from 1999 looked at the affects of caffeine on menstrual cycle and found that those with a higher caffeine consumption had shorter cycles (24 days or less). Black tea doesn’t have anywhere near as much caffeine as coffee, but if you drink a lot of black tea it’s possible that it can affect the length as well.
You might also be interested in 5 Coffee Alternatives To Keep You Going All Day Long
If All Else Fails: It’s A Hug In A Mug
Honestly, if these period teas fail, making a warm cup of tea and putting it on my stomach always does the trick for me! I should probably invest in a heat pack one of these days, but for now my nice warm cup of tea does the trick!
Shop Tea For Period On Amazon
More Tea Resources!
- Top 10 Best Teas For Anxiety To Stay Calm & Stress Free!
- Learn About How Tea Can Help You Live Longer
- What are the benefits/ risks to hibiscus tea
Don’t Be A B! Help Others Drink Tea!
Last update on 2026-05-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
In Traditional Chinese medicine, drinking rose tea is not recommended during one’s period as it helps with blood circulationa and might give you a heavier period flow.
Very interesting, thanks for sharing Catherine!
Great article!
It’s not totally about tea, but since I used raspberry leaf tea like crazy to help with all the other period issues I have (less so cramps) I discovered raspberry leaf capsules. I find them easier to take in the dosage I need to see relief. Ginger capsules are also a life saver for me and ginger is proven to help with period pain and decreasing period length. Fennel capsules (for me cuz, again, I can only drink so much tea) also help with pain and period though fennel is something you should be careful with if your periods are heavy cuz it can make it worse. Strawberry leaf tea can also be beneficial for period cramps.
Hi Cecelia,
Thanks for all this great info! Capsules will definitely be more effective than tea, glad you’ve found things that have been helping!
I found that honeybush tea (it is related to rooibos tea) made me have spotting, shorter cycle, and heavy periods. I stopped drinking it and I’m better now.
Hi Carrie,
Thanks for sharing your experience with Honeybush tea, I’ll look a bit more into that see if there’s any research. Good thing you figured out what was causing the change. That’s the problem with a lot of herbal teas, they can really affect our body and there just isn’t that much research on them.
I have had issues with slow starting periods (but with all the associated pains, ugh)..I find mugwort tea helps to promote a more productive flow (in my case), but, was also curious what you recommend?!
That’s terrible! I haven’t heard of mugwort tea I’ll definitely have to look into that! My best recommendation would be to drink chamomile the two weeks before for inflammation and then hibiscus to induce menstruation – so hopefully won’t be as slow. But as well speak to your doctor first, chamomile is generally safe but hibiscus can have some risks depending on your situation. I hope you find something that helps!
I’m glad u left that comment because I just had a similar experience with. I was drinking some red bush tea Rooibos last night. My period was almost finished but after I drank the tea I got heavy heavy bleeding and even some blood clots. Thankfully it stopped but so heavy it scared me because it was definitely not the norm. I won’t be drinking that tea during my cycle anymore.
Oh! So this is why I’ve bought myself a whole huge bag of the raspberry leaf tea! It wasn’t to support colds and flu medicines as normal – fruit – raspberry tea does! Ahh… thank you!
Hi Gosia,
I hope you enjoy and you can benefit from drinking this tea 😀
Ginger tea is amazing! Besides the AMAZING flavor it has, the benefits are limitless. It actually helped to even induce a 4 day late period for me. It’s amazing and I swear by it. I also have Raspberry leaf tea and will be trying that out as well knowing it’s the “womens herb” 💕
Hi Kiana,
Ginger tea really is amazing – I would love to do a larger deep dive into its benefits it really does seem like ginger is an unbeatable root we should really be consuming more of! I’m so happy to hear that it helped you! I hope you enjoy the Raspberry leaf tea as well and it helps too 😀
Hey this is a warning for the menstruators/menstruaters? (Can’t spell ignore please) who drink tea on their periods. I frequently drank tulsi sweet rose tea and echinacea&lemon tea on my period thinking heat would help my cramps and would prevent heavy bleeding when I started my second period. I have done this process every period for 3 years (I am 12). My first period wasn’t bad, but the rest was torture, heavy bleeding my whole period (8 days) starting medium/heavy on the first day and getting heavier and heavier as the days go on. Not to mention my cramps were a literal nightmare, I had band concert in December and I was on my second day of period. I cried before the band concert from how bad, I also left school relatively early (right after first performance my mom was waiting for me). I drank more tea to help and popped a ibuprofen before. It only got worse, I am a woodwind so I have to put a lot of effort into playing, it was literal hell. Earlier that day my friend gave me a regular tampon. I bleed through it in under 15 minutes. (I was in class so I couldn’t check). My most recent period I ran out of both teas and was left with ginger and green tea, that happened to be one of the lightest periods I have experienced in my life (just a few regular tampons and liners). So moral of the story don’t drink either of those teas on period.
Hi Layla,
I’m glad to hear you’re starting to have better periods now and found a tea that works for you. Tea is tricky and it’s all about finding what works best for you. Glad to hear ginger and green tea did the trick!
Note to self don’t drink those lol
I’m going to try raspberry leaf tea for my heavy flow thanks.
Hi Caroline,
Good luck, I hope it works 😀
Raspberry leaf tea had a pretty good track record of taking my 5 day periods down to 3 without any pain. I had to stop due to MCAD stopping me from having most any herbs but I’ve found restarting it possible and am absolutely grateful. It also is one of the only herbs I know other women to swear by.
That’s great to hear! Raspberry leaf tea for the win!
Thank you so much,this platform is really helpful. I’m 41 and has been suffering with menstrual problems since 18 but i just decided to drink hibiscus clove tea and it really surprised me,i thank God i found this Information.
Hi Kore,
Thanks so much for your comment, so glad to hear you found something that helps!
I believe caffeine is used in some menstrual products for it’s diuretic effect and is meant to target bloating. Not sure they took into account whether or not it’d impact cramps & spasms negatively.
Hi Jane,
That’s very possible, even green tea has caffeine and is recommended to drink on your period for the other list of benefits it has. I think it’s about the amount of caffeine, high caffeine products (like black tea or coffee) can possibly make cramps worse to do tightening your muscles.
Ginger tea and even there are teas with turmeric in them which will help with not just menstruation but also others as it is used in ancient vedas as a pain relief . Tea is definitely better than any medication
And it is a really nice though to encourage it
Hi Sinthia,
Couldn’t agree more 😀
Since I am a Biochemistry student . let me tell you cinnamon tea helps as well and it is clinically proven for ovary stimulation. Avoid dairy products during periods as calcium and menstruation don’t agree together . And rose tea is also an asphoradisiac that increases sexual desire . And rather than hibiscus tea you can also use hibiscus clove tea .
Hi Sinu,
Thanks so much for the info!
Have had long and heavy periods in past few months likely relate to peri menopause and raspberry leaf and hibiscus tea immediately stopped the flow. It’s a bit confusing to me as to how or why it has so quickly worked but I am so grateful for your suggestion.
Hi Tina,
Thanks for your comment, I’m so glad to hear that both herbal teas have helped you 😀
Very interresting article, I personnaly dring PMS Be Gone Tea by Secrets Of Tea, not only it tastes delicious but also it has 18 powerful organic ingredients that are helping regulate my hormones and my PMS pain dissapear, I just wanted to share this wonderful experience, hopefully I can help others
Hi Cindy,
Thanks so much for sharing, I wonder what the ingredients are in that tea blend, I’ll have to check it out 😀
Hi Meghan,
I came your site and your knowledge is amazing on herbalism and teas!
I wanted to ask you for two advices. My mom suffers from headaches once in a while. She takes a Tylenol but it doesn’t help much. Is there some tea that might help to reduce a pain ?
I am 42 years old and i still want to keep having my periods for a long time as I am hoping to have a child within a year or so while i still can. Is there some tea that can keep me healthy in that sense?
Thank you
B.
Hi Bela,
Thanks so much for reaching out. Unfortunately I haven’t come across any teas yet specifically for headaches but now that you’ve brought it to my attention I’ll will keep an eye out for any teas that may help. Headaches are also usually linked to something else (stress, dehydration, lack of sleep, diet…etc.) you might be able to find a tea to help with the underlying reason for the headache.
In terms of keeping your period, I’m not really sure.The best I can tell you is to drink hibiscus tea as it induces menstruation but once you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant I would stop drinking it immediately as it can also be linked to miscarriages.
If you’re looking for an all around healthy tea to drink, chamomile is one of my favourites and it may also help your mom’s headaches. If you drink it consistently, it has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress, act as an inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and can boost your immune system (among other things). I have a post about the benefits and risks here: https://afternoonteareads.com/benefits-and-risks-of-chamomile-tea/
Green tea is also a very healthy tea to drink as it’s filled with antioxidants, but it does contain caffeine.
I also have to recommend speaking to your doctor first before trying any herbal tea, they are known to interact with certain medications so juts double check that they’re safe for you to drink!
Feel free to reach out if you have any more questions!
hi i am 11 years old and this is my first time having my period should i take peppermint tea ?
Hi Maddie,
Peppermint tea is known to help with digestion, so it might help a bit. I’d recommend trying chamomile, hibiscus, or raspberry leaf tea. They’re more known to help with period cramps.
Yes it very soothing.Also try heating pads and if your having server pain please tell you doctor & parents.
Thank you for this information! I just ordered some raspberry leaf tea, hoping it might help with the heavier bleeding and painful cramps that have come along with perimenopause (and hypothyroidism). Fingers crossed! Thank you!
Just a head’s up though— if you have fall allergies, you might want to stay far away from chamomile tea. If you’re allergic to ragweed, chamomile can cause an allergic reaction (which can be severe) because the chamomile plant is in the same family as ragweed. So if you’re allergic to ragweed, this would be like drinking a nice warm mug of a plant that’s closely related to the one you’re allergic to… which is not a great idea. 😉
I found this out the hard way. have severe allergies, so drinking even a few sips of chamomile tea (or even an accidental sip of an herbal tea blend that contains a small amount of chamomile) will result in anaphylaxis. It’s very scary! I read labels very carefully now. My allergy specialist told me this is apparently fairly common among people with allergies, especially during the fall allergy season, when ragweed exposures are higher.
Fingers crossed, I’ve heard some great success stories from using raspberry leaf tea, I hope it works for you too!
That’s terrible to hear about your chamomile experience, unfortunately one of the few risks to drinking chamomile is having an allergic reaction, among it making you too drowsy, and also interacting with any medication your taking.
I hope your experience with raspberry leaf is better than yours with chamomile tea.
Thank you for this information. It has been very helpful to my daughter who suffers during that time of the month.
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear that tea has been able to help 😀
Is boba ok?
There are so many different types of boba tea. If you’re getting it with black tea as the base then it most likely has caffeine, which isn’t the best for cramps 🙁
So now I need to purchase Rose Tea and Raspberry Leaf Tea. I’ve been looking for something to aid these insufferable cramps! Thanks for a terrific article! 🙂
So glad I could help! I hope they do the trick!
I am wondering does chai latte help your muscle to contract and carry out menstrual cycles
The base of chai tea is typically black tea, so it would act the same way as drinking black tea which does make your muscles contract. If you want to help carry out your menstrual cycle I’d recommend Hibiscus tea, it’s known to induce periods.
Rose hips and hibiscus are actually a great regulator. Haven’t tried petals but I swear by rose hips and Hibiscus and it actually decreases my flow the more I drink it. I don’t think it has ever sped it up or induced. Other odd things induce for me. I take the hibiscus and rose hips, and it starts to slow down pretty soon. Raspberry leaf does zero for my mensuration. It only makes me pee like a race horse. It’s a complete waste of money for me. I have no idea why it doesn’t work on me. I’ve drank a bunch of cups. Zero affects on menstruation. The only thing I swear by is hibiscus and rose hips. And I think lavender has been helping regulate me too.
Thanks for all the tea recommendations! I just wanted to know if Rooibos tea also works for periods? Its also known as red tea
Hi Judé,
I haven’t heard anything about Rooibos being used for periods