Warm drinks, such as tea, may help relieve cramps. Certain flavors, like peppermint and ginger tea, may help reduce bloating and pain.

If you’re someone who menstruates, moderate cramping is probably a normal part of your period. And sometimes these cramps are painful and can interfere with everyday life.

Rather than using over-the-counter (OTC) medications, some people turn to tea to help relieve their cramps naturally.

Some research supports the use of certain teas for menstrual cramps and the associated bloating and discomfort of your period. While there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence, overall scientific evidence is fairly weak.

That said, you may personally find that some of these teas help alleviate your cramps or pain. Since they’re all considered safe to consume, they may be worth a try.

Here are eight teas that may help with menstrual cramps.

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Red raspberry leaf tea is made from the leaves of raspberry plants. It has a mild taste similar to black tea. It doesn’t taste like raspberries.

People use it for a variety of purposes related to women’s health, such as its reported ability to stimulate uterine contractions.

Anecdotal sources say it may help tone the uterus, making it stronger. However, uterine contractions are what cause menstrual cramps, so if this is the case, red raspberry leaf tea may actually worsen your cramps.

Many anecdotal reports online from women who claim that red raspberry leaf tea reduced their cramps. However, despite its long history of use, there’s not much research to support the use of red raspberry leaf tea for women’s health.

Ginger tea is made from the pungent, spicy ginger root.

People have used ginger for many years for both culinary and medicinal purposes. Today, it’s a commonly recommended home remedy for a variety of ailments, including menstrual cramps.

Because it has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, it may help with both pain and bloating.

A 2024 meta-analysis found that ginger reduced both the intensity and duration of period pain compared to placebo; its effectiveness was comparable to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Doses ranged from 500 to 2,000 mg of ginger powder per day, typically taken for the first 3 days of menstruation.

Another study of 168 female college students found that taking 200 mg of ginger every 6 hours was as effective as the drug Novafen (a combination of ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and caffeine) at reducing menstrual pain.

Chamomile tea is made of dried chamomile flowers and has a mild, herbal taste. There’s no evidence that chamomile tea reduces menstrual cramps, but it may help promote better sleep.

While it doesn’t appear to have a direct effect on menstrual cramps, it may help promote better sleep and reduce fatigue. One 2020 study in more than 1,000 female college students found that poor quality sleep was associated with more severe menstrual problems.

One small study had 118 women take 250 mg of chamomile 3 times per day from the week leading up to their period until the start of their next period. Taking chamomile resulted in less menstrual bleeding than the placebo.

Peppermint tea is made from the leaves of the peppermint plant. Peppermint is rich in menthol, a strong-smelling compound that offers several potential health benefits, including its cooling sensation.

Many people use peppermint essential oil as a home remedy for gastrointestinal pain, particularly related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The menthol in peppermint oil helps relax smooth muscle spasms, reducing painful stomach cramps.

A 2025 review of five randomized controlled trials examining the effects of peppermint oil on dysmenorrhea (painful cramps) and PMS found significant reductions in pain severity. Doses ranged from 374 to 990 mg/day. More high quality research is needed to confirm these effects.

However, scientists don’t know whether the low amounts of menthol in peppermint tea, particularly after digestion and absorption, would affect the uterus.

Cinnamon tea has a sweet and mildly spicy, warm flavor from the dried cinnamon used to make it.

Some evidence suggests that cinnamon may help reduce inflammation, which may reduce the uncomfortable bloating that can happen during your menstrual cycle.

In a 2018 clinical trial, cinnamon supplements (1000 mg/day) taken during the first 3 days of menstruation significantly decreased pain and the intensity of symptoms in people with primary dysmenorrhea.

More research on the effects of cinnamon tea on menstrual cramps is needed.

Green tea is pale in color and has a mildly earthy and floral taste. It’s made from dried Camellia sinensis leaves. In contrast, black tea is made from dried and aged leaves.

Green tea has been a part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years.

Green tea is full of antioxidant compounds and has anti-inflammatory effects that may help reduce bloating. It also contains the compound L-theanine, which studies suggest may help you feel calmer and more relaxed.

One 2019 study of 1,183 women also noted that drinking green tea was associated with decreased menstrual pain compared with drinking other types of tea.

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Thyme is a popular culinary herb that may offer several health benefits. It has a strong, earthy flavor, making a tea that people in some parts of the world commonly enjoy.

A 2020 study of 252 Ethiopian teenagers found that those who drank thyme tea regularly were 63% less likely to have painful periods. However, this was a small study, and other studies have not replicated its results.

Oolong tea is a hybrid of green tea and black tea, offering some of the potential health benefits of both.

The leaves are dried and partially aged, resulting in a tea that can range from pale yellow to orange and tastes like a blend of green and black tea.

The same study of 1183 women in China that found green tea was associated with decreased menstrual pain also found a slightly weaker association between oolong tea and reduced menstrual pain. More research is needed.

There’s very little research to support any of these teas’ ability to reduce menstrual cramp pain. Teas from this list with some evidence behind their positive effects are ginger tea, green tea, thyme tea, and oolong tea.

However, even with these teas, the evidence is fairly weak, based on only a single study for thyme tea, green tea, and oolong tea.

Additionally, researchers used powdered ginger supplements rather than ginger tea for the studies that found a link between ginger and reduced menstrual cramps. So whether ginger tea also exerts these effects is still unknown.

Most widely available teas are safe to drink, even if they don’t reduce your menstrual symptoms.

However, you should avoid most herbal teas if you think you may be pregnant, especially red raspberry leaf tea. Women often use red raspberry leaf tea late in pregnancy to help induce labor. So, some people avoid it during early pregnancy. However, there’s currently no evidence that this tea induces labor.

It’s also a good idea to be mindful of herbal teas if you’re taking any medications that may interact with them. If you have any concerns about this, be sure to discuss them with your healthcare professional.

It’s important to remember that tea made from tea leaves contains caffeine. That includes green tea, black tea, and oolong tea. You should try to limit your caffeine intake to 400 mg or less per day.

Here’s the estimated caffeine content of 1 cup (240 mL) of these common teas:

These are just estimates. It’s important to note that the amount of caffeine in a cup of tea depends on the steeping time and caffeine content of the particular batch of tea.

Finally, if home remedies or OTC medications don’t seem to be working to reduce your severe menstrual cramping, speak with a healthcare professional.

Tea may be a promising alternative to OTC medications to help manage menstrual cramps.

While several teas may help reduce menstrual cramping and pain, those with scientific evidence to support their use include ginger tea, green tea, thyme tea, and oolong tea.

However, the evidence is currently very limited, and scientists need to conduct further research on the effects of these teas on menstrual cramps in humans.

If you think you might be pregnant, consider avoiding most herbal teas, particularly red raspberry leaf and parsley teas, to be on the safe side.

Be sure to speak with your doctor if you want more guidance on what teas are OK for you to drink, or if you’re having difficulty managing painful menstrual cramps.