The Science Behind the Menstrual Rituals

Flow Decode

When my menarche started, I knew nothing about it (it was back in 2011).

I had cramps enough to try the patience of a saint, I did not know what to do; ultimately, I decided to tell about this to my mother and she started to freak out because according to her I was too young to start my menstruation.

Following that she continued to tell me do's and don'ts, some of them (that every girl still gets a load of) were: -

· Try to stay in one room and try not to come in contact with other people.

· Try to avoid certain foods like non-veg including eggs, refrigerated curd, pickles, etc.

· You should not touch Tulsi or any pooja-related items.

· You should not enter or go near temples or pooja sthala.

Obviously, I was confused by all these mentionings, numerous questions were running through my mind; but owing to the fact I knew nothing about menstruation, I had to listen and act on those.

I was never satisfied, these limitations irked me, I wanted answers but at that time there weren't many sources available besides the internet which too, had a poor connection (I used to live in a small district) and of course school too, used to skip this topic even if it was mentioned in the books.

Past these years, now that I have as many sources as I want, I slowly started to understand the reasons behind these certain limitations which not only make sense but are also scientific.

See, menstruation is a topic that was and is still (to some extent), taboo in Indian society, and because of this our older generations are reluctant to talk about this publicly, they told us what they heard from their older ones and since there weren't many sources available at that time, so in my case obviously, it wasn't my mother's fault, she told me what her mother told her.

Now, that I have answers to my questions, let's talk about one of the seemingly discriminating practices during menstruation that pertains to that of not coming in contact with menstruating women/girls.

When we fail to know the reason let alone the science behind this, it is natural that it would seem like discrimination. So, being open-minded, let's explore.

During menstruation, the female body produces more free radicals than usual, these excess free radicals throw the body into oxidative stress, which is known to be the reason for primary dysmenorrhea (period cramps/pain) and also infertility, unless it is countered by antioxidants.

So, the question arises, what are free radicals, oxidative stress, and antioxidants?

The definition of these terms would be: -

· Free radicals – If an atom does not have a full outer shell due to insufficient electrons, it becomes unstable and seeks to bond with another atom, using the electron from the nearby atom to complete its outer shell. The unstable atoms are called free radicals, which have a positive charge and are also called positive charge ions or cations.

· Oxidative stress – When oxygen molecules split into single atoms that have unpaired electrons, they become unstable free radicals. If this continues, it begins a process called oxidative stress which can trigger many potentially damaging biochemical reactions.

· Antioxidants – Although it is natural for the body to produce free radicals during cellular metabolism, however, during non-menstruating times, the body also produces natural antioxidants that can counter the effect of free radicals by contributing an electron to it, thereby reducing their reactivity. They have the unique ability to not become free radicals themselves even though they contribute electrons to free radicals.

During menstruation, the lining of the uterus, called endometrium, breaks down and sheds. Endometrial breakdown and repair are associated with overt inflammation and an influx of inflammatory cells. This indicates an increase in the production of toxic oxygen radicals at the time of menstruation. Oxidative stress also occurs during ovulation, but the rise of estrogen, which acts as an antioxidant, balances this effect. Whereas, during menstruation, estrogen is at its lowest, and as a result, there are excess positively charged ions.

So, what might happen when a menstruating person whose body has more positively charged ions comes in contact with a non-menstruating person whose body has either a neutral charge or a negative charge?

The phenomenon of electron transfer between biological systems or between human beings is relatively new to modern medicine, as it combines the field of biology and quantum physics, which is quantum biology – a subject that is only a decade old. However, a more familiar version of it happens when we experience static electricity.

The atoms in the positively charged object/body tend to attract electrons to neutralize its charge. In the case of menstruating girls/women, they tend to attract electrons from those who touch them. As a result, the person who has touched a menstruating girl experiences a loss of electrons, putting their body at risk of oxidative stress. This is why those who attend to the menstruating girl are required to take a bath before they interact with others. Water in motion, like, showers or waterfalls is said to produce negative ions. Hence, bathing is a good way to regain the loss of electrons.

In general, a state where the body has more negative ions is considered to be healthy, while an increase in positive ions indicates a weakened immune system susceptible to disease.

Many of the cultural practices, therefore, aim to expose the menstruating girl to sufficient negative ions to balance this effect, while protecting those who come in contact with her.

While these practices initially came into effect for health purposes, people not making their effort to obtain knowledge of the reasons behind these practices, eventually led these practices to be seen as discriminatory practices and rituals.