Bloating before or during your period is uncomfortable, but what if relief could come from something as simple as leaving the skin on your potatoes? Packed with fibre, potassium, and antioxidants, humble potatoes may be the secret weapon your body needs to deflate that monthly bloat.
Period bloating is that monthly guest no one invited. A few days before your period, clothes start to feel tighter, your belly feels like a balloon, and even sitting can be uncomfortable.
According to the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone during the luteal phase increase water and sodium retention, the primary cause of premenstrual bloating. Rising hormone levels slow digestion and make your body hold on to sodium and water.
The good news? What you eat can tip the scales back in your favour, and one of the best weapons may already be sitting in your kitchen basket: the potato.
Before you roll your eyes, hear this. Not the chips. Not the buttery mash. We’re talking about whole potatoes with skin on, boiled, bake,d or roasted. That thin, earthy jacket you’re quick to peel off is where most of the magic hides. Almost half of a potato’s fibre and a chunk of its antioxidants sit in the skin. Peel it away and you lose much of the benefit.
POTATO SKIN BENEFITS
A medium potato with its skin intact provides about 3–4 grams of fibre, nearly double what you get when it’s peeled. Fibre keeps your gut moving, eases constipation caused by hormonal changes, and helps reduce that heavy, bloated feeling.
Potatoes are also loaded with potassium, around 600 milligrams in a medium spud, more than you’ll find in a banana. Potassium acts like nature’s diuretic, balancing sodium so your kidneys can flush out excess fluid. Less trapped water means less puffiness and discomfort.
The best part? Boiling works just as well as baking; just keep the skin on. The skin helps protect delicate nutrients during cooking. Studies show that peeled potatoes lose up to 40% of vitamin C when boiled, but those with skin lose only about 10%.
Potato skins also contain antioxidants such as quercetin and phenolic acids, compounds with anti-inflammatory effects that may help ease the mild inflammation linked to menstrual discomfort.
So next time your cycle looms, skip the quick-fix pills and reach for real food that works with your body. Scrub those potatoes, cook them with their skins proudly on, and let a simple meal show you how to deflate the monthly bloat.
HOW POTATO SKIN HELPS WITH PERIOD BLOATING
There are many ways potato skin helps ease period bloating.
Improved digestion and less constipation: Slower gut transit (which many experience around their menstrual period) exacerbates bloating. Skin-on potatoes help with this as the additional fibre helps regulate bowel movements.
Water balance and less swelling: Because of their potassium content (especially concentrated in/near the skin), potatoes help maintain electrolyte balance, glucocorticoids and estrogen shifts. Potassium helps the kidneys excrete excess salt and water.
Resistant starch and gut microbiome: When potatoes are cooked, cooled, and eaten with their skin, more resistant starch forms. Resistant starch is like a prebiotic. It feeds beneficial gut bacteria, which produce short-chain fatty acids like butyrate. These have anti-inflammatory properties, help gut lining health, and can reduce gas and period bloating.
Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects: The phytochemicals in potato skin help reduce oxidative stress. Around menstruation, there is a mild increase in inflammatory markers and antioxidants help reduce period discomfort and bloating.
Satiety and weight regulation: Because potatoes are filling, especially skin-on, and because fibre and resistant starch slow digestion, eating them may reduce overeating and sugar cravings, which often spike pre-period. This helps with period bloating.
Menstrual bloating might feel inevitable, but it isn’t a life sentence. Next time your cycle looms, skip the quick-fix pills and reach for real food that works with your body.
