A healthy dietary pattern such as the Mediterranean Diet helps maintain adequate nutrition, caloric intake, and healthy body weight, which is essential for healthy hormone and prostaglandin levels. Moreover, reduced menstrual pain is associated with increased intake of fruits and vegetables, dietary fiber, fish, and dairy, with fruits and vegetables as a source of various vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Conversely, inadequate nutrition and insufficient calories can lead to reduced body weight, malnutrition, nutritional deficiencies, affecting the reproductive organs, and aggravating dysmenorrhea. For example, a deficiency in vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, zinc, manganese, and fatty acids will exacerbate dysmenorrhea.

The Western diet is associated with unhealthy energy-dense foods high in sodium, sugar, and fat, which may increase dysmenorrhea. For example, dietary fat and sugar increase the levels of prostaglandins, causing the uterus to contract, resulting in painful menstruation. Additionally, red meat is a typical component of the Western diet. Arachidonic acid is a fatty acid primarily from animal products that is a precursor to prostaglandins. Since red meat is high in arachidonic acid, it should be consumed in moderation. Moreover, avoiding inflammatory foods such as refined carbohydrates and processed sugar while increasing anti-inflammatory foods is beneficial for dysmenorrhea because it is an inflammatory condition.

Skipping meals may increase the prevalence of dysmenorrhea in young women. Conversely, regularly eating breakfast is associated with a reduced risk of experiencing primary dysmenorrhea, stressing the importance of daily breakfast habits.

Physical activity may increase or decrease the severity of dysmenorrhea. For example, aerobic exercise, can reduce painful symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea. Conversely, a lack of physical activity can increase symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea.

There is a U-shaped relationship between BMI and dysmenorrhea with both underweight and obese being significantly associated with dysmenorrhea. Body weight above the normal body mass index is associated with increased prostaglandins and may lead to primary dysmenorrhea. Thus, maintaining a healthy body weight that is neither underweight nor overweight is essential.

Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects that reduce dysmenorrhea, hinder the production of arachidonic acid, a precursor to prostaglandins and leukotrienes, and decrease prostaglandin synthesis. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and fish oil may have a protective role during menstruation by competing with omega-6 fatty acids in prostaglandin and leukotriene synthesis, producing less potent prostaglandins and reducing uterine contractions.