The Nutritional Know-How For Endometriosis
Women can face a lot of risks when it comes to reproductive health. A disorder that affects up to 10% of women, known as Endometriosis, occurs when tissue grows outside of your uterine activity, also referred to as endometrial tissue. What hindrances can this cause for your body? Complications include irritation, pain during your menstrual cycle, and fertility problems.
When experiencing endometriosis, one must tend to their diet, eat certain foods, as well as avoid some that can worsen the condition. A big no-no includes gluten. Bread, pasta, rye, and many other sources of gluten should be avoided. One study done of 200 patients experiencing endometriosis used methods assigning the patients to undergo a gluten-free diet over the course of 12 months. This study showed note-worthy and significant results! They had concluded that with nearly 75% of the patients reporting less pain, that avoiding gluten results in less harsher symptoms. When making a change to your diet under the influence of this condition, definitely consider altering your gluten intake for more ease and less pain. It’s tough making these major changes, but you can consider effective alternatives to gluten containing foods. Consider gluten free pasta, breads, or bagels next time you’re in the supermarket. Try out quinoa or millet instead of noodles. Another dietary habit to avoid includes the consumption of red meat and trans/saturated fats including baked goods, fried foods, butter, and cheese. This can increase the risk of endometriosis. While refraining from saturated and trans fats, there are healthy fats you can incorporate into your diet. Fats including avocados, olive oil, nuts, and fatty fish will help with reducing the effects.
If you may find it tough removing certain dietary habits, try an elimination diet to see what foods aren’t really affecting you and what foods are worsening your symptoms. In a 2 week period, eliminate dairy, gluten, and sugary foods. Afterwards, as you slowly start going back into your normal diet, it will be easy for you to take note of which foods are causing an alarming response to your body.
Although one must avoid certain foods, let’s be positive and point out the foods we can indulge in as well as alleviate the effects of endometriosis. It’s no surprise that incorporating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are good for you during endometriosis. These foods are high in fiber and filled with antioxidants. Fiber lowers your estrogen levels, and antioxidants will alleviate endometriosis-related pain. Studies indicated that increasing your intake of these foods overall result in lower risk of the condition.
References:
Galan , Nicole. “What Should You Eat If You Have Endometriosis? .” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 11 Apr. 2018, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321471.
Heard, Melissa E et al. “High-Fat Diet Promotion of Endometriosis in an Immunocompetent Mouse Model is Associated With Altered Peripheral and Ectopic Lesion Redox and Inflammatory Status.” Endocrinology vol. 157,7 (2016): 2870-82. doi:10.1210/en.2016-1092
Jones , Taylor. “8 Diet Tips to Help Fight Endometriosis .” Healthline , 2 Nov. 2017, www.healthline.com/nutrition/endometriosis-diet-tips.
Olsen , Natalie. “What to Eat and What to Avoid If You Have Endometriosis.” Healthline , 17 Apr. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/endometriosis/endometriosis-diet.
Marziali M, Venza M, Lazzaro S, Lazzaro A, Micossi C, Stolfi VM, Stolfi VM. Gluten-free diet: a new strategy for management of painful endometriosis related symptoms? Minerva Chir. 2012 Dec;67(6) 499-504. PMID: 23334113.
Yeung, Jr., Patrick, and Rose Catanzaro . The AntiInflammatory and Elimination Diet for Adults Living with Endometriosis. SLU Care Physician Group , www.slucare.edu/ob-gyn/center-for-endometriosis/endometriosis-diet-booklet.pdf.
