Endometriosis and Diet: What You Should and Shouldn’t Eat To Keep Your Uterus Healthy

Globally, there are more than 176 million women with endometriosis, a painful uterine condition in which the tissue that is normally supposed to grow inside the uterus grows outside it. The statistics are as bad as one in every 10 women. The disease affects 5-15 percent women in their childbearing years and causes infertility in 30-50 percent of them. Despite being so widespread, many aspects of the disease, including its causes and cures, are still unknown to medical science.

But existing studies that explore the role of nutrition in endometriosis suggest that there could be a strong link between diet and endometriosis. If you happen to be grappling with the condition, keep this important maxim in mind: reducing inflammation in the body will go a long way in reducing the symptoms of endometriosis. And one way to do that is to eat right. Since endometriosis is connected to high oestrogen levels, foods that cause oestrogen dominance should be avoided like the plague.

What you shouldn’t eat

Grains like wheat, corn and barley

Many naturopaths suggest going off wheat and wheat products completely to minimise the symptoms of endometriosis. Many studies have made a position correlation between gluten, a sticky protein found in wheat and inflammatory conditions such as endometriosis. Research says that gluten plays a role in disrupting hormones in the body. Zearalenone a mycotoxin produced by certain fungi is found in wheat and other grains like corn and barley. Reducing your intake of these grains can be helpful.

Red Meat

Red meat has fallen out of favour due to its connection with many diseases such as colon cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Research indicates that it could be responsible for increasing endometriosis risk. A study showed that women who ate beef or other red meat seven times a week were 100 percent more likely to suffer from endometriosis.

Trans fats

Trans fat or trans-unsaturated fatty acids are a type of unsaturated fat, which has a terrible reputation as far as health is concerned. Trans fats are found in small amounts in animal products such as milk, butter, cream, lamb, pork and beef. Industrially-produced foot stuffs such as biscuits, cakes and pies. A study shows that women who consumed a diet rich in trans fats were 1.44 times more likely to get endometriosis. So keep your junk food habit in check.

Soy

While soy may have a lot of beneficial qualities, it doesn’t figure among endo-friendly foods. Soy and soy products tend to behave like oestrogen in the body, causing havoc if you already suffer from oestrogen dominance. The oestrogenic activity caused by soy also fuels certain cancers in women. It’s best to keep soy and soy products such as sauces, whole soybeans and tofu at bay.

Foods with Additives and Preservatives

In short, everything processed or preserved should be looked at with suspicion. Preservatives and additives are added to packed food items, especially perishable ones to increase their shelf life. Studies suggest that these chemicals may cause hormonal imbalances, increasing the risk of endometriosis.

Alcohol

Alcohol doesn’t agree with endometriosis. It’s common knowledge that alcohol impairs liver functions, which is responsible for metabolising oestrogen in the body. This leads to an excess of oestrogen, leading to conditions like endometriosis. Cutting down on alcohol can reduce the severity of the disease.

What You Should Eat

Fruits and veggies.

Anything high in fibre is good for endometriosis. That includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. So fill up your plates with salads because a high fibre diet keeps your oestrogen levels at check. Since the hormone binds with fibre from our food, it is easily passed through the digestive tract and eliminated. Endo-friendly fruits such as apples and pineapples contain enzymes such as quercetin and bromelain, both of which are excellent for fighting endometriosis.

Omega 3-Rich Foods

Studies show that omega 3-rich foods like fish, walnuts and flaxseeds help your body fight inflammation in the body, reducing symptoms of endometriosis. Omega 3 is also needed to keep levels of pro-inflammatory omega 6 at check.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Veggies like kale, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage belong to the group of cruciferous vegetables, which have a laundry list of health benefits. These veggies help in balancing oestrogen levels, preventing hormonal imbalance that leads to diseases like endo and breast cancer.

Ginger

The benefits of ginger for endometriosis are too many. Firstly, ginger is an anti-inflammatory food, which helps in reducing inflammatory conditions like endometriosis. Further, it also relieves some of the gastric symptoms of endo like bloating, indigestion, gas and nausea.

Tumeric

Like ginger, turmeric is a potent ingredient that helps in reducing inflammation in the body. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric is one of the best anti-inflammatory compounds. Multiple studies have validated the endo-fighting properties of the spice, making it a must-have in your kitchen.

Coconut oil

It’s been a great couple of years for coconut oil, which has been lauded by the health world for its many benefits. Endometriosis is seen primarily in people who have a weakened immune system, which fails to clear the tissue build up on the outer part of the uterus. The oil has many immune-boosting properties, which helps your body’s natural defences in eliminating the rogue endometrial cells from where it doesn’t belong.

To eliminate endometriosis through diet, keep some ground rules in mine: eat fresh, strengthen your immune system, avoid alcohol and processed food and reduce your intake of pro-inflammatory food. These smart food choices will help you take the edge off endometriosis symptoms and heal you from within.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 11, 2018 06:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).