Endometriosis - Diet and Nutrition
Diet changes can help
reduce the symptoms of endometriosis
Changing your diet to deal with Endometriosis is an excellent
foundation to assist you in reducing your symptoms, and will help
regenerate your health.
Adjusting what you eat can bring about many positive physical
and metabolic changes. Many of you may be aware that various
illnesses and diseases have responded very positively to changes in diet,
and Endometriosis is no exception.
Changing your diet for
endometriosis can help with the following:
* Reduce symptoms of
pain
* Relieve cramps
* Reduce inflammation
* Reduce bloating
* Reduce oestrogen
levels
* Balance hormones
* Reduce weight –
oestrogen is stored in fat and endometriosis is fed by oestrogen
* Reduce toxins –
found in e-numbers, additives, preservatives, pesticides,
chemicals, anti-biotics used in animal husbandry.
AND an improved diet
will also :
* Increase energy
levels
* Boost immune system
* Improve overall
health
Did you know that 80% of our immunity occurs in the
intestinal tract?
To have a properly functioning immune system, you need to
have a healthy digestive system. Because a large proportion of your body’s
immune system stems from the digestive tract.
A healthy gut and a healthy digestive system will aid in the
production of certain good bacteria, enzymes and vitamins that help us
to fight disease.Having a strong and vibrant immune system will help
you to fight the underlying causes of endometriosis.
Controlled Diet for
Endometriosis
Changing the foods you eat and following a diet for
endometriosis has proved to be one of the best ways to reduce the symptoms of
the disease by using a natural and healthy treatment option.
The body will respond very quickly to what we eat, and this
will reflect in our overall health. The symptoms of endometriosis respond
really well to diet changes based on chemical reactions in your body.
Your body is sensitive to what you put in it, for example if
you have any food allergies, or you have too much sugar or caffeine.
Sometimes these sensitivities will quickly show up, but at other times
they are not noticed and will creep up on us in the form of dietary
deficiencies.
This will then show up as symptoms of ill health, but the
body will give us clues and we start to develop food cravings.
The reason that certain foods make the symptoms of
endometriosis worse is based on the chemical reactions in the body that are
caused by these food groups. Some of these chemical reactions are very
subtle and complex based on enzymes in food and the complex reaction to
the chemicals already present in the body.
The controlled diet for endometriosis eliminates these
problem food groups and in turn this helps to reduce the negative chemical
reactions and can help to reduce many of the symptoms of the disease.
The improvement in symptoms can include a reduction in pain,
reduction of inflammation, and aims to reduce levels of oestrogen in
the body and thus reduce the opportunity of the disease growing further.
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SO WHERE DO WE START!
Pain and hormones in relation to diet …………
Endometriosis is fed by oestrogen synthesis in the body. This
can take
the form of -
* your own natural oestrogen which is produced in the body
* the oestrogen that
is taken up from food as phyto-estrogan
* from chemical based oestrogens that are found in toiletries and cosmetics in
the form of xeno-estrogens
The correct diet can help to balance these different forms of
oestrogen.
But you do need to reduce your use of xeno-estrogens (highly
chemical based cosmetics and toiletries, and use natural alternatives)
in order to reduce xeno-estrogens from your system.
As well as dealing with oestrogen levels, you need to
address the levels of prostaglandins in your body. Prostaglandins are
very complex natural fatty acids and are derived from dietary
sources.There are many different forms of prostaglandins and new types of them are
still being discovered.
The painful menstrual cramps you feel are actually due to prostaglandins, as well as the pain symptoms of
endometriosis. A change in diet can alter the level and the types of prostaglandins
in your body.
We actually have two main 'types' of prostaglandins - there
are the 'good ones' and the 'bad ones'.
The aim of the endometriosis diet is to block the 'bad ones'
because of their negative actions on the body, and increase the levels
of the 'good ones' because of their opposite and positive effect. The
action of the 'bad ones' will increase uterine contractions and pain, and
increase inflammation.
The role of the 'good ones' have a soothing effect and do the
opposite to the bad ones. When you change the oils in your diet you
can promote the good prostaglandins. The good oils are in the omega-3
fatty oil group, and lead to good prostaglandin production. Some of the
best sources of omega-3 oils are found in marine and plant oils
and include:
* oily fish
* walnut oil
* pumpkin seeds
* dark green leafy
veg
At the same time it is important to reduce intake of the fatty
acids that stimulate negative prostaglandins which are found in
saturated fats, animal fats, butter.
Fibre intake
It will help your symptoms if you increase your intake of
fibre, as the fibre will help to decrease the circulating oestrogen in your
system. Be careful not to eat too much fibre as this can lead to
constipation (contrary to what you have been told).
The possible problem with constipation relates to non-soluble
fibre like bran and course grains, as this will absorb any available
water in the gut and actually slow down your digestive system.
The easiest sources of fibre to digest are found in fruit and
vegetables as the structure and chemical make-up provide a more soothing
effect while also aiding digestion. However, extra fibre in the form
of grains, brown rice and pulses etc., are helpful especially for their
nutritional value, but keep your fibre intake balanced between the two.
These can include:
* whole grains (
excluding wheat - see link below)
* beans, peas, pulses
* brown rice
* vegetables and
fruits
* oatmeal
The following foods are
recommended to modulate oestrogen levels by incorporating one or
two servings a day:
* mustard greens
* dark green veg
* broccoli
* cabbage
FOODS TO AVOID
*wheat* - this
includes breads, cakes and pasta products, all based on wheat - contains
phytic acid which can aggravate symptoms if endometriosis. Also contains gluten which women with endometriosis seem to be
sensitive to.
*red meats* -
promotes negative prostaglandins which cause inflammation and
can also contain growth hormones.
*refined and
concentrated carbohydrates* - white bread, flour, cakes, pasta etc.
made from refined flours. Most of the nutritional value has been
removed.
*refined sugars and
honey* - causes inflammatory reaction, produces a more acidic
environment in the Body which can increase the inflammation of
endometriosis. (honey is fine if you can get hold of certified organic
honey)
*caffeine* - found
in tea, coffee, soft drinks -increases abdominal cramps and caffeine
increases oestrogen levels. Caffeine is a known
phyto-oestrogen.
Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, fizzy drinks chocolate -as it
contains sugar which is inflammatory
*dairy produce* -
including milk, cheese, butter, cream - causes inflammatory
reaction as they increase the inflammatory prostaglandins
*eggs* - advised to
leave out eggs unless you get organic as they can contain the
chemical residue of dioxin. Can also cause digestive problems for some
like IBS, and may increase constipation problems
(they are used as a
binder in cooking!)
* fried foods* - can
stimulate negative prostaglandins
* saturated fats and
oils* – Foods that are high in fatty acids stimulate the
negative inflammatory prostaglandins. Fatty acids are found in saturated
fats, butter, margarine, lard.
*soy products and
soy protein products* - (check link below to read in in-depth
explanation why soy should be left out of your diet)- tamari can be used
in small amounts
*convenience foods
*- they contain a host of additives, cheap ingredients and
have very little nutritional value
*tinned foods* -
use sparingly. Certain exceptions are fine like tinned tomatoes,
coconut milk and those foods that are part of ingredients when
cooking a nutritious meal
*additives and
preservatives* - increase chemical load on the system
*alcohol* -
consumes vitamin B which is stored in the liver. Good liver function is
vital as the liver will help to eliminate excess oestrogen from the
body.
FOODS BENEFICIAL FOR
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
* beans, peas,
lentils
* onions
* garlic - raw or
lightly cooked
* carrots - contain
beta-carotene
* live yoghurt (good
for healthy intestinal flora)
* rhubarb
* seeds and sprouted
seeds - high in nutrients
* ginger - excellent
anti-inflammatory
* green tea -
excellent to boost immunity and has been found to expel
dioxin from the
body
HORMONE REBALANCING
Foods containing natural plant sterols (phyto-oestrogens) can
actually be helpful if consumed in careful balance. They are thought
to block the oestrogen receptors, so in turn excess oestrogen in the body
cannot
‘lock-in’ to these receptors. These include:
* peas, beans and
pulses
* red and purple
berries
* garlic
* apples
* parsley
* fennel
* brassica's:
cabbage, cauliflower etc
* nuts and seeds
* celery, carrots
* rhubarb
VITAMIN AND MINERAL
SUPPLEMENTS
Although the best source of vitamins and minerals is through
a well balanced diet, many of our foods today are depleted in these
vital trace elements. Today, most of us need to supplement our diet with
some of the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to function
optimally.
The following is a list of supplements that will help women
with Endometriosis:
* Magnesium - is a
mineral and is believed to ease cramping with menstruation. It also assist with maintaining water levels in the gut and can help with the problem of
constipation
* Zinc - is essential
for enzyme activity, helping cells to reproduce which will help
with healing. Zinc is also r reported to boost the immune system and
helping to create an emotional sense of well-being
*Calcium - levels of
calcium in menstruating women decrease 10 to 14 days before the
onset of menstruation. Deficiency may lead to muscle cramps, headache or
pelvic pain.
*Iron - women with
Endometriosis tend to have very heavy periods which can lead to
an iron deficiency. This can lead to anaemia which is characterized by
extreme fatigue and weakness.
*B vitamins - these
are important for the breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates and
fats in the body. B vitamins are reported to improve the
emotional symptoms of Endometriosis, and have proved helpful in dealing
with PMT
*Vitamin C - is well
known for helping to boost the immune system and help provide
resistance to disease. It is also used in the body to build and maintain
collagen within the body.
*Vitamin A - is
another immune system booster
*Vitamin E - plays
an important role by increasing oxygen carrying capacities and also
strengthens the immune system
*Selenium - when
taken together with vitamin E has been reported to decrease
inflammation associated with Endometriosis, as well as immune system
booster.
*TO SUM UP*
* increase omega-3
fatty acids
* avoid meat, dairy
products, wheat and sugar
* increase fibre
* modulate oestrogen
* avoid caffeine and
alcohol
*avoid refined
foods, e-numbers, additives
*minimize or avoid
soy products as they contain high levels of phyto-estrogens,
and soy contains a particular toxin which seems to be particularly
detrimental for women with Endometriosis
* peel fruit and
vegetables to remove toxic chemicals
* eat organic produce
wherever possible
* drink lots of
filtered or mineral water
