Registered nutritional therapists Lorna Driver-Davies give suggestions on what foods can help endometriosis
It has no known cure and causes crippling pain for the one in 10 women who suffer with it.
But experts claim simple diet changes can — in addition to painkillers and hormone therapy — help millions battling endometriosis.
Here, registered nutritional therapists Lorna Driver-Davies explains why eating more oily fish and fibre while cutting out processed food and even coffee can — in theory — make the symptoms more manageable.
More fish
Ms Driver-Davies, who works with supplement firm Wild Nutrition, recommends women diagnosed with endometriosis eat a ‘proper portion’ of oily fish each week to up their omega-3.
This, she says, doesn’t amount to ‘a couple of sushi rolls’.
Because omega-3 possesses anti-inflammatory powers, Ms Driver-Davies argues it ‘is going to help quell symptoms’. Similar claims are pushed out by NHS bodies.
Endometriosis, considered an inflammatory condition, occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body.
This can block fallopian tubes (the tubes eggs travel down to reach the uterus) or form scar tissue, which can make it harder to become pregnant.
It causes pain as the tissue builds up and then breaks down, just like the lining of the womb does each month.
Salmon, mackerel and sardines are all examples of oily fish that are rich in omega-3, proven to be good for the heart.
To get enough omega-3, the NHS recommends eating at least two portions of fish a week — with one portion being oily fish.
Other sources include flaxseed oil, walnuts and eggs.
Endometriosis which affects 176 million women worldwide, causes tissue, similar to the lining of the uterus, to grow outside of the uterus, causing inflammation and pain. It can also cause bowel problems, fatigue, trouble getting pregnant and pain when weeing
One food that will give the immune system a healthy boost and could reduce symptoms of endometriosis is oily fish because it’s high in omega-3
More vegetables
Eating more vegetables is never a bad idea.
But, according to Ms Driver-Davies, it could really help women with endometriosis.
Oestrogen encourages endometriosis tissue to grow and shed, regardless of where it crops up in the body. As such, treatment can revolve around limiting oestrogen to shrink rogue tissue.
‘Fibre from veg is important in endometriosis to keep bowel movements regular,’ says Ms Driver-Davies, who specialises in hormone and gynaecological nutrition.
‘And this helps to make sure oestrogen is removed and does not build up.’
Research from 2019 published in the journal Nutrients shows that eating fibre reduces the absorption of oesterogen. This is also echoed in a 2021 breast cancer study.
‘Fibre also helps to feed the gut microbiome required for a healthy immune system.’
Ms Driver-Davies specifically recommends cruciferous veg, like broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts.
Such advice is echoed by the NHS because they’re ‘loaded’ with sulforaphane.
The antioxidant is known to combat inflammation, according to advice published by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
Less red meat
Eating too much red meat has been suggested to make endometriosis worse.
This, according to the NHS, at least, is because it ‘can promote inflammation in the body’.
‘A lot of studies show that women who have endometriosis had less pain and less symptoms if they took out meat or cut down meat,’ says Ms Driver-Davies.
For example, one 2018 study suggested women could reap the biggest benefit by sticking to just one portion of red meat a week,
Some women with endometriosis choose to cut it out entirely.
But Ms Driver-Davies warns not to rush to cut it out of your diet because it is rich in vitamins and nutrients, including iron and B12.
Heavy menstrual bleeding caused by the condition can deplete suffers of iron, which can cause tiredness.
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, including the ovaries, fallopian tubes and bowel. It responds and grows when exposed to the female hormone oestrogen, according to Endometriosis UK. Therefore, a build up of the hormone could make the condition worse
Less dairy
For some women with endometriosis, reducing or cutting out dairy products can also be beneficial.
‘Dairy can be problematic for some and fine for others, so it’s worth experimenting,’ says Ms Driver-Davies.
‘Types of dairy vary and some sufferers find they feel better drinking A2 cow’s milk (commonly found now in supermarkets) or swapping out cow’s milk for goat’s milk.
‘If removing dairy, you may need to supplement calcium and iodine.’
The link between dairy and endometriosis are inconclusive, however, according to one charity, Endometriosis Australia.
Deep fried food such as fish and chips, sugary processed foods and alcohol could cause people with endometriosis to feel more pain
Sugar, alcohol and processed foods
Deep fried food such as fish and chips might only worsen the pain, according to Ms Driver-Davies.
Under the same logic, sugary processed foods and alcohol are also potentially off the cards.
Studies have shown women who consume more trans fats — predominantly found in fried and processed food — are more likely to have endometriosis.
Similar links have also been found with booze as shown in a 2022 study published in Scientific Reports.
‘Sugar and alcohol are both inflammatory “anti nutrients” and processed foods contain “bad” fats that can create more inflammation, contain unnatural substances and preservatives,’ says Ms Driver-Davies.
Your liver breaks down oestrogen, but if your liver is not functioning properly, for example if you have been drinking alcohol, too much oestrogen can accumulate, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
‘When you consume alcohol the body will put all its resources on detoxifying the alcohol over oestrogen.
‘Cutting it out or cutting down will allow the body to use its resources on supporting symptoms and the disease,’ Ms Driver-Davies adds.
