Endometriosis Diet: Foods to Avoid and Foods To Eat

Research has found that women with endo tend to eat fewer vegetables, less omega-3 fats, and less dairy. They also seem to consume more of red meat, coffee, and trans fats, which are well known to be proinflammatory.

Foods to include

If you’re struggling with endo, here are foods that can help you:

Omega-3 fatty acids

These are known as “healthy fats.” A study found that women who ate the most omega-3 fats were 22% less likely to have endometriosis compared to those who ate the lowest amounts.

Some animal studies also showed that omega-3 fats might help shrink endo tissue. Plus, omega-3 fats might act as antiestrogens. They are a good source of lignans, which are weak estrogen-like compounds. If these weaker compounds replace your body’s stronger estrogen in your cells, they can act like they’re lowering the effect of estrogen.

So, it’s a good idea to eat fats that contain less saturated fat and more omega-3s compared to omega-6s. Here are some good sources of omega-3:

• Salmon
• Tuna
• Mackerel
• Cod
• Shrimp
• Flaxseed oil
• Canola oil
• Soybean oil

Taking omega-3 supplements can also be helpful.

Fiber

Endo is linked to having too much estrogen in the body. And fiber can help lower the amount of estrogen that moves around in your body. It does this by changing the good bacteria in your gut and by stopping some estrogen from being reabsorbed.

Fiber-rich foods include fruits and vegetables, which also have a lot of antioxidants. Antioxidants are known to reduce inflammation. Other good sources of fiber include:

• Beans
• Whole grains
• Nuts

Seaweed

Seaweed might have properties that help balance estrogen levels.

Research proposes that the reason why women in Japan have lower rates of breast cancer after menopause might be because they eat a lot of seaweed. Since endo is linked to estrogen, seaweed might be helpful for women who have this condition.

One study showed that seaweed can change how the body uses estrogen and other similar compounds, possibly by changing the bacteria in the gut.

Plant-based diet

A plant-based diet means eating only foods that come from plants. These foods have increased amounts of polyphenols compared to diets that include meat. When your body breaks down polyphenols, they can become compounds that help reduce inflammation.

Low-FODMAP diet

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. These are certain types of sugars that some people have trouble digesting. When gut bacteria break down FODMAPs, they create gas that can cause pain and discomfort, especially in people with IBS.

The low-FODMAP diet is often recommended for people with irritable bowel syndrome. One study looked at people who had either IBS or both IBS and endometriosis. It found that a low-FODMAP diet improved IBS symptoms in 72% of those who had both endo and IBS, compared to 49% of those who only had IBS.

This suggests that a low-FODMAP diet might be helpful for some women with endo, especially if they also have gut problems like bloating or constipation.

Other helpful foods

Here are some other foods to incorporate into your endometriosis diet.

Foods to avoid

To help prevent endometriosis and lessen the symptoms associated with it, here are the foods to avoid in your endometriosis diet.

Red meat

Red meat has been shown to lower the amount of a protein called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in the body, which can lead to increased amounts of estradiol (a type of estrogen).

One study found that women who ate more than 2 servings of red meat per day had a 56% higher risk of having endo confirmed by surgery compared to women who ate less than 1 serving per week.

This higher risk was mainly linked to non-processed red meat like hamburgers and steak. Eating a lot of highly processed foods like hot dogs and bacon (5 or more servings per week compared to less than 1 per month) also led to a 20% increase in risk.

Gluten

Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grains. For people who are sensitive to gluten, it can cause problems like diarrhea, stomach pain, and bloating. Some research claims that gluten can cause inflammation and trigger the body’s defense system to attack healthy cells. This is known as an autoimmune response.

One study found that after 12 months on a gluten-free diet, 75% of women with endometriosis reported less pain. Another study found that women who reduced or eliminated gluten in their diet had a 6.4/10 effectiveness score in lowering pelvic pain.

Processed foods

These kinds of foods are often high in processed sugars, bad fats (saturated and trans), and salt. They are also low in nutrients and fiber.

Additionally, processed foods are known to cause inflammation and mess with your estrogen balance.

Some people with endo have also found that cutting out alcohol and caffeine can be helpful, but there isn’t much scientific evidence to back this up.

Fruit juices can also be high in sugar and low in fiber, so it might be better to eat whole fruit instead.

Other foods to limit

It may be a good idea to also limit the following foods to help with endo.

• Dairy: Some women find that dairy products can worsen their symptoms, possibly due to inflammation or lactose intolerance.
• Trans fats: These unhealthy fats are often found in fried foods and some baked goods and can increase inflammation. Some research suggests that women who consumed the highest quantities of trans fats had a 48% increased risk of endometriosis.