Endometriosis
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a female health disorder that occurs when cells from the lining of the womb (uterus) grow in other areas of the body. This can lead to pain, irregular bleeding, and problems getting pregnant.
How does this happens?
Every month, a woman's ovaries produce hormones that tell the cells lining the uterus (womb) to swell and get thicker. The body removes these extra cells from the womb lining (endometrium) when you get your period.
If these cells (called endometrial cells) implant and grow outside the uterus, endometriosis results. The growths are called endometrial tissue implants. Women with endometriosis typically have tissue implants on the ovaries, bowel, rectum, bladder, and on the lining of the pelvic area. They can occur in other areas of the body, too. Unlike the endometrial cells found in the uterus, the tissue implants outside the uterus stay in place when you get your period. They sometimes bleed a little bit. They grow again when you get your next period. This ongoing process leads to pain and other symptoms of endometriosis.
What Causes Endometriosis?
The cause of endometriosis is unknown. One theory is that it may start when a small amount of blood from your womb flows the wrong way during your period. Instead of flowing down to your vagina, the blood flows along your fallopian tubes and leaks into other parts of your pelvis. This is called retrograde menstruation. It happens to most women occasionally. But only some women go on to get endometriosis.
Endometriosis is common. Sometimes, it may run in the family. Although endometriosis is typically diagnosed between ages 25 - 35, the condition probably begins about the time that regular menstruation begins. A woman who has a mother or sister with endometriosis is much more likely to develop endometriosis than other women. You are more likely to develop endometriosis if you:
What are the Symptoms?
Treatment for Endometriosis

How does this happens?

What Causes Endometriosis?
The cause of endometriosis is unknown. One theory is that it may start when a small amount of blood from your womb flows the wrong way during your period. Instead of flowing down to your vagina, the blood flows along your fallopian tubes and leaks into other parts of your pelvis. This is called retrograde menstruation. It happens to most women occasionally. But only some women go on to get endometriosis.
Endometriosis is common. Sometimes, it may run in the family. Although endometriosis is typically diagnosed between ages 25 - 35, the condition probably begins about the time that regular menstruation begins. A woman who has a mother or sister with endometriosis is much more likely to develop endometriosis than other women. You are more likely to develop endometriosis if you:
- Started your period at a young age
- Never had children
- Have frequent periods or they last 7 or more days
- Closed hymen, which blocks the flow of menstrual blood during the period
What are the Symptoms?
Pain is the main symptom of endometriosis. A woman with endometriosis may have:
- Painful periods
- Pain in the lower abdomen before and during menstruation
- Cramps for a week or two before menstruation and during menstruation; cramps may be steady and range from dull to severe)
- Pain during or following sexual intercourse
- Pain with bowel movements
- Pelvic or low back pain that may occur at any time during the menstrual cycle
Note: There may be no symptoms. Some women with a large number of tissue implants in their pelvis have no pain at all, while some women with milder disease have severe pain.
Endometriosis - Diet & 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.
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, antibiotics, used in animal husbandry
- Increase energy levels
- Boost immune system
- Improve overall health
Treatment for Endometriosis
Changing the food 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.
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.
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 estrogen which is produced in the body
- the estrogen that is taken up from food as phyto-estrogen
- from chemical based estrogens that are found in toiletries and cosmetics in the form of xeno-estrogens
The correct diet can help to balance these different form 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 prostaglandis - 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 prostaglandis. 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 prostaglandis 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 coarse 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 fruits 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)
- beans, peas, pulses
- 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 of 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, flur, cake, pasta, etc made from refined flours. Most of the nutritional value has been removed.
- refined sugar 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)
- caffein - found in tea, coffee, soft drinks - increases abdominal cramps and caffein increases oestrogen levels. Caffein is a known phyto-oestrogen.
- 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 as the 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 binder in cooking!)
- fried food - 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 - tamari can be used in small amount
- convenience food - they contain a host of additives, cheap ingredients and have very little nutritional value.
- tinned foods - use sparingly. Certain exception 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 - consume vitamin B which is stored in the liver. Good liver function is vital as the liver will help to eliminate excess oestrogen in the body.
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 this 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 believe to ease cramping with menstruation. It also assist with maintaining water level 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 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 fat 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.
Source:
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xoxo,
Najah
Shaklee Independent Distributor [ID: 893828]
najahsalwa@gmail.com
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