Endometriosis

What is it and how can you reduce your symptoms?

Written by Millie Rose

Introduction

Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which cells similar to the lining of the womb grow outside of the uterus. The most well-known symptoms include heavy and severely painful periods; however, the condition also can cause extreme tiredness, IBS-like symptoms and chronic pelvic pain throughout your menstrual cycle, which may also spread into your back and legs.

Endometriosis is diagnosed via laparoscopy, which is a keyhole surgery, where endometriosis tissues are burnt or cut out. However, endometriosis often grows back, and symptoms often return. Clinical treatment for endometriosis includes painkillers and hormones, to suppress further growth and manage pain (NHS, 2022). Endometriosis causes a chronic inflammatory reaction (WHO, 2023), sometimes caused or worsened by foods, meaning your diet may have the ability to lighten your symptoms and make your pain more manageable. There is no cure, but by combining both clinical treatments and changes to diet and lifestyle, a holistic approach has the potential to make drastic changes!

(Image, 2024)

Who is affected?

Endometriosis affects 10% of women of a reproductive age worldwide. That is 190 million people! This means if you don’t have endometriosis, you probably know someone that does (WHO, 2023).

There is not a known reason for endometriosis. Women with endometriosis have not caused their condition, however, diet and lifestyle may worsen symptoms. Research suggests endometriosis may be hereditary; however, some people do not have a family history of symptoms or an endometriosis diagnosis (University of Oxford, 2023).

Endometriosis symptoms range from none to debilitating pain that impacts everyday life. Many women are waiting for NHS appointments and operations to treat or diagnose endometriosis. Whether you have been diagnosed with endometriosis or have symptoms of endometriosis without a diagnosis, there are steps you can take to minimise the impact on your everyday life.

How can diet ease your symptoms?

Since endometriosis causes chronic inflammation, making dietary modifications can help reduce inflammation, regulate hormones, and ease pain. The NHS recommend a diet focused on anti-inflammatory foods.

Anti-inflammatory foods:

Fruits and vegetables
Fatty fish
Nuts
Beans and legumes
Seeds
Healthy fats e.g. olive oil, avocado, eggs
Dark chocolate
Whole grains
Turmeric

See my recipes for inspiration or follow on Instagram

Inflammatory foods: (try to reduce these where possible)

Alcohol
Caffeine
Dairy
Refined sugar
Simple carbohydrates e.g. white flour, rice, cereal, white bread
Gluten
Red meat
Saturated and trans fat

Some people experience “flares” or more inflammation with specific foods, the NHS recommend a trial-and-error approach to label these. It may be helpful to make a food diary to journal this (NHS, 2024)

Reducing estrogen

Reducing estrogen may help to manage symptoms as it can suppress the growth of endometriosis tissues, meaning the disease is less likely to develop further. Research shows that consumption of trans fats, found in baked goods and fried foods, and red meat, including beef, lamb and pork, increase the risk of endometriosis, while foods containing, fibre, antioxidants and vitamin D help ease symptoms of the disease. This research further supports that a diet rich in plant-based and whole foods is ideal for reducing inflammation and reducing the impact of endometriosis on daily life (Barnard et al., 2023).

Conclusion

While there isn’t a cure, these small dietary changes have the potential to control symptoms and allow you to return to everyday life. A nutritionist may be able to help you identify a diet to reduce inflammation in your body and target foods that trigger inflammation tailored specifically to you.

References

Barnard, N.D., Holtz, D.N., Schmidt, N., Kolipaka, S., Hata, E., Sutton, M., Znayenko-Miller, T., Hazen, N.D., Cobb, C. and Kahleova, H. (2023). Nutrition in the prevention and treatment of endometriosis: A review. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1089891.

Image (2024). What is Endometriosis? Understanding the Basics and Early Signs – Health. [online] Dr Deepti Asthana Blogs. Available at: https://drdeeptiasthana.com/blogs/what-is-endometriosis-understanding-the-basics-and-early-signs/.

NHS (2022). Endometriosis. [online] NHS. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/endometriosis/.

World Health Organization (2023). Endometriosis. [online] World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/endometriosis.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. (2024). Diet and Endometriosis – Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. [online] Available at: https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/leaflets/diet-and-endometriosis/ [Accessed 4 Feb. 2025].