Eating and Endometriosis

This painful disorder can cause digestive symptoms, and researchers are exploring whether dietary choices play a role. 

Endometriosis causes tissue, resembling the uterine lining, to grow outside of the uterus and often causes a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms, especially during menstrual periods. This includes:

• Bloating
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Pain during bowel movements

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

While certain foods may affect endometriosis, researchers need more evidence to establish a definitive connection.

Some links of the emerging research are: In a 2018 study, researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and other institutions found that women who ate red meat more than twice per day had a 56 percent higher risk of endometriosis than women who had one serving or less of red meat per week. Endometriosis is an inflammatory condition, and red meat can cause inflammation.

It’s unclear whether certain foods can reduce endometriosis symptoms, but some foods can fight inflammation. These include walnuts, almonds, tomatoes, spinach, kale, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, and fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna.

Carson Tahoe nutrition therapies provides condition-specific nutrition education for a variety of diseases. For more information, visit www.carsontahoe.com/nutritionalfacts.