2023-03-31T10:06:28
Diet for endometriosis It’s difficult for most people to imagine a life filled with chronic pain. But if you’re living with endometriosis, managing various types of often debilitating pain becomes your usual. It can make each day a challenge. Endometriosis can affect people differently. What works to help manage its symptoms can vary from person to person. That said, there does seem to be enough evidence to suggest that dietary changes may be worth trying along with monitoring for symptom changes. Based on the most current information we have, people living with endometriosis may benefit from eliminating gluten and red meat from their diets while increasing their intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Special diets to consider If you’re living with endometriosis, Here are some of the most popular eating plans claimed to help endometriosis and what you should know about each one. 1.Anti-inflammatory diet The approach I have found to be most effective is an anti-inflammatory diet that’s rich in plant-based antioxidants and omega-3 fats, An anti-inflammatory diet typically eliminates inflammatory food triggers such as gluten, caffeine, alcohol, and industrial-based oils such as canola oil, In addition to eliminating a handful of these inflammatory foods, adding in more plant-based foods that are rich in antioxidants can be powerful. This include - dark leafy greens cruciferous vegetables starchy vegetables such as sweet potato cold-water fish like salmon, tuna, or sardines seeds like flaxseed and chia seeds walnuts 2.Gluten-free diet A gluten-free diet can be simple to try since there’s only one guideline to follow: Eliminate gluten. Yet, removing gluten from your diet may be easier said than done. It involves more than cutting out bread, pasta, and baked goods. Products you may not suspect could contain gluten, from sauces and condiments to vitamins and supplements. If you decide to try a gluten-free diet, you need to be diligent about reading food labels — though it may be worth the effort. 3.Elimination diet Plenty of people have food intolerances they may not know about. Not to be mistaken with a food allergy, a food intolerance simply means a certain food might not completely agree with your body. For example, certain foods may increase levels of inflammation in your body without your knowledge. So even if you’re following a specific diet plan, you may not notice results unless you remove other food sources of inflammation from your diet. An elimination diet requires removing a large variety of foods from your diet to start. Then you slowly add them back into your diet one at a time to monitor for increases in symptoms. Because of the intensity and complexity of an elimination diet, it’s best to work with a dietitian or nutritionist. Depending on the degree of inflammation and severity of the disease, it may take up to three period cycles, or roughly three months, to notice an improvement in your endometriosis symptoms. 4.Red meat we learn that intake of red meat, either as processed or unprocessed, is a major culprit in promoting endometriosis related symptoms . Replacement of red meat with fish, shellfish or eggs was associated with lower severity of symptoms. A quite unexpected result was the rise in endometriosis risk with increasing intake of poultry, albeit this was not as robust as seen for red meat. Yet another surprising finding is that the effect of red meat is independent of animal fat or its most common saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid and increase cholesterol levels. Substituting them with plant based proteins, fish loaded with anti- inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids and organic chicken can be helpful. 5.Refined sugars that are in soda, canned drinks, toffees, cakes and sweets because sugar affects insulin- a hormone that has direct effects on estrogen levels and ovarian function (ovulation). Jaggery and honey are better alternatives Work with a dietitian, if one is available to you, or a healthcare professional who can help you figure out which changes to focus on.