Almost 1 in 10 women of reproductive age may experience intense pain because of a condition, endometriosis, which can affect their day-to-day lives. Tissue similar to the endometrium grows outside the womb in the woman who has endometriosis. This may cause irritation, adhesion, and scar tissue where the endometrium-like tissue can grow. While women who have endometriosis have to report sick days, hospital visits, and chronic discomfort that can make the condition unbearable.
While you may be undergoing treatment for the condition, there are other ways to get relief from the condition, such as tweaking your diet. It may not be a cure, but it may certainly offer much-needed relief. So, here are some foods to include in your diet to get some relief.
Inclusion Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3s play a big role in helping our bodies fight pain and inflammation, which can be especially helpful for treating endometriosis. Omega-3s may have the most scientific support for reducing the risk of developing endometriosis in the first place. A study found that women who ate lots of omega-3s had a lower risk of endometriosis.
Omega-3 fatty acid supplements can also work great if everything else fails. In another study, women who ate omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods such as salmon were 22 percent less likely to get the condition. Apart from salmon, you can try other fish such as mackerel, sardines, anchovies, or oysters. You can have other plant-based sources such as flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and more.
Leafy Greens and Fruits
A healthy diet is full of fruits and vegetables that are good sources of fiber, which can lower estrogen levels and help minimize the symptoms.
Multiple studies show that eating lots of green veggies can decrease your risk of the disorder. So fill your plates with spinach, kale, arugula, Swiss chard, which are great options to add to your diet. Fruits contain optimum vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that can do your body a lot of good and reduce chronic pelvic pain.
Oats, Cherries, and Almonds
Although these sound like they make for a homemade granola bar, each ingredient is rich in melatonin and can be a great option for treating endometriosis. Tart cherries are excellent food options to treat endometriosis pain.
Even supplementing with 10 mg of melatonin per day can help women manage pain. Check with your doctor whether these dietary changes can work in your favor. And if you are not big on oatmeal, you can always opt for a supplement.
Low-FODMAP Foods
There is some evidence that a low-FODMAP diet can help women suffering from endometriosis. The low-FODMAP (containing fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols) diet helps people with IBS reduce discomfort. You can avoid foods such as wheat, rye, garlic, legumes, onions, milk, yogurt, soft cheese, honey, low-calorie sweeteners, and several fruits. While this type of diet can seem too restrictive, it has helped certain sections of women to manage their endometriosis.
Green Tea
Research suggests that green tea has the potent cancer-fighting secret ingredient EGCG that can help put endometriosis in remission. EGCG in green tea is a tumor cell shrinker, so green tea is beneficial for cancer patients. Similarly, one 2008 study found that EGCG could also prevent new endometriotic lesions from forming. While a few cups of green tea can do the needful, in some cases, you can turn to an EGCG supplement to get great relief. However, it would help if you got it approved by your doctor before starting a new supplement.
Conclusion
There’s no specific diet protocol that can claim that it can prevent or cure endometriosis. But eating more omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods and fewer trans fats and other inflammatory foods such as dairy ( in some cases), Coffee, and alcohol (in some women) can certainly help manage pain and reduce your risk of developing endometriosis.
If the pain becomes too unbearable, you need to consult your doctor and devise a particular treatment protocol that can include the right foods, eliminate the wrong ones, and of course, follow the conventional treatment. Remember, you do not have to endure pain and live with it. Speak up and seek help and treat endometriosis the right way. With the right diet and treatment, you will soon be healthy and lead a pain-free life.