What Foods To Avoid and Eat

Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which endometrial-like tissue (tissue similar to the lining of the uterus) grows outside the uterus. The hormone estrogen increases growth, causing tissue scarring and inflammation. As a result, you may experience symptoms such as pelvic pain, painful periods, and pain during sex.

While there’s no cure yet for endometriosis, experts have explored ways to help reduce symptoms. Adjusting your diet is one approach. Research suggests some foods may worsen endometriosis symptoms, while other foods, diets, or supplements may help improve these symptoms.

Some foods may worsen endometriosis pain by increasing inflammation. These foods may also increase estrogen levels or cause endometriosis to grow. If you have endometriosis, consider limiting or avoiding these foods:

• Red meats: Eating red meat may increase the risk of developing endometriosis. It may also worsen endometriosis by promoting inflammation in your body.
• Gluten: Most grains contain gluten, a protein that gives bread, pasta, and pizza dough a chewy texture. Gluten may cause gastrointestinal issues and inflammation.
• High-fat foods: Eating foods with trans fats, such as fried foods, fast food, donuts, pastries, chocolate, and other highly processed foods, may contribute to inflammation and increase the risk of endometriosis.
• Alcohol: Drinking alcohol may aggravate symptoms and cause inflammation.
• High-FODMAP foods: The word FODMAP describes carbohydrates that the body may not digest well. Some examples include apples, asparagus, onions, and wheat products. These foods can cause bloating, cramps, and diarrhea. Avoiding them may improve gut-related symptoms of endometriosis.

Inflammation and high levels of estrogen can make endometriosis worse. It may improve symptoms to eat foods known to reduce inflammation and help manage estrogen levels. Here are some foods you may want to eat to help improve your symptoms.

Fiberous Foods

Plenty of dietary fiber is associated with a lower risk of endometriosis. Evidence suggests that high-fiber foods may help remove estrogen from the body, which could contribute to a lower risk or decreased symptoms. Fibrous foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Consuming fiber also supports healthy digestion, which may further help if you have endometriosis symptoms such as constipation. However, too much fiber can cause gas and bloating. If you plan to increase your fiber intake, increase it slowly to help decrease the chance of discomfort.

Foods Rich in Fatty Acids

Choosing foods high in omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce inflammation, which may help prevent endometriosis from progressing. Foods containing omega-3s include fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and plant-based oils.

Iron-Rich Foods

People with endometriosis tend to have long, heavy periods. This can cause iron deficiency. An iron deficiency may cause or worsen symptoms that often overlap with endometriosis, such as weakness, fatigue, irritability, and others.

Eating iron-rich foods like spinach, chicken, fortified cereal, sardines, and tuna may help.

Antioxidant-Rich Foods

Foods with antioxidants include berries, leafy greens, and nuts. Antioxidants help neutralize inflammatory molecules. Diets rich in antioxidants may also reduce the risk of chronic diseases like endometriosis.

What About Gluten or Dairy?

Gluten and dairy affect everyone differently. Some people have found that eliminating gluten and dairy from their diet helped ease their symptoms. Meanwhile, others have found it beneficial to eat whole grains and certain types of dairy. One study found that eating more than three servings of dairy a day helped improve symptoms.

If you suspect gluten and dairy are affecting your endometriosis, consider talking with your healthcare provider about an elimination diet. Eliminating and then reintroducing certain foods may help you see whether they affect your symptoms.

Specific diet plans may offer helpful structure when addressing a chronic condition like endometriosis. Here are some of the best diet plans for managing endometriosis symptoms, along with some that may be less ideal.

Best Diets for Endometriosis

These diets incorporate many helpful foods for endometriosis while limiting the foods that may worsen it. Talking with a registered dietitian or other healthcare provider is important to determine what’s likely best for you.

• Low-FODMAP diet: Following a low-FODMAP diet can help reduce gas in your colon, reducing bloating and pain. 
• Anti-Inflammatory diet: This diet focuses on eating foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, while limiting processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and saturated fats.
• Plant-based diet: Eating a lot of meat may increase the risk of endometriosis, while eating mostly plants may help reduce inflammation. For this reason, a plant-based diet may help manage symptoms, relieve pain, and reduce estrogen due to the high fiber content.
• Mediterranean diet: The Mediterranean diet focuses on nutritious and anti-inflammatory foods.
• Gluten-free diet: One study found that 75% of participating people with endometriosis had less pain after following a gluten-free diet for 12 months.

Worst Diets for Endometriosis

These diets may not be as ideal for managing your symptoms:

• Western diet: This dietary pattern includes eating processed foods, refined grains, red meat, processed meat, and fried foods. It is also known for being low in fruits, vegetables, and fiber, all of which are characteristics that may make symptoms worse.
• Meat-heavy diets: Eating patterns that include high amounts of meats and other proteins with limited fiber and fruits may not be the best option for managing endometriosis. More research is needed to make recommendations on the carnivore diet and the ketogenic diet, since both eliminate certain food groups and encourage plenty of meat.

Some supplements may help manage endometriosis and reduce symptoms. If you are interested in complementing your diet with supplements, here are a few to ask your healthcare provider about:

• Vitamin D: This vitamin may reduce inflammation associated with endometriosis and help regulate immune response. It can also reduce your risk of developing the condition.
• Magnesium: This mineral relaxes your muscles and can be useful in addressing pain, particularly menstrual cramps.
• Zinc: This mineral reduces inflammation linked to endometriosis and helps boost immune function.
• Vitamin C: This vitamin is an antioxidant and reduces oxidative stress. It also boosts immune function and may help prevent the growth of endometriosis.
• Vitamin E: Due to its antioxidant effects, it may help reduce pelvic pain and inflammation, especially when paired with vitamin C.
• Curcumin: This substance found in turmeric is anti-inflammatory and may decrease endometriosis-related pain.
• Quercetin: This plant compound is an anti-inflammatory that may help ease symptoms.
• Omega-3 fatty acid: This supplement may help ease endometriosis pain and improve overall reproductive health.

Diet may influence endometriosis symptoms. Experts recommend limiting highly processed, high-fat, and high-FODMAP foods and replacing them with iron-rich, fiberous, and antioxidant foods. Some supplements may also be helpful. You can talk to a healthcare provider to determine the best dietary choices for you and your endometriosis.