Claims about miracle foods and natural remedies come with the territory of practically any chronic illness,endometriosisincluded.
After all, getting diagnosed with endoandfinding out it has no proven cure can hit like a one-two punch.
So it only makes sense to go searching for a different answer.
Dragos Cojocari/Getty Images
It doesnt provide proof that any one specific diet or food or drink cancausean endometriosis-diminishing effect across the board.
For that, youd need a randomized controlled trialof which there are not yet conclusive ones in this space.
And thats a powerful thing in the face ofchronic illness.
The reason some foods may help with endometriosis pain boils down to inflammation.
As for where diet comes into play?
Where dietcanlikely bring some relief, though, is in stymying inflammation.
What you consume can also directly diminish symptoms of endo belly.
Those wayward cells can even clamp onto your bowels and grow there.
So an inflammation-cooling diet could also directly mitigate certain GI symptoms.
So which types of food are best for alleviating endometriosis symptoms?
In particular, you want to load up on fruits and veggies that are rich inantioxidants.
Theres also ample reason to consume a bigvarietyof plants.
Different plants supply you with different antioxidants that can pack a greater anti-inflammatory punch together.
Plus, research suggests your gut microbiome can really flourish when you feed all those bugs a diverse diet.
Just note: Some fruits and vegetables are also high in those potentially tough-to-digest FODMAPs.
These include asparagus, apples, pears, mangos, and peas, for starters.
These protein sources are full of a healthy fat called omega-3, which Dr. Aliabadi suggests loading up on.
Which foods and drinks could worsen endometriosis symptoms?
There are also foods and drinks that fall into the maybe, for some people category.
Much like with dairy, gluten has gotten a bad rap, inflammation-wise.
Hence why researchers have recently noted thelack of evidencefor a gluten-free diet to help with endo.
A chunk of that might be placebo.
Some people noticing benefits of going gluten-free could have undiagnosed celiac, given the overlap in symptoms.
Others might be sensitive to the FODMAPs in wheat, rather than the gluten itself.
Its also a proven GI irritant (hello,hangover dumps) and a commontrigger for IBS symptoms.
No wonder cutting back on booze was the dietary change that helped the most people in the recent survey.
The data is fuzzy here too.
Suggesting that about 170 mg per day (roughly two cups of coffee) is the goldilocks amount.
So if youre a consistent caffeine-consumer, it may just be worth lessening your intake a bit.
The bottom line is theres no one-size-fits-all endometriosis dietbut its worth experimenting with the tweaks above.
For every person who finds that their diet influences their endo, there will be another who doesnt.
Without treatment, endo pain can become seriously debilitating and evencause infertility, she notes.
Related:
Get more of SELF’s great service journalism delivered right to your inbox.
