Major UK study reveals impact of diet on endometriosis
Endometriosis is a painful condition, affecting up to one in ten women in the UK. Very little is known about its cause and there is no definite cure, and anything that can help to alleviate the symptoms is welcome news to sufferers. So, the fact that a new study into the impact of diet on endometriosis has shown that dietary changes could have a positive impact on endometriosis pain is potentially something to be celebrated.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition where womb-like tissue begins to grow outside of the womb – typically on organs in the abdominal region. This tissue is subject to the same cyclical changes as the womb tissue itself, but because it doesn’t have the same ability to exit the body once a month, it builds up, potentially causing scarring and pain.
Because the cause is unknown, and because the symptoms of endometriosis are so similar to many other female health problems – irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, to name but a few – the condition is famously underdiagnosed, with some women waiting up to ten years for a diagnosis. There is also no known cure, and treatment mostly involves managing the pain, so anything that can help reduce that pain is worth exploring.
How can diet affect endometriosis pain?
The study has shown that dietary changes can have a positive effect on the level of pain experienced by endometriosis sufferers, but it hasn’t proven why that is – although medical experts have offered some theories.
Dietary changes that were shown to help were:
- Eliminating gluten – 45% of endometriosis patients participating in the study reported an improvement in pain after cutting out gluten from their diet.
- Eliminating dairy – a dairy-free diet also seemed to reduce pain in 45% of participants. Experts have posited that both these improvements could be to do with a change in gut bacteria.
- Reducing caffeine – cutting back on caffeine resulted in improved pain levels for 43% of those studied, which doctors say could be related to better sleep – pain often feels worse when we are tired.
- Reducing alcohol – a whopping 53% of study participants said they experienced less pain after cutting down their alcohol consumption, which experts suggest could be because alcohol has a similar effect on your cells to oestrogen, which is the main culprit in causing endometriosis symptoms.
Should endometriosis sufferers make all these dietary changes straightaway?
Whilst the results of this study are very promising, and there is certainly no harm in reducing your caffeine and alcohol intake, it is always important to seek medical advice before making any major changes to your diet. Making all these dietary changes at once could also mean that you don’t know which one, if any, has made the difference.
Larger and more in-depth studies are needed to show just how effective these dietary changes can be in managing the symptoms of endometriosis, but this is certainly a great first step in allowing patients to have more control over their own condition.
