Fruits and Vegetables Help Endometriosis

There are many natural cures for endometriosis but few are as simple as this. Research in well-respected reproductive medical journals has shown that the more fruits and vegetables you eat - the more you lessen your chances of having endometriosis. One Italian study (1) analyzed the diets of 504 women - all with laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis and their diets were compared to 504 female controls without endometriosis.

This study found that there was a 40% reduction in the risk of having endometriosis when women ate a diet rich in green vegetables and fresh fruits and concluded that:

"This study suggests a link between diet and risk of endometriosis."

The types of green vegetables and fruits that appeared to confer protection included: spinach/other greens, cruciferous vegetables, green and red salads, zucchini and artichokes. The fruits that were included in the study were: citrus, apple, peach, melon, strawberries/cherries, bananas and pears.

If you are planning to increase your fruit and vegetable intake to minimize your endometriosis risks you may want to become aware of the 'dirty dozen', which is an annually updated list of the most pesticide-laden produce. The list is compiled by the Environmental Working Group and is available at ewg.org. You can also download it an an iphone app. for convenience while shopping and the full list of pesticide levels in all fruits and vegetables is also available for fuller information.

Avoiding the foods on the list - or eating these fruits and vegetables only if organically grown could cut your pesticide exposure by 80 percent or more.
There is suspicion that synthetic chemicals may also be connected with endometriosis, so it may be wise to take steps such as this to lessen your exposure.

Non-organic meat and dairy food is also rich in many estrogenic substances and pesticides as a result of farming practices and organic meat and dairy may also be a good choice if you hope to reduce endometriosis in your body.

Certain vegetables are able to help the body process and eliminate estrogen more effectively which may also lessen your risk of endometriosis growth. Lightly steamed or raw cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts or other brassicas such as broccoli sprouts have potent estrogen clearing effects which may help lessen endometriosis.

Cooking lessens the estrogen-clearing power of these vegetables so including finely shredded brussels sprouts in coleslaw and having steamed broccoli and cauliflower with meals is better that long-cooked dishes.

Simply changing your diet could help you to stay endometriosis free for longer after having your endometriosis removed, as can cutting down on meat and animal fats. Simple, natural changes such as these can have far-reaching effects, improving fertility and helping you to feel better all round.

Would you like articles like this delivered to your email weekly? Sigh up for the BellaOnline weekly newsletter, it's free and you can unsubscribe any time you like. The link is below.

References:
[1] Selected food intake and risk of endometriosis. Human Reproduction. (2004) 19 8: 1755-1759 Parazzini et al.