17 Natural Remedies for Endometriosis
Affecting 11% of the population, endometriosis is a condition where bits of tissue similar to the endometrium (uterine living) grow in places other than inside the uterus. The extra tissue that grows elicits a high inflammatory response resulting in severe period pain. This tissue is responsive to estrogen, so as hormone levels fluctuate throughout the month this can affect your pain. Diagnosis is not simple – it requires laparoscopic surgery, but if you experience debilitating period pain it’s important to bring this up with your doctor. The goal of endometriosis is to reduce pain and inflammation because there is no cure. There are many natural remedies for endometriosis that you can implement starting today to aid with pain.
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Here are 17 natural remedies for endometriosis with a nutrition and lifestyle focus:
Lower Inflammation:
1. NAC
NAC stands for N-Acetyl Cysteine, which is the supplemental form of cysteine, an amino acid in our body that aids to produce a powerful antioxidant, glutathione. Antioxidants are powerful compounds that help to reduce inflammation in the body, support glutathione production, improve egg quality, and reduce oxidative stress. NAC for endometriosis is beneficial to lower inflammation because a study found that rats induced with acetic acid, a compound that causes inflammation in the body, and then NAC, resulted in a decrease in the inflammatory chemical release than the control group.
Egg quality is also tarnished in those with endometriosis, and NAC can also assist with preserving egg quality due to its anti-inflammatory properties. NAC has also been shown to improve regular ovulation which can assist with a healthy pregnancy. This is why NAC is one of the natural remedies for endometriosis.
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2. Omega-3
Omega 3s are another one of the natural remedies for endometriosis. Polyunsaturated fats are fatty acids that contain at least 2 double bonds in the structure. Two types of polyunsaturated fats are omega 3 and omega 6. Most western diets consume a ratio of 1:20 of omega 3 to omega 6 when it should be 1:3. This evidence is correlated with endometriosis period pain incidence, showing that omega 6s are pro-inflammatory and promote the pain while omega 3s have protective effects to decrease the pain caused by inflammation. Omega 3s also have been found to inhibit the implantation of the endometrial tissue in the first place and to discourage further growth. This is what makes omega 3s one of the natural remedies for endometriosis.
3. Turmeric
Curcumin is the active compound in a common herb turmeric, and it is one of the natural remedies for endometriosis pain relief. Curcumin is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiangiogenic, which all can be beneficial properties for the treatment of endometriosis. A study found that curcumin was able to decrease the growth of the endometrial tissue by reducing estrogen levels.
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4. Reduce alcohol
Another one of the natural remedies for endometriosis is to reduce alcohol. Alcohol is an inflammatory substance that can increase the pain from the endometrial tissue in the body. A meta-analysis study has shown that there is correlational evidence to show that alcohol consumption worsens endometriosis pain.
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5. Colorful produce
Colorful produce is also one of the natural remedies for endometriosis. Multiple colors within produce are indicative of antioxidants in the food. Antioxidants are very beneficial for reducing inflammation in those with endometriosis, lowering estrogen levels, and reducing oxidative stress. Oxidative stress damages cells and reduces their ability to function by altering DNA structure. Reactive oxygen species or ROS enter the body on a daily basis through many different avenues, these ROS have very high energy levels and can damage cell functionality. Our body responds by sending antioxidants to get rid of the ROS. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance in this system, either too many ROS or not enough antioxidants. Our body can make certain antioxidants on its own, but if we consume them through the diet this makes the antioxidants more readily available to get rid of the ROS and decrease oxidative stress. When this oxidative stress occurs, there is no priority for other body functions, like estrogen detox, to occur because the main mission is to eliminate the ROS. This is why consuming foods with antioxidants in the diet makes them one of the natural remedies for endometriosis.
Correct nutritional deficiencies:
6. Zinc
Zinc is one of the natural remedies for endometriosis because it can help to reduce estrogen and increase progesterone. This helps with endometriosis because levels are typically high in estrogen and lower in progesterone. Zinc is an important mineral used to help promote the reproductive system. A study found that zinc is able to increase the number of binding sites on a progesterone receptor which will increase total progesterone levels. By increasing progesterone levels you can balance out estrogen which will reduce endometrial pain.
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FREE pain-free period 5-day MEAL PLAN:
7. Selenium
Another mineral that is one of the natural remedies for endometriosis is selenium. Selenium can be beneficial for endometriosis because it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The effects of selenium can be enhanced when taken in combination with vitamin E. A study found an inverse relationship between selenium intake and endometriosis pathology.
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8. Vitamin B6
Another one of the natural remedies for endometriosis is vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin used to create red blood cells and aid in macronutrient metabolism. Additionally, Vitamin B6 has been broadly accepted over many studies to treat PMS symptoms including pelvic cramps. Estrogen metabolism is another one of the properties of Vitamin B6 which helps convert estrogen into its active form. With its benefits in aiding in stable hormone levels, this makes Vitamin B6 one of the great supplements for endometriosis.
Support healthy estrogen & progesterone levels:
9. Lower red meat & opt for grass-fed
Lowering red meat consumption and opting for grass-fed organic meat is another one of the natural remedies for endometriosis. The livestock animals on factory farms (not grass-fed organic) are produced to grow as big as possible and as fast as possible in order to produce the most amount of meat per animal. These animals are fed large quantities of feed and additionally are supplemented with antibiotics, and growth hormones like estrogen to make them grow faster and bigger. A study found that though the estrogen level in these meat products does not match the amount of estrogen in oral contraceptives, the estrogen in the meat transfers at a significant amount to humans. Because of this, it is recommended to shop for grass-fed and organic meat when you can. These meat options are made from animals who were not mass-produced with hormones, and they were fed their preferred diet which is grass. This way, you can lower estrogen naturally by not consuming any excess estrogen from conventional meat, which will help with reducing pain in endometriosis.
Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology
10. Check estrogen & progesterone levels
Checking estrogen and progesterone levels is another one of the natural remedies for endometriosis. Hormones largely impact endometriosis, specifically estrogen, by checking your levels you can see the imbalances you may have. Estrogen dominance has three different types of imbalances, all of which indicate that estrogen is higher in ratio than progesterone. The types are high estrogen normal progesterone, normal estrogen low progesterone, and high estrogen low progesterone. Understanding where your hormones are at is very beneficial to seek out other natural remedies for endometriosis.
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11. Understand your estrogen detox pathways
Understanding your estrogen detox pathways is another one of the natural remedies for endometriosis. Estrogen needs to be detoxed in the body to prevent estrogen dominance, and endometriosis pain. There are 3 main pathways for the detoxification process of estrogen. In the first step, a product is converted into a different compound, and the new compound can be more inflammatory than the original. For estrogen, there are 3 main pathways for this: 2-OH-E1, 4-OH-E1, 16-OH-E1. Why is this important? Because the 2-OH is protective and we want to be utilizing this one the most, the 4-OH is inflammatory and we don’t want to be favoring this pathway. The 16-OH is mixed but can be more symptomatic if we are fairing it. You can take tests to see what pathway you are favoring.
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12. Cruciferous veggies
DIM stands for diindolylmethane and it is a naturally occurring compound in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower. DIM has been shown to be one of the natural remedies for endometriosis to relieve period pain. It is beneficial because it supports the first phase of estrogen excretion. There are 2 main phases of estrogen excretion, and DIM favors phase I which is detoxification. There are 3 main steps that occur, and all of them need to take place in order for it to excrete the estrogen. Again, too much estrogen can elevate your levels and cause an increase in endometrial pain. This explains why cruciferous veggies are one of the natural remedies for endometriosis.
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13. Remove xenoestrogens
Xenoestrogens are chemicals that contain a structural component similar to estrogen. These compounds can express a weak estrogenic effect in the body. Using many of these products over time can accumulate in the body and can be a factor for what causes high estrogen which can worsen endometriosis symptoms. By removing products with xenoestrogens this can be one of the natural remedies for endometriosis.
Examples of xenoestrogens:
Sunscreens: 4-methylbenzylidene (4-MBC) and Benzophenone
Shampoos, face washes and lotions: Parabens
Plastic packaging: BPA, phthalates, DEHP, PCBs
Food: Artificial dyes, and BHA a preservative
Building Supplies: PCBs in paints and electrical oils
Insecticides: Atrazine weed killer, dieldrin, endosulfan
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Support gut health
14. Identify food sensitivities
Another one of the natural remedies for endometriosis is to identify food sensitivities. A food sensitivity is a less intense version of a food allergy, your body may have a hard time digesting a certain food, the food may cause irritation to a section in the digestive tract, or you may develop bowel issues when eating a certain food. All of these issues cause inflammation in the body, and the increased inflammation over time can lead to fatigue and will exhaust your adrenal glands from an increased stress response. As a result, this can impact endometriosis by causing hormone imbalances, and more inflammation which leads to increased pain.
15. Trial remove dairy
Dairy is one of the most common food intolerances and sensitivities, and many people are starting to uncover their less than optimal symptoms after consuming it to be linked to an intolerance or sensitivity. Dairy can be very inflammatory in the body if you have a sensitivity, so doing a trial run without dairy while managing pain levels and symptoms can be beneficial. Additionally, dairy foods like milk do have an estrogenic effect on the body from the hormone injections in cattle. This estrogenic effect can increase estrogen levels and lead to estrogen dominance. Research has found that dairy consumption is also strongly associated with women who develop endometrial cancer later in life. This is why a trial of removing dairy can be one of the natural remedies for endometriosis.
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16. Remove any underlying gut infections
The gut is an important part of the estrogen detoxification process. Estrogen gets processed through the liver and then gets excreted through the gut and passed in the stool. When the gut bacteria is not balanced, this process can get slowed down and estrogen can recirculate in the body to cause estrogen dominance. Removing any gut infections which cause constipation or bloating can aid as one of the natural remedies for endometriosis. Increasing fiber and probiotics are easy ways to reduce gut infections.
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17. Support immune functioning
Supporting immune functioning will decrease inflammation and will aid as one of the natural remedies for endometriosis. Inflammation occurs when your white blood cells sense an invader or an area of injury in the body, so they release chemicals to surge the area as well as increase blood flow there. In the case of endometriosis, the foreign uterine tissue that implants in the pelvic region causes inflammation to occur because the body knows that this tissue doesn’t belong. Additionally, endometriosis promotes progesterone resistance, which leads to premature inflammation. You can increase immune functioning by incorporating more colorful produce, citrus fruits, and eating whole foods instead of processed ones. The whole forms of foods are easier to digest and more bioavailable for the building blocks to fight infections, toxins, and inflammation.
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