Endometriosis: what diet to take to relieve pain?

What is endometriosis?

This gynecological disease touch 1 in 10 women in the world. Endometriosis is a disease defined by the presence outside the uterus of uterine mucous membrane fragments known as the endometrium. These cells are supposed to renew each cycle and be eliminated during menstruation. In women with endometriosis, they will go up and migrate out of the uterine cavity, causing lesions, but also ovarian cysts.

This disease, sometimes a cause of infertility, occurs in women of childbearing age, sometimes as early as adolescence. She is chronic and regresses to menopause. Most often, endometrial lesions are present in the pelvic area in the ovaries, uterine ligaments, rectum or bladder.

More rarely, they are found in the colon or small intestine, cervix, vagina, vulva, or the inner abdominal wall. Exceptionally, lesions can appear on organs away from the uterus, as in the pleura or lungs.

Pains related to endometriosis

In some patients, endometriosis is asymptomatic. But it can also cause more or less severe pains in the lower part of the pelvis especially during menstruation. They are poorly soothed by paracetamol or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, greatly impede daily activities, are responsible for professional absenteeism, and increase over time. Patients may also feel pain during urination, or when defecation.

Since this is a inflammatory diseasesome foods that promote inflammation are to be limited or prohibited, and others are preferred. Thus, food products may have a toxic or protective role for women who suffer from endometriosis.

What diet to adopt with endometriosis?

"Diet can reduce inflammation and therefore pain", estimates Fabien Piasco, dietician nutritionist and author of the book Anti-endometriosis diet*. To adopt a anti inflammatory diet, the specialist in metabolic diseases advises to focus on the Omega 3 and the antioxidants.

It therefore suggests to bet on an organic diet with small oily fish (sardines, herrings) at a rate of 200 grams per week, vegetal oils (camelina and rapeseed), but also chicken eggs bred with flax seeds, "for eggs rich in omega 3"says the specialist.

The expert recommends eat fiber, so largely fruits and vegetables, and focus on turmeric, ginger, cinnamon "which also reduces the pain of the rules", Blueberry "very rich in antioxidants ", black olives, pulses and nuts "according to the tolerance " and consume green tea "ideally detoxified", he says.

Products to avoid

"To go further, I recommend to my patients to limit orto take off gluten as well as dairy products, known to be inflammatory. Some saw a lot more results, " informs Fabien Piasco. It also advises to avoid endocrine disruptors, as well as limit processed foods, red meats, cold cuts.

"Overall, it's better ban animal fats that fix pollutants including endocrine disruptors, which are inflammatory ". The expert also advises against alcohol, and coffee, both increasing estrogen (hormone-related lesions), and attacking the digestive mucosa.

In case of digestive problems, it is preferable to adopt a poor diet in FODMAPs. These are certain sugars and carbohydrates called fermentable responsible for abdominal pain, bloating and gas, consequences of their poor absorption by the digestive tract and fermentation they cause. The list is available here.

* More tips and information about diet for endometriosis in the book The anti-endometriosis diet, from Fabien Piasco dietician nutritionist, Test Editions.

Read also :

⋙ Laëtitia Milot, tears in her eyes, confides in her fight against endometriosis: "A baby does not heal"

⋙ Rectosigmoid endometriosis: what are the signs of digestive endometriosis?

⋙ Lorie: suffering from endometriosis, she explains why she chose to freeze her oocytes