How does Lifestyle and Dietary influence Endometriosis?

 

It’s more likely to find endometriosis in women who are experiencing infertility than in fertile women. Generally, no symptoms will be presented in most of endometriosis patients. However, when present, they may include painful intercourse, painful bowel movements or urination, pelvic pain that may worsen during menstruation, etc.

 

There are a variety of treatments for endometriosis depending on the severity of the disease, ranging from medications to surgery. Antibiotics (like ibuprofen and naproxen sodium) and herbal medicines (like Fuyan Pill) are commonly prescribed to help relieve pain caused by endometriosis. If one chooses surgery, it’s aimed at removing as much of the diseased tissue as possible. Although few studies about the connection between endometriosis and lifestyle can be found, that doesn't mean they're not worthy of trail.

 

Fortunately, a strong connection between endometriosis and diets high in red meat and low in green vegetables and fresh fruit has been found by several studies. It’s similar to other studies finding of connections between these eating patterns and endometrial cancer and fibroids (noncancerous tumors of the uterus). In this study, 504 healthy women and 504 women with endometriosis are presented. It finds that the risk of getting endometriosis for women who ate beef every day is nearly twice than others. While, those women who have seven or more fruit and vegetable servings a week are at least 40 percent less likely to get this disease. 

 

So, to know how lifestyle influences endometriosis becomes so important. One theory is that dietary fat influences your body's production of prostaglandins, chemicals that stimulate uterine contractions and affect ovarian functioning. It's thought that high levels of prostaglandins could lead to higher production of estrogen and finally influence the growth of endometrial tissue. Other studies find a link between high-fat diets and levels of circulating estrogen. The more fat in your diet, the more estrogen your body produces. This also occurs if you're overweight, and you're more likely to be overweight if you follow a diet high in red meat and low in fruits and vegetables.

 

On the other hand, women who exercise frequently tend to have lighter periods with reduced ovarian stimulation and estrogen production. In one study, it’s found that the risk of having endometriosis are 63 percent less for women who exercise 2.5 hours of high-intensity activity (like jogging, bicycling or aerobics) everyday. 

 

According to the studies, we know that exercise and diet have great effect on endometriosis. We need reduce the amount of red meat and enhance intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, and do exercises as much as possible everyday. All of these are worthy of a trail certainly.