Uterine Fibroids & Nutrition: Natural Remedies For Treatment

Uterine Fibroids (UF's) are benign (non-cancerous) tumors that grow on the surface, within the walls, or inside the uterus. Fibroid sizes can range from smaller than an almond to a large melon. Depending on the size and location, they can cause fatigue, bloating, constipation, pelvic pressure and pain, anemia, heavy bleeding, back pain, sexual discomfort, and infertility. Usually, women of childbearing age are affected by these smooth muscular tissue growths, which are diagnosed by a routine gynecological exam, uterine ultrasound, or MRI. African-American women are two-threefold higher risk of having fibroids compared to the white race (1). The cause of UF's are unknown but research evidence suggest that genetics, hormones, and lifestyle can play a huge role.

There are several treatment options in treating UF's, depending on the severity of the condition. Surgical management constitutes the majority of fibroid treatment and are available in order to improve the quality of life of the patient. Ideally, a total hysterectomy is the only way to cure uterine fibroids indefinitely. But, that should not be the first and only treatment option because its such and invasive procedure and the post-operative recovery time can be between 6-8 weeks. Also, there are side effects such as onset of menopause, hot flashes, weight gain, pelvic floor dysfunction, urinary incontinence, and depressive disorders (2). Another option is a Myomectomy, which is the removal of only the fibroids while preserving the uterus. This option is good for women who desire to have children or want to keep their uterus intact without the long term side effects of a hysterectomy. Also, Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE), is a minimally invasive alternative treatment for uterine fibroids, which involves the delivery of small particles to the uterus to shrink the fibroids. The small particles are injected through a thin, flexible tube called a catheter, which blocks the blood flow to the tissues causing them to shrink and die. The recovery after the UAE is about 2-3 weeks with minimal size affects such as mild cramping, nausea, and discharge.

Some women don't want surgery and prefer to take a natural approach in treating UF's, here are some helpful tips to manage and shrink these benign tumors without going under the knife. But, remember each case varies person-to-person and the severity of the tumors may require a more aggressive approach. Changing your diet and lifestyle will not cure fibroids tumors. However, these tips can alleviate the symptoms associated with UF's and keep them from growing bigger.

• Eliminate Caffeine: Coffee and soda contains a lot of caffeine, which is associated with increased estrogen levels. Estrogen can cause fibroids to grow and worsen the symptoms. In addition, caffeine remains in the body and takes a while to be eliminated. Thus, this can aggravate the fibroids causing more pain. So, switch to non-caffeinated beverages instead.

• Reduce red and processed meat: Red and processed meat is known to be high in added hormones, which can influence the production of fibroids or aggravate them.

• Exercise and workout: Exercise helps with weight and pain management. Also, it helps to ease cramping, bloating, inflammation, and constipation.

• Weight management: Studies show that extra fat cells increase estrogen levels, which in turn, increase the risk for uterine fibroids. So, losing weight can prevent the risk and shrink fibroids.

• Dark green leafy vegetables: Green veggies such as broccoli, spinach, kale, chard, and Brussels sprouts contain fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, which can help control estrogen levels and prevent cell alteration that promote fibroid development. Also, fiber foods can reduce constipation and bloating.

• Limit sugar & concentrated sweets: Fibroids thrives off of sugar providing them energy. High sugary foods can increase insulin levels, which in turn, can increase estrogen levels causing the fibroids to grow even bigger. Also, excess sugar can add extra calories leading to weight gain and inflammation. So, focus on eating whole grains and low glycemic carbohydrates such as quinoa, oats, bran, barley, sweet potatoes, and legumes and lentils.

Resources:

1.Neri, M., Melis, G. B., Giancane, E., Vallerino, V., Pilloni, M., Piras, B., Loddo, A., Paoletti, A. M., & Mais, V. (2019). Clinical Utility Of Elagolix As An Oral Treatment For Women With Uterine Fibroids: A Short Report On The Emerging Efficacy Data. International journal of women's health, 11, 535–546. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S185023.

2. Olejek, A., Olszak-Wąsik, K., & Czerwinska-Bednarska, A. (2016). Long-term intermittent pharmacological therapy of uterine fibroids - a possibility to avoid hysterectomy and its negative consequences. Przeglad menopauzalny = Menopause review, 15(1), 48–51. https://doi.org/10.5114/pm.2016.58774