Fibroid Diet Plan
Healthy nutrition will allow your body to strengthen your immune system, lower body weight, and cope with uterine fibroids. To be exact, estrogen contributes to fibroid development, and lowering the amount of estrogen in your body with a low-estrogen diet can help you manage uterine fibroid symptoms and growth.
According to the latest research in nutrition and gynecology, a uterine fibroid diet follows all the general rules of proper and healthy food: frequent, balanced meals in smaller portions made of wholesome, non-processed ingredients.
The growth of fibroids is associated with estrogen dominance. This is why women with fibroids often find that myomas shrink or disappear after menopause when estrogen levels are lowered. By paying attention to your diet, you can impact your hormonal balance and tune up the internal ecosystem that is working with estrogen overload. In this video, Dr. John Lipman explains how adopting a low-estrogen diet can play a crucial role in slowing fibroid growth and improving overall health.
Fibroid Treatment Diet
A diet alone cannot cure uterine fibroids, but when combined with the right medical treatment under your doctor’s supervision, a fibroid-friendly diet can yield positive results. It may help manage unpleasant symptoms, potentially slow tumor growth, and improve quality of life while preparing for fibroid treatment.
It’s important to note that food cannot shrink fibroids—this is a fact. However, some foods may stimulate the growth of benign tumors, while others could help inhibit it. For instance, consuming large quantities of estrogen-rich foods can elevate estrogen levels, which may contribute to fibroid growth and worsen symptoms. On the other hand, incorporating foods that support lower estrogen production can help prevent further fibroid growth and alleviate symptoms.
General Recommendations for Low Estrogen Fibroid Diet
A healthy fibroid diet should give you energy and enrich your body with all the necessary microelements and vitamins. A plant-based diet is effective for fibroids, as the plant substances contained in it have a regulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiproliferative effect.
Foods That Shrink Fibroids
- Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) in green tea
- Curcumin in turmeric
- Resveratrol in grapes, mulberries, peanuts
- Isoliquitritigenin in licorice root tea
- Quercetin in onions
- Ellagic acid in pomegranate, berries
- Mustard oil glycosides (indole-3-carbinol) in all cruciferous plants such as broccoli, cauliflower, all other types of cabbage, watercress, mustard, arugula, etc.
- Lycopene in tomatoes, watermelon, papaya
- Allicin in garlic
- Sulforaphane in broccoli (raw) and broccoli sprouts
Proper hydration is also crucial. Water intake should primarily be limited at bedtime to avoid frequent trips to the bathroom during the night. Excessive thirst may result from consuming salty or spicy foods, so it’s best to minimize these before going to bed.
Other Basic Rules of Fibroid Diet
- Try to choose brown bread (or whole wheat).
- Try to add nuts to your diet (if not allergic). It will give your body valuable monounsaturated fats.
- Try to eat vegetables and fruits every day. They are rich in vitamins, flavonoids, and antioxidants.
- Omega-3 fatty acids can help fight tumors; include fish like salmon, sardines, and tuna into your diet (in reasonable amounts).
- Legumes (peas, beans, lentils) are rich in protein that can give you more energy to exercise and stay active.
Fibroid Diet Limits the Use of the Following Foods
- Margarine, butter mixes, butter;
- Fatty meats (and processed deli meats);
- Smoked products;
- Hard cheeses with a high percentage of fat, processed cheeses, sausage cheeses;
- Muffins and pastries (and other white flour products);
- Sweets, including ice creams, cakes, fudge, sodas, and other sugary foods.
For women with uterine fibroids, it’s essential to avoid foods high in cholesterol, saturated fats, and refined carbohydrates. When grocery shopping, carefully read food labels to check for ingredients and nutritional information to make informed choices.
As mentioned above, a healthy fibroid diet can help manage fibroid symptoms and potentially slow down fibroids’ growth but it cannot cure uterine fibroids. If you would like to treat fibroids, contact Dr. John Lipman to learn more about UFE (uterine fibroid embolization), a non-surgical, outpatient procedure that will help you get rid of fibroids and their symptoms, and keep your uterus. Call Atlanta Fibroid Center at 770-953-2600 or make an appointment online.
