Endometriosis and Nutrition: Therapeutic Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Endometriosis affects 10% of women, causing pelvic pain, infertility, and disabling gastrointestinal symptoms.
• Inflammatory pathways and hormonal imbalances are central to endometriosis pathogenesis.
• Dietary factors may modulate the endometriosis inflammatory environment, impacting symptom severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the relationship between nutrition and endometriosis.
• To explore the therapeutic potential of dietary interventions in endometriosis management.
• To highlight nutrition's role in symptom alleviation, fertility, and lesion control.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review of 174 studies from PubMed and Scopus.
• Analysis of emerging evidence on dietary patterns and endometriosis.
• Synthesis of findings on nutrient-specific and food-group-specific effects.

Main Results:

• Diets rich in antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and vitamins D, C, and E show potential benefits.
• Avoiding processed foods, red meat, and animal fats may be advantageous.
• Dietary interventions may reduce pain, improve fertility, decrease lesion growth, and aid recovery.

Conclusions:

• Nutritional strategies offer complementary therapeutic potential for endometriosis.
• Dietary approaches can alleviate symptoms, enhance fertility, and manage lesion recurrence.
• Evidence-based, personalized nutritional interventions are needed for endometriosis management.