FIBROIDS: DIET & LIFESTYLE OPTIONS

 According to the National Uterine Fibroid Foundation (NUFF) of the United States, every 10 minutes, 12 hysterectomies are performed in the US because of uterine fibroids. Possibly as many as 80% of all women have uterine fibroids while majority usually have no symptoms, 1 in 4 end up with symptoms severe enough to require treatment.

The more you know about uterine fibroids and your reproductive system, the better you are. As claimed by the NUFF, hysterectomy is certainly a treatment option, it isn’t necessarily the only option.

Ten Facts About Fibroids

1. Black women are 2-3 times more likely to present with symptomatic uterine fibroids and will do so at a younger age than the rest of the population of women with uterine fibroids

2. Average age range for fibroids to become symptomatic is between 35 – 50yrs.

3. Asian women have a lower incidence of symptomatic uterine fibroids

4. Obesity is associated with the presence of fibroids (not sure which comes first, fibroid or obesity)

5. Consumption of beef, red meat, dairy products, cow milk, and ham has been associated with uterine fibroids

6. Changes/alteration in a woman’s hormone levels may impact fibroid growth

7. Fibroids grow rapidly during pregnancy because of elevated hormonal levels

8. Fibroids shrink after menopause when hormone levels are decreased

9. Estrogen and progesterone play a significant role in fibroid growth

10. Fibroids may increase pregnancy complications and delivery risks.

                     

Symptoms

• Heavy Menstrual Bleeding. The most common symptom is prolonged and heavy bleeding during menstruation. This is caused by fibroid growth bordering the uterine cavity. Menstrual periods may also last longer than normal.
• Menstrual Pain. Heavy bleeding and clots can cause severe cramping and pain during menstrual periods.
• Abdominal Pressure and Pain. Large fibroids can also cause pressure and pain in the abdomen or lower back that sometimes feels like menstrual cramps
• Abdominal and Uterine Enlargement. As the fibroids grow larger, some women feel them as hard lumps in the lower abdomen. Very large fibroids may give the abdomen the appearance of pregnancy and cause a feeling of heaviness and pressure. In fact, large fibroids are defined by comparing the size of the uterus to the size it would be at specific months during gestation.
• Pain during Intercourse. Fibroids can cause pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia).
• Urinary Problems. Large fibroids may press against the bladder and urinary tract and cause frequent urination or the urge to urinate, particularly when a woman is lying down at night. Fibroids pressing on the ureters (the tubes going from the kidneys to the bladder) may obstruct or block the flow of urine.
• Constipation. Fibroid pressure against the rectum can cause constipation.

Fibroid & Reproductive Hormones 

The hypothalamus (an area in the brain) and the pituitary gland regulate the reproductive hormones. The pituitary gland is often referred to as the master gland because of its important role in many vital functions, many of which require hormones.

In women, six key hormones serve as chemical messengers that regulate the reproductive system:

• The hypothalamus first releases the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) .
• This chemical, in turn, stimulates the pituitary gland to produce follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) .
• Estrogen, progesterone, and the male hormone testosterone are secreted by the ovaries at the command of FSH and LH and complete the hormonal group necessary for reproductive health.

Estrogen and progesterone appear to play a role in the growth of fibroids. 

Effect on Pregnancy

Fibroids may increase pregnancy complications and delivery risks. These may include:

• Cesarean section delivery
• Breech presentation (baby enters the birth canal upside down with feet or buttocks emerging first)
• Preterm birth
• Placenta previa (placenta covers the cervix)
• Excessive bleeding after giving birth (postpartum hemorrhage)

Anemia

Anemia due to iron deficiency can develop if fibroids cause excessive bleeding. Oddly enough, smaller fibroids, usually submucous, are more likely to cause abnormally heavy bleeding than larger ones.

Most cases of anemia are mild and can be treated with dietary changes and iron supplements. However, prolonged and severe anemia that is not treated can cause heart problems.

Urinary Tract Infection

Large fibroids that press against the bladder occasionally result in urinary tract infections. Pressure on the ureters may cause urinary obstruction and kidney damage.

Fibroid and Exposure to Sunlight (Vitamin D Effects)

According to Hormone Matters, fibroids are three to four times more common in African-American women than in white women. Moreover, African-American women are roughly 10 times more likely to be deficient in vitamin D than are white women. Some research suggests that vitamin D can inhibit the growth of human fibroid cells in laboratory cultures.

Recently, researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center tested the vitamin D treatment on a strain of rats genetically predisposed to developing fibroid tumors. During the study, rats with uterine fibroids were treated with vitamin D for at least three weeks and similar rats with uterine fibroids were not treated. – Hormone Matters

Thoughts & Suggestions

Meat and Poultry

Many animals raised for food are given steroids to promote their muscle growth for meat. These steroids leave metabolites available to humans who consume the animal's flesh. According to Skilling and Stringer, although the Food and Drug Administration states that the levels of steroids used to treat animals produced for food is safe, the metabolites, or byproducts of steroids, can be stored in the animals' body fat. Ingesting the metabolites can lead to higher estrogen activity in your body, causing fibroids to grow. If you must eat animal products, choose organically fed and grown without hormones.

Milk, Yogurt and Cheese

Dairy products, such as milk yogurt and cheese, contain arachidonic acid, which is an essential fatty acid made from linoleic and linolenic acids. When your body receives too much arachidonic acid from animal products, your body releases prostaglandins, which are pro-inflammatory immune system products, according to Skilling and Stringer. Another point to consider is bovine growth hormone, used to stimulate milk production in post-partum cows. Bovine growth hormone also increases production of a substance called insulin growth factor-1, which stimulates fibroid growth, according to Skilling and Stringer

Canned Foods

Xenoestrogens are chemical estrogens that are produced when canned food comes in contact with the petroleum-based lining of cans. Xenoestrogens act as weak estrogens in your body and can increase your circulating levels of the estrogen your body makes, according to physician and xenoestrogen expert, Elizabeth Smith, M.D. These xenoestrogens block your body from using estrogen and make it available for your uterine fibroid to grow.

Enriched Processed Foods

Enriched processed foods, such as white bread, regular pasta and white rice, contain very little fiber. Limiting your intake of enriched processed foods in favor of whole-grain breads, whole-grain pastas and brown rice can lessen any constipation and bloating you may experience with uterine fibroids, according to Skilling and Stringer. Enriched processed foods also raise insulin levels faster than foods with fiber. These higher insulin levels increase the availability of estrogen to target uterine-fibroid growth.

Coffee and Tea

Caffeine isn't directly related to uterine fibroid growth, but it can increase the symptoms you experience. If fatigue is a major issue because of heavy bleeding, drinking coffee and tea will make it worse, because they both decrease the amount of iron your body can absorb. These two drinks contain tannins, which are polyphenols that bind iron, reducing the absorption of the mineral from the foods you eat. Decaffeinated coffees and tea also contain tannins, along with red wine, and all limit iron absorption.

Sugar

Sugar is the food that most practitioners say to reduce or eliminate if you have fibroids. Sugar is considered a pro-inflammatory food, because it causes your immune system to release antibodies and other hormones that stimulate your body to fight off diseases and foreign materials. Consuming sugar daily over-stimulates your immune system, and these pro-inflammatory responses stay elevated, eventually leading your body to attack itself. Sugar also promotes higher insulin levels, which can lead to lower sex-hormone-binding globulin, which helps your body by binding excess estrogen and deactivating it. The increased estrogen feeds your fibroid tumor and can lead to more severe bleeding, pain, fatigue and other symptoms, according to authors Johanna Skilling and medical doctor Nelson Stringer in "The First Year: Fibroids."