Why it's advised to remove gluten and diary

Diet changes can help reduce the symptoms of endometriosis and removing dairy and gluten can often help reduce inflammation, bloating and pain which are very common distressing symptoms 


Removing gluten and dairy to help endometriosis




'I went gluten free and it got rid of all the IBS type symptoms, it was a miracle the difference it made in my life. I never had any issue with gluten prior to probably 2015. In fact pasta was my favourite food, then over the course of 2 years I seemed to become gluten intolerant which was the same 2 year period my endo symptoms ramped up to the point of being unbearable.'




There is no doubt that changing your diet can improve your endometriosis symptoms. Sometimes it happens quickly (1-3 months) and sometimes it takes time (12 months) so don’t panic if changing your diet doesn’t yield results immediately. This is about a lifestyle change that will help your body function optimally. 

 

Dairy can be very inflammatory for many people. Depending on where you live, dairy can contain hormones and/or antibiotics that get passed into the milk when administered to cows to increase milk production and treat disease. This increases overall toxic burden and impacts the health of the microbiome, which both contribute to the severity of this condition.

 

The worst type of dairy for women with endometriosis (and people in general) contains A1 casein. Unfortunately, this is produced in dairy-producing cows in North America and most parts of the world. So, if you’re consuming dairy, it’s highly likely that you’re also consuming A1 casein. Goat and sheep milk contain predominantly A2 casein, which is tolerated better than the former and may be a viable alternative for you.

 

Gluten has also shown to be particularly inflammatory to the gastrointestinal tract. Many people report sensitivity to this food and experience relief of symptoms when removed from their diet.

 

In one study that enrolled 207 patients with severe painful endometriosis-related symptoms found that 75% (156 women) reported statistically significant reduction in painful symptoms after 12 months of following a gluten free diet.


I know this advice sounds pretty radical to most of you, but it does help.   


When I cut out dairy and gluten from my own diet it helped to reduce the bloating I used to suffer as well as some of the pain.  Also, by cutting out gluten it helped reduce the awful brain fog and the fatigue which I used to suffer from really bad.  So I was willing to go without these foods because of the benefits I gained and if I slipped up I would get a flare up of symptoms, which gave me the encouragement to keep these foods out of my diet.

It must be noted that we are all different, and react to certain foods differently. There are obviously individual differences and you may be dealing with other gut health issues. Not everyone experiences the same benefits from dietary changes. Something to keep in mind is that you may have allergies, intolerances or gut imbalances that certain diet changes have helped to improve your health.

It is often recommended to keep a food diary and track your food intake along with symptoms to help identify specific foods that trigger flare-ups. I always advise to keeping a diary that expands on every aspect of your treatment regime and symptoms e.g. diet, supplements taken, stress levels, sleep quality, menstrual cycle, gut symptoms, bowels movements, pain levels and location of pain. It really helps to get a whole picture of what is affecting your body.



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References

 

Ho S, Woodford K, Kukuljan S, Pal S. Comparative effects of A1 versus A2 beta-casein on gastrointestinal measures: a blinded randomised cross-over pilot study.Eur J Clin Nutr. 2014 Sep;68(9):994-1000. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2014.127. Epub 2014 Jul 2.

 

Marziali M1, Venza M, Lazzaro S, Lazzaro A, Micossi C, Stolfi VM. Gluten-free diet: a new strategy for management of painful endometriosis related symptoms? Minerva Chir. 2012 Dec;67(6):499-504.




About the Author

Hi, I am Carolyn Levett, the Founder here at endo-resolved - I am an Integrative Health Coach having studied nutrition, naturopathy and aromatherapy as well as being a published author of three endometriosis books. I used to suffer from severe endometriosis and was fortunate to be able to regained my health and recover from this disease with the support of nutrition, natural therapies and lots of determination.

My motivation is to help other women with endometriosis to heal their bodies so they may start to overcome this awful disease without having to totally rely on toxic drugs and surgeries which can cause further damage  -  with healing thoughts, Carolyn.





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