ENDOMETRIOSIS AND DIET pt. 1: WHAT CHINESE MEDICINE BRINGS TO THE TABLE

ENDOMETRIOSIS AND DIET pt. 1: WHAT CHINESE MEDICINE BRINGS TO THE TABLE (and what the evidence thinks about it)

Endometriosis: more common than you think

About 6-10% of all women in the Netherlands suffer from endometriosis.  All these women will be suffering from the symptoms of endometriosis, most commonly pelvic and lower abdominal pain around the time of menstruation, for 7-10 years before they get properly diagnosed, and then have some of their need addressed. Until then, most are on their own. 

 Very often, endometriosis coexists with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). A dietary approach may therefore offer relief and improve your quality of life, if you are suffering from this disease. 

 Endometriosis from a Chinese medicine perspective 

The overall understanding of disease in Chinese medicine (CM) can be partly summarized in this way: if something in the human body moves in ways that are not natural to it, then disease will be the most likely outcome. CM regards endometriosis to always involve a disruption in the flow of blood in the area of the uterus. This is always referred to as “Blood stasis” in CM terms. However, this stagnation or pooling of blood is considered as a result of other processes. Reading about them can give you an idea on what you could potentially do to improve your quality of life, if you are suffering from it.

*The terms used below are specific to Chinese Medicine and are not to be understood as the western medical terms. 

CHINESE MEDICINE (CM) DIETARY APPROACH

The role of heavy foods

The foods that belong in this category are:

• Fried and deep-fried foods

• Heavy animal fats

• Dairy products such as cheese, butter, and yoghurt

• Processed foods 

• Thick sauces 

• Pasta or bread

Taking more than they give

 Heavy, and greasy (oily) foods slow our digestion and demand a lot of our bodies resources to break them down and use them. Some good signs that our body cannot process the amount of these foods adequately is when we start feeling tired or sleepy after eating them, and getting bloated when we eat these types of foods. 

A potential inability of our bodies to process these types of food will lead to the formation of excessive water or fat which will accumulate in our tissues and organs. Besides obvious signs such as weight gain, we can also experience a feeling of heaviness which can be both physical (heaviness in the limbs) or mental (difficulty concentrating, lethargy), loose stools, and of course abdominal bloating. 

Spicy foods 

Spicy foods are also worth mentioning in the endometriosis context. In some cases, the buildup of waste material can possibly manifest as symptoms of what is termed in CM as “heat syndrome”. This may possibly manifest as feverish sensation or high fever during menstruation, dryness of the mouth and throat, and frequent thirst. Other possible signs can be acid reflux, and irritability. 

 If you find yourself experiencing such symptoms and you are consuming spicy/hot foods you may consider quitting them for a while, especially around the time of your menstruation and see how that affects you. 

What does this mean for endometriosis?

No matter if our digestion is slowed or there is too much unprocessed water and fat in our digestive system, the end-result will be the same. The energy, and therefore the material substances, in the pain-related areas is not going to be smooth. This will impact the pain, making it more severe and perhaps more frequent. 

 In CM, the main idea behind diet is simple: food needs to be easy to digest, and pass through our digestion with as less impact as possible. In that way the absorption and transportation of food material is balanced, and the digestive process produces more energy that it can consumes. 

What you can do

You will know if these foods affect you for sure once you stop for a few days and even up to a week with the type of food you suspect is causing you trouble and then reintroduce in your diet. If it worsens your symptoms, that means that you should probably eat less of it. As previously noted, proper dietary strategies are different for everyone. What you just read were the broad principles that CM 

In need of specific advice?

If you are looking specific advise about yourself, feel free to get in touch through whatsapp at

+31 622 165 602 or through email at info@qi-clinic.nl with your question and you’ll hear back from me asap.