Why You Should Quit Gluten And Dairy If You Have Endometriosis
Dr. Natalie Bozinovski ND. MSc.
The two most important foods to cut out of your diet if you have endometriosis are undoubtedly gluten and dairy.
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 for the rest of your life. It’s not a quick fix solution.
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 contains 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 awful to most of you. When I first cut these foods out of my diet, I cried (I actually cried, this is not an exaggeration). But what I found was that the benefits outweighed the loss. Once I got my body to a healthier state overall, I was able to “cheat” here and there. Plus, it is an AMAZING time to go gluten and dairy free because there are tons of recipe books, blogs, etc. and tons of food alternatives (if you haven’t had a macadamia nut latte yet, just wait, it will change your life).
Yours in health,
Dr. Natalie Bozinovski ND., MSc.
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.