Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease.
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease in which bits of tissue that are similar to the endometrium (uterine lining) grow outside of the uterus. This usually occurs around the uterus, ovaries and on the fallopian tubes. Lesions can also be found on the bowel and bladder. The most common symptom for endometriosis is severe pain. It can be a throbbing, stabbing, searing or burning sensation that can occur in the uterus, rectum, bladder, legs or throughout the pelvic region.
Endometriosis is a common condition that affects at least one in ten women and current research reveals that endometriosis is not a hormonal condition. Yes, its affected by estrogen, but it’s not caused by high or imbalanced levels of estrogen.
Instead, endometriosis is a whole-body inflammatory and immune disease, and even possibly a microbial disease.
Immune dysfunction is the driving force behind endometriosis. The immune system is prevented from doing its job of clearing up the endometrial lesions. The focus needs to be on what is causing the immune dysfunction?
Genetics
Some researchers think that endometrial tissue is laid down before birth and lies dormant until it’s activated by hormones at puberty. If your mother or sister has endometriosis, then you are more likely to develop the disease. Endometriosis has also been linked to dioxin exposure in the womb.
Microbiome
Endometriosis can cause digestive problems and toxicity in the gut can worsen endometriosis. Adhesions on the bowel can directly cause digestive issues, which is common in most women that have been diagnosed with endometriosis. Digestive problems can cause leaky gut, which allows toxins and proteins to enter the body and activate an immune response, resulting in unwanted inflammation. Women with endometriosis have a high level of gram-negative (lipopolysaccharides) in their pelvic microbiome. Researchers suggest that these toxic by-products promote endometriosis and help to drive the inflammatory disease.
Hormones
Estrogen worsens endometriosis, but remember that it is not the cause. Consider using anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating treatments before shutting down the production of natural hormones. Also ensure that estrogen is being detoxified from the body efficiently to eliminate the recycling of hormones and a shift to estrogen dominance (or unopposed estrogen).
What can you do to naturally treat endometroisis?
Strictly avoid gluten and A1 casein
Step one is to calm the immune system by strictly avoiding immune-disrupting proteins like gluten, A1 casein from cow’s dairy, and possibly eggs.
Eat an anti-inflammatory diet
A move toward an anti-inflammatory diet and anti-inflammatory foods, means primarily moving away from the abundance of overly processed, unbalanced diets of the West and toward the ancient eating patterns of the Mediterranean (whole-foods). A Mediterranean diet comprises plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, little to no red meat, certainly no chemicals or meat additives, and an abundance of omega-3 foods.
Consider using some immune-modulating supplements
Support your immune system to reduce inflammation and symptoms.
zinc
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
turmeric or curcumin
sulforaphane
probiotics
selenium
echinacea
resveratrol
vitamin A
Consider using berberine as an antimicrobial
The herbal medicine berberine seems to work for endometriosis as it appears to reduce the level of gram-negative bacteria and LPS toxins. Berberine is best used under the care of a clinician.
Keep estrogen healthy
Reduce alcohol and caffeine and limit your exposure to xeno-estrogens. Boost liver detoxification pathways by consuming foods high in folate, vitamin-B6, vitamin-B12, zinc, selenium, magnesium and protein.
Estrogen-reducing supplements such as calcium-d-glucarate and sulforaphane can be helpful because estrogen strongly stimulates endometriosis, particularly in the presence of the LPS bacterial toxin. The best plan is to first reduce LPS and inflammation, and then think about reducing estrogen.