Endo and food: Hi All, My name is Christine... - Endometriosis UK

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Endo and food

chrismartin30 profile image
10 Replies

Hi All, My name is Christine and I'm new to the group.

I live with endo and i've had a laparoscopy in August as i'm going down the fertility route.

i had thought after i had the surgery my periods wouldn't be strong anymore, however today was soooo bad i had nausea, couldn't eat my dinner which is the 1st,dizzy spells, and my intestines feel like razor blades ( despite me not having anything to eat) and every slight movement i made was absolutely sore. I've cut back on my coffee from 8 cups to 3 cups and i stopped drinking alcohol thinking that this would make a difference which it hasn't.

Have any of you suffered with this? if so could you give me some tips

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chrismartin30
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10 Replies

I’ve found following a gluten free diet and reducing dairy has helped me a lot. X

Removing gluten, wheat, and dairy from my diet has made a significant difference for me. Good luck!

Maxi72 profile image
Maxi72

I can recommend reading Taking Control of your endometriosis by Henrietta Norton, a nutritionist with endo who herself had fertility issues and claims her dietary awareness helped manage the condition and conceive. You could also get a taster for the book from her blog on her Wild Nutrition website. Her book has really helped me and given me hope. Hope you get some benefit from it too.

chrismartin30 profile image
chrismartin30 in reply to Maxi72

thank you will have a look at her website and her book

Abi_97 profile image
Abi_97

I've cut out gluten and cut down on bovine dairy. I also eat small meals.

Lulububs profile image
Lulububs

Im with other ladies on here ...ive been gluten and dairy free for 8 months as i am intolerant to both and it has changed my life.

I was told i had endo, i didnt !

I was told

I had ibs, i didnt.

I was just gluten and dairy intolerant and since giving up all my symptoms i had that looked like endo and ibs have gone.

JackieBo profile image
JackieBo

Hey there,

My opinion on this topic is not popular, I know, but I am a firm believer in paying attention to your sources. Is the person telling you that gluten is the devil trying to sell you their latest book/blog? Chances are, they have an ulterior motive....

Scientific studies, that aren't trying to sell you anything, all come back with similar conclusions: gluten has no harmful effect on our bodies unless we are one of the population that has a legitimate intolerance (Celiac's is less than 1% of the pop).

Gluten is a non-harmful natural ingredient in many grains. Humans have been consuming gluten through grains for over 10,000 years with no harmful side effects. Yet it has only been in the last decade that an anti-gluten machine has come to life, ignoring scientific consensus and preying on people desperate for a change, selling them loads of BS in the process.

When you're googling about gluten, pay attention to the URL - does the name sound legitimate or does it have the word gluten somewhere in the title (usually a dead give away of a lack of credibility)? Here's a link to a New York Times article from 2015:

mobile.nytimes.com/2015/07/...

Here's a great article published in Forbes in 2014 that revisits the scientist who originally conducted a study that has since been used to justify this gluten fear - only people don't mention that he then did a second, more extensive study that completely destroyed the first study's conclusions.

google.co.uk/amp/s/www.forb...

Here is an important excerpt from this piece:

"Consider this: no underlying cause for gluten sensitivity has yet been discovered. Moreover, there are a host of triggers for gastrointestinal distress, many of which were not controlled for in previous studies. Generally, non-celiac gluten sensitivity is assumed to be the culprit when celiac disease is ruled out. But that is a “trap,” Biesiekierski says, one which could potentially lead to confirmation bias, thus blinding researchers, doctors, and patients to other possibilities."

Often, when people remove gluten from their diet without any medical reasoning (i.e.: an actual diagnosis of Celiac's), they also inadvertently remove a variety of other ingredients often found in grain based products that DO cause gastrointestinal distress so, while one may be led to believe it was the gluten that did t, it's more likely that it's actually all the other ingredients that were irritating to the digestive system and absolutely nothing to do with gluten.

The bottom line is science just doesn't support this new fad diet of gluten removal.

We women dealing with Endo have a LOT more to worry about. Going through extensive diet changes that aren't proven to do anything useful is just adding to our burden. Sure, cutting carbs in general will help with bloating and fatigue, but that does not mean you have an issue with gluten. Again, human beings have been consuming gluten for over ten thousand years with no harmful side effects. We didn't just change overnight.

I know loads of women here don't agree with my stance, but I am simply repeating what science has told us, instead of what some New Age blogger is trying to sell you. Check your sources, ladies! What is their motivation? Is it academic or sales oriented?

Lastly, a forewarning to anyone who has gone gluten free: if you are replacing foods that naturally contain gluten with "gluten free" substitutes, please be aware that, in order for those breads or pastas to have the same texture and flavour of their naturally containing gluten counterparts, the manufacturer must load the gluten free versions up with excess fats and sugars in order to replicate the original food item. This means that gluten free breads and things have a vastly higher calorie content than their regular gluten containing counterparts.

If you want to go gluten free, it is better to cut out those foods altogether and replace them with alternatives that are naturally gluten free than it is to buy anything labelled "gluten free" that should normally have gluten in it.

Lastly, all I will say is this: while I get the desire for a miracle cure, changing one's diet is not going to make Endo go away. It is not caused by our diet to begin with. Sure, we can work to remove inflammatory foods like booze and red meat, but we need to be on guard so we don't get suckered into someone's sales pitch. These people prey on those who are desperate for a fix from whatever ails them. They know damn well what they're selling people and it isn't honesty and truth. We must remain vigilant so we don't end up adding more needless and useless hoops to jump through to our already overwhelming situations. Gluten is not the devil.

In closing, here is an article that discusses the negative nutritional effects of removing gluten based foods from your diet It has full citations at the bottom for further reading.

dirt-to-dinner.com/debunkin...

chrismartin30 profile image
chrismartin30 in reply to JackieBo

thank you Jackie for all of that information about gluten

JackieBo profile image
JackieBo in reply to chrismartin30

Sorry for the super long read! It just bugs me when I see people inadvertently passing along misinformation. Going gluten free is not an easy task and can have a negative effect on one's overall health if not done right, which is a whole lot of work to go through for something that isn't proven to be an irritant.

I find that focussing on whole foods instead of relying on quicker processed foods is really what helps me. That's just basic common sense really, though; there is no need to force yourself through some huge dietary change without a really good medical reason.

Lulububs profile image
Lulububs

Well i dont know if the dig was at me jackie but i am a estate agent lol not a seller of anything?

I was told by my gastro at medway hosp that alot of people with stomach problems that has been proved it not actually a illness ie endo( which i had lap) will b intolerant... to something!

Generally it gluten, yeast or dairy of some sort ... that all i was saying....

I have suffered for years and i woulda hacked my own head of for some pain relief so i went to a alergist who told me i had a cowsmilk alergy. I chose to go gluten free coz of what gastro said.

I do not eat any of there gluten free food... it full of sugar . I make all my own food and live of organic meat and veg so my life is healthier then ever.

Thats all i was saying... only thing im selling is houses

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