Ask the doctor.(diet therapy for fibroids)

I was diagnosed with fibroids about a year ago, which have become very painful during the past 3 months. Do you have any suggestions?

--(signed) Anxiously Seeking Relief

First of all, consider dietary changes to balance your hormones, reduce the estrogen burden and decrease inflammation. Eat whole grains such as millet and quinoa. And I don't mean breads but the whole grains themselves, which are excellent sources of B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium and potassium.

I tell women with fibroids to eat small amounts of meat for the first week after their menstrual period to replenish their blood, and then to follow a vegetarian diet that includes beans and legumes for the next 3 weeks. Women eating a vegetarian diet have lower blood estrogen levels titan women who eat meat and don't get much fiber.

Soybean products contain phytoestrogens, which reduce the body's burden of accumulated estrogen. Seeds and nuts are also good along these lines, but peanuts contain arachidic acid, which increases inflammation. So, no peanuts.

I also advise using inflammation-decreasing oils such as olive oil and canola oil for cooking, or flax, borage, evening primrose or fish oils as supplements. Chocolate and coffee bind the enzyme system in the liver that is responsible for the breakdown of estrogen, so avoid them.

Because B vitamins support the liver in its many functions--including removing estrogen From ...