Fibroids are benign tumors in the uterus. Conventional medical interventions are often stressful. The right diet can help enormously with fibroids. What else can be done about fibroids from a naturopathic point of view?

Fibroids – benign tumors in the uterus

Fibroids are benign tumors in the uterus, which in the vast majority of cases remain benign, i.e. almost never become malignant. They affect 20 to 40 percent of all women over the age of 35. Fibroids can be very small (a few millimeters). However, they can also grow over 10 cm tall.

A fibroid can occur individually, but several fibroids can also develop at the same time. Fibroids can stay small, but they can also grow quite quickly.

Fibroids often do not cause any symptoms. However, depending on the size and location of the fibroids, they can also lead to pain, unpleasant pressure or other symptoms, such as a constant urge to urinate when the fibroid presses on the bladder.

Symptoms

Fibroids can have no symptoms or very different symptoms depending on the location and size of the fibroid:

• Heavy menstrual bleeding or heavier than before
• Hence often iron deficiency with anemia (anemia)
• Prolonged monthly bleeding
• Painful menstrual bleeding
• Abdominal pain
• Feeling of pressure or heaviness in the abdomen
• Digestive problems such as constipation
• Urination
• Pain in the back or legs
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Infertility can also occur as a result of a fibroid. Often, however, pregnancy occurs despite the presence of a fibroid.

Fibroids thrive in the presence of estrogens. During menopause, the fibroids therefore usually regress – unless hormone replacement therapies are carried out.

The diagnosis

In most cases, a fibroid (or several) is detected during a routine check-up by palpation and ultrasound. If a fibroid is unfavorable, an MRI or biopsy can be performed for precise clarification.

If the doctor happens to find a fibroid (i.e. one that does not yet cause any symptoms), it is often said: “That’s not bad. Many women have one or more fibroids. Don’t worry. All we have to do is observe your fibroid.”

Now at the latest, it would be time to educate the woman about holistic measures, to tell her what she can do herself – if she wants to – to influence her health and that of her uterus in such a way that the fibroids do not develop further.

Most of the time, nothing of the kind happens. On the contrary. If the woman asks her doctor what she could do, the answer is: “Nothing!” When the patient asks specifically for nutrition tips, the answer is: “Diet has nothing to do with your fibroids. You can eat what you like.” If the woman wants to know whether there are alternative forms of therapy that could have a positive effect on the fibroid, such as acupuncture or certain sports, they get waved off.

Conventional medical therapy for fibroids

If fibroids do not trigger distressing symptoms, they are not treated. If symptoms occur, a decision is made depending on the age of the patient, family situation (desire to have children) and the location and size of the fibroid, which therapy is suitable in each individual case.

The following are available:

• Surgical removal of only the fibroid
• Surgical removal of the entire uterus (hysterectomy)
• Medication
• Newer non-surgical methods such as embolization and the so-called magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound treatment (MRgFUS therapy) of the fibroid, whereby the latter in particular is only performed in some clinics with correspondingly specialized departments.

Surgery to remove the fibroid

If the fibroid is so conveniently located that it can be surgically removed but to preserve the uterus, it is often a relief, especially in the case of large fibroids. But this does not prevent new fibroids from growing back.

If there are several fibroids, at least one of which causes symptoms and the woman’s family planning has been completed, it is usually advised to have the uterus removed (hysterectomy), as if the uterus were nothing more than a birthing vehicle.

However, the uterus is a central organ for the woman, which has other functions, e.g. is involved in the intensity of orgasm, blood flow to the ovaries and mucus formation of the vagina, as well as being directly connected to the brain, so that – as initial animal studies indicate – hysterectomy can also cause cognitive impairment.

Even from a scientific point of view ( 1 ) one in five uterine operations are superfluous, so that one can assume that the number of unreported cases is much higher. According to a study ( 2 ) from 2015, 40 percent of fibroid and endometriosis patients also do not receive alternative therapies before their uterus is removed. So lets just grab a knife or go to other lucrative methods right away.

Medication

The drugs used for fibroids are not particularly effective, they can at best alleviate the symptoms in the short term. Since they are also often very rich in side effects and can therefore only be used for a short period of time (a few months until surgery or if menopause is imminent), medication for fibroids is not really considered a solution that could solve the problem once and for all.

The so-called GnRH analogues, for example, are hormones that reduce estrogen production, so that the estrogens can no longer drive fibroid growth and the fibroid shrinks.

What sounds good is anything but good, because GnRH analogues put the woman in a state comparable to menopause, so that she also suffers from the corresponding symptoms: hot flashes, osteoporosis, mood swings, loss of libido, etc.

Therefore, the remedy may be taken for a maximum of 6 months. If it is discontinued, the fibroid grows back immediately, unless the actual menopause has begun in the meantime.

The drug would be advantageous if a fibroid is very large and causes severe symptoms and now shrinks it so far that it can be removed with a uterine endoscopy. This procedure is performed vaginally under anesthesia, so it does not require incisions.

Another typical fibroid drug contains the active ingredient ulipristal acetate. It changes the progesterone receptors on the fibroid in such a way that the hormone progesterone can no longer exert a growth-stimulating effect on the fibroid.

However, since 2020, the drug may only be given under certain conditions, namely only in the case of moderate to severe symptoms, only in women who have not yet reached menopause and only in women for whom embolization is not suitable or for whom it has already failed. In these cases, too, the drug may only be given for three months at a time. There must be at least 8-week breaks in between. The three-month interval can be repeated as many times as necessary. However, some women report that the effect was very good in the first intake interval, but wore off in the next.

Since the drug can also lead to severe liver damage, the liver values must always be checked before and after the three-month cycles of intake.

Since autumn 2021, the so-called Relugolix combination tablet (Ryeqo®) has been available for women with symptomatic fibroids with moderate to severe symptoms against uterine fibroids. Heavy and painful menstrual bleeding should be reduced, blood loss decreases, and thus also the risk of anemia. The drug consists of three substances: relugolix 40 mg, estradiol 1 mg, and norethisterone acetate 0.5 mg. The latter is a progestin, i.e. an artificially produced progesterone. The hormone preparation causes a hormonal state similar to the beginning of the menstrual cycle. At the same time, it prevents ovulation and can therefore also prevent contraception. (The drug must not be used together with another hormonal contraceptive).

However, the drug has a long list of contraindications and possible side effects, so its use should be carefully considered. Contraindications include, for example, an existing or previous venous thromboembolic disease, osteoporosis or migraine.

Common side effects include: hot flashes, uterine bleeding (too heavy, too long, or intermenstrual bleeding), irritability, dyspepsia (stomach discomfort such as bloating, heartburn, and nausea), hair loss, excessive sweating, night sweats, decreased libido, and benign cysts in the chest (22).

Embolization of fibroids

In embolization, a catheter (thin plastic tube) is inserted into the inguinal artery and advanced to the uterus. Thanks to the contrast agents used, the blood vessels that supply the fibroid can be identified. With the help of the catheter, these blood vessels are now closed with plastic beads the size of a grain of sand (a kind of artificially induced embolism) so that the fibroid is no longer supplied. In the course of the next few weeks or months, it now dies off completely or partially.

Pregnancies should still be possible afterwards, but embolization reduces the chances of pregnancy.

MRgFUS Therapy

Just like embolization, MRgFUS is also considered a “bloodless” therapy, which sounds very positive because you don’t see yourself lying on the operating table. However, you lie in the MRI machine instead. Now they work – for up to four hours – with focused ultrasound, which is supposed to destroy the fibroid tissue with the help of high heat (up to about 100 degrees). General anesthesia is not given, which is not always comprehensible from the patient’s point of view in view of the pain that occurs in some cases.

Although non-surgical methods have the advantage of preserving the uterus, they are also interventions that require numerous medications (sedatives and painkillers, contrast agents) and can stress the patient (pain, other discomfort during the procedure and side effects such as subsequent infertility).

Of course, many patients prefer to accept unpleasant examinations and procedures as well as pain for a few days if the often much more stressful symptoms of the fibroids can be reduced afterwards.

However, since the causes of fibroid development are ignored in all conventional medical procedures, it is always possible that even after successful fibroid treatment, new fibroids will soon develop or (if the uterus has been removed) that completely different problems or diseases will now appear.

Possible causes of fibroids

In the following, we look at various possible causes or risk factors that can contribute to the development of fibroids, either individually or collectively. Unfortunately, the study situation is still thin – and studies have often been conducted with Japanese or African-American women (the latter because they suffer from fibroids more often than white-skinned women). Nevertheless, the following information provides information on holistic measures that every woman can integrate into her naturopathic concept:

Obesity as a risk factor for fibroids

Obesity increases the risk of many diseases and thus also that of fibroids, as studies ( 4 ) from the 1970s and 1990s already showed. In overweight women, the risk of fibroids is said to be two to three times higher than in normal-weight women.

If you want to keep the risk of fibroids as low as possible, the BMI should be below 20.44, as a study ( 5 ) from 2015 showed.

Nutrition for fibroids

The influence of diet on fibroids and their development is particularly important. In the following, we will go into more detail about individual food groups, so that in the end it becomes clear once again how much you can influence your health independently – if only with the right diet!

Soy products can protect against fibroids

Soy products contain so-called phytoestrogens, i.e. plant substances that can have an estrogen-like effect (in the case of estrogen deficiency), and on the other hand can weaken the effects of the body’s own estrogens.

Therefore, soy products should not have any negative effects on fibroids – which was confirmed in a study in 2009 ( 6 ). There was no connection between the consumption of soy products and fibroids.

In an earlier study ( 7 ) from 2001, a protective effect of soy was even discovered, as those women who consumed more soy products were less likely to receive diagnoses that led to hysterectomy (even before menopause).

Similar to breast cancer, soy products could have a protective effect on women who have been eating these foods throughout their lives, while others do not have this protective effect. In addition, there seems to be an individual tolerable soy dose for every woman, which she should not exceed.

Small amounts of soy such as a glass (150 ml) of soy milk per day three times a week or a tofu dish (200 g) should not be a problem for any woman – with the exception of soy allergy sufferers, of course.

Alcohol increases the risk of fibroids

Alcohol does not fit into an appreciative, healthy lifestyle, especially not if there are already illnesses or complaints. The above-mentioned study from 2009 also showed that the more alcohol a woman drank, the more often fibroids occurred.

Just one beer a day can increase the risk of getting a fibroid by 50 percent – according to a study ( 8 ) from 2004. In a review (9) from 2017, it was also possible to see that alcohol consumption increased the risk of fibroids.

More fibroids when eating a lot of meat

Fibroids are most common in those population groups that practice a meat-rich diet and where the most alcohol is drunk (study from 2004 – see above under Alcohol). Red meat is usually mentioned as a risk factor.

Dairy products: no harmful effect on fibroids

Studies have shown no harmful effect of dairy products on fibroids. On the contrary, they seem to have a certain protective effect – in those women who tolerate dairy products – one suspects due to the minerals they contain (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus) and the short-chain fatty acids (butyric acid).

Some fats increase the risk of fibroids, others reduce it

A high-fat diet is generally associated with increased estrogen levels, which could promote fibroid growth again. However, the results of studies show, as is so often the case, that not all fat is the same.

In May 2014, a study ( 10 ) was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in which data from more than 12,000 women (including 2,700 fibroid patients) showed that the risk of fibroids could be reduced by eating saturated fats. However, it was the short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids in particular that had a positive effect on the risk of fibroids, i.e. not pork or beef fat, but rather coconut oil.

For many people, the next finding of this study should be no less surprising: Women who liked to eat fish and therefore consumed a particularly large amount of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) seemed to have a higher risk of fibroids. According to the study authors, omega-3 fatty acids could influence certain cell signaling pathways and also gene expression in such a way that fibroid formation is stimulated.

Eat fish sparingly

However, it could not be clarified whether it was actually the omega-3 fatty acids in fish that increased the risk of fibroids or not, for example, the environmental toxins also contained in numerous fish such as polychlorinated biphenyls, carcinogenic organic chlorine compounds with hormone-like effects, among other things.

Of course, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are important in the right amount and in the right proportion to other fats, but they do not have to be taken with fish. A purely plant-based alternative are fish-free food supplements, such as the algae oil capsules.

Nevertheless, testimonials show that a plant-based diet that includes some fish from time to time but no meat or dairy products can shrink fibroids. So it’s not just a matter of whether you eat some fish or not, but it depends on the overall diet.

Better not to eat sugar

In May 2010, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ( 11 ) reported that a diet with a high glycemic index and high glycemic load promotes the development of tumors – both malignant (uterine and ovarian cancer) and benign ones such as fibroids. This is because such a diet increases the level of IGF-I (insulin-like growth factor) as well as the bioavailability of estradiol. Both ensure rapid growth of the tumors.

A diet with a high glycemic index or high glycemic load contains a high proportion of isolated carbohydrates such as sugar and sugary products, as well as baked goods and pasta made from white flour. Natural sugar from fruits and vegetables or even from wholesome grain products is of course no problem!

Remedy vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency should be avoided at all costs in fibroids, as this increases the risk of fibroid development and is suspected of accelerating fibroid growth in existing fibroids – as three studies ( 12 ) were able to show in 2013.

In December 2016, the journal Medicine reported that vitamin D intake in patients with previously low vitamin D levels could limit the growth of existing fibroids.

This had been shown by a study on 108 fibroid patients. While 55 women acted as a control group because they did not want to take vitamin D, 53 women had received 50,000 IU of vitamin D once a week for eight weeks, then 2,000 IU daily for a year.

The women were then examined. In the control group, a significant growth of fibroids was recorded, while the fibroids in the vitamin D group had not grown.

What does the thyroid gland have to do with fibroids?

In a study ( 14 ) from May 2010, it was found that women who suffer from thyroid diseases such as thyroid nodules often also have fibroids. Apparently, it is estrogen that can promote both diseases or an estrogen-progesterone imbalance (estrogen dominance).

Estrogen dominance: important cause of fibroids

Estrogens are very important hormones, but they should not be present in excess or they should be in balance with other hormones, such as progesterone. Estrogen dominance can contribute to many disorders, including the development of fibroids ( 15 ) or endometriosis ( 16 ).

Often, estrogen dominance develops as a result of excessive aromatase activity. Aromatase is an enzyme that converts testosterone into the estrogen estradiol. A common reason for increased aromatase activity is obesity.

So-called xenoestrogens, i.e. estrogen-like environmental toxins (pesticides, substances in cosmetics and cleaning agents or plasticizers in plastics (BPA, BPS, BPF)) also contribute to estrogen dominance.

Of course, estrogen-containing drugs can also lead to or contribute to estrogen dominance.

Eat anti-inflammatory for fibroids!

Chronic inflammation contributes to almost every chronic condition. Inflammatory substances such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 also seem to play a role in the development of fibroids ( 17 ). Another study confirmed the presence of immune cells typical of inflammatory processes in fibroids.

Anti-inflammatory measures should therefore always be part of the holistic therapy for fibroids (anti-inflammatory diet, anti-inflammatory dietary supplements, moderate exercise, sufficient sleep, etc.).

Naturopathy for fibroids

The first step is (as with any illness) to re-establish contact with your own body, to want the best for it and then to look at where and how you can optimize your own lifestyle and diet and what alternative methods you are able to use (from a time point of view, but also from a financial point of view, if the health insurance does not cover it), such as acupuncture, reflexology or osteopathy.

Testimonials from people who were able to make their fibroids disappear by changing their lifestyle and diet are also motivating and helpful here. An example of this is Gudrun Brachhold, who wrote the * ” The Fibroid Cookbook ” and tells her own story in it. Even though doctors had urgently advised the removal of the uterus, as there was no other solution from their point of view – she was able to heal herself.

In the following, we summarize the most important holistic measures that can be helpful for fibroids. Overall, these are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative (tissue proliferation) as well as general regulatory measures. Check – preferably together with a correspondingly inclined doctor or alternative practitioner – which of them could be particularly useful for you:

Practicing a plant-based diet

One of the most important and first basic measures for fibroids (and almost any other health problem) is to change your diet to a plant-based, whole-food and alkaline-surplus diet. In addition to all the studies mentioned above, there has been an epidemiological study since 2011 ( 9 ), according to which a diet low in fruits and vegetables can increase the risk of fibroids. In the same study, it was shown that women who like to eat citrus fruits are less likely to develop fibroids – possibly as a result of the inhibitory effect of these fruits on tissue growths.

You can find an interesting experience report by a 54-year-old affected person here. Her fibroid was already so large that it pushed the abdominal wall outwards, so it could be seen with the naked eye without any examination.
Of course, her doctor advised the removal of the uterus, but she refused and instead changed her diet to a plant-based healthy diet together with her husband. After just a few weeks, she could see her fibroid begin to shrink.

A healthy diet for fibroids should consist of plenty of fruits and vegetables, supplemented by legumes, whole grains, pseudocereals, nuts, seeds and small amounts of soy products. Sources of fat can be coconut oil, but also olive oil.

Alcohol, meat, fatty fish and sugar as well as other isolated carbohydrates such as white flour and polished rice should be avoided.

These plant substances help with fibroids

A plant-based diet is so effective for fibroids because their plant substances have a regulating, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiproliferative effect.

In a study from 2014 ( 20 ), various plant substances were presented, all of which had a positive, i.e. inhibiting, effect on fibroid growth. Therefore, be sure to incorporate the appropriate foods into your diet. In addition, one or the other substance can also be taken in the form of suitable dietary supplements.

In cell experiments, these substances have been shown to inhibit fibroid cells:

• EGCG: Green tea (see also green tea extract below)
• Curcumin: Turmeric (see also under Curcumin below)
• Resveratrol: grapes, mulberries, peanuts
• Isoliquiritigenin: Licorice root tea

The following substances are believed to have a beneficial effect:

• Quercetin: Onions
• Ellagic acid: pomegranate, berries
• Mustard oil glycosides (indole-3-carbinol): All cruciferous plants such as broccoli, cauliflower, all other types of cabbage, cress, mustard, arugula, etc.
• Lycopene: tomatoes, watermelon, papaya
• Allicin: Garlic
• Sulforaphane: Broccoli (raw) and broccoli sprouts

Green Tea Extract

Green tea extract can have an extremely positive effect on fibroids. A study from 2013 in which women took 800 mg of green tea extract daily with a 45 percent EGCG content showed a reduction in the size of the fibroids which could be detected after just four months.

Curcumin

In this overview study from 2015 ( 21 ), two in vitro studies are presented. In both, curcumin was able to curb fibroid cell growth. It should therefore not be a mistake – also due to the additional anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties – to season abundantly with turmeric.

Reduce excess weight

Lose weight if you are overweight! The diet described above alone will help you with sustainable and healthy weight loss. If you can’t cope with a change in diet or losing weight, use one of our food plans to help you, in which you will be provided with instructions and alkaline-surplus plant-based (vegan) recipes.

Optimize vitamin D levels

As with any disease, ensure a healthy vitamin D level for fibroids! This is very easy to do by having your vitamin D level determined, then taking the dose of vitamin D required for you – and of course always thinking about the necessary accompanying substances such as vitamin K2 and magnesium. Of course, you should also be comprehensively supplied with all other vital substances (vitamins C and E, B complex, calcium, selenium, zinc, silicon, etc.), as this is the only way for the body to regulate and regenerate. Here we explain in detail what you should pay attention to if you want to take your vitamin D.

Check and regulate hormone levels

Have your hormone levels checked to reveal any possible estrogen dominance. Only then can you take targeted measures to regulate your hormonal balance naturally, which can shrink your fibroids.

However, even the usual holistic measures (diet, exercise, sleep, liver regeneration, intestinal cleansing, etc.) already ensure that the hormonal balance is regulated and contribute in a natural way.

Avoid stress and high blood pressure for fibroids

Stress always prevents a balance and is therefore considered a risk factor for many diseases. Chronic stress often leads to an unhealthy diet, a permanent increase in cortisol levels, high blood pressure and long-term weight gain. However, all these factors are considered to be co-causative in fibroids and should therefore be avoided if possible.

Get moving!

Get moving! Only with regular exercise can the organism break down and remove harmful and superfluous substances. Choose forms of exercise that have a positive effect on the female organs, such as belly dancing – although of course every sport is useful.

If you have fibroids, also integrate pelvic floor exercises into your exercise program – yoga, tai chi or energy dance. The three forms of movement mentioned above combine exercise with relaxation and are also good for the soul.

Think of the soul!

Take time for yourself and look back to see if there were situations or phases in your life that left you hurt. Unprocessed injuries often leave a deep mark on us and manifest themselves in the form of illnesses. Remember past injuries and try to process them. Only then can you let go of them – and the associated body changes can now dissolve.

A possible psychosomatic connection between the unfulfilled desire to have children and fibroids is also often pointed out. Here, too, work on oneself is necessary – preferably accompanied by a psychotherapist.