Endometriosis

B Vitamins Lower Estrogen Levels

If you?re looking for a natural way to keep your estrogen levels low and thus reduce recurrent episodes of endometriosis, try boosting your intake of B-complex vitamins, say the experts.

?The liver is responsible for breaking down and disposing of excess estrogen,? explains Dr. Lark. ?The B vitamins are important in regulating estrogen because they promote a healthy liver. Studies dating back to the 1940s show that if you remove B vitamins from animals? food, they can no longer metabolize estrogen.? Studies have also shown that B vitamin supplementation helps alleviate other symptoms of excess estrogen, such as premenstrual syndrome and fibrocystic breasts, she says.

Some women apparently find that supplements alone do the trick for them. Dian Mills, for example, a nutrition consultant in London and author of Female Health: The Nutrition Connection, became a strong advocate of B vitamin supplements through personal experience.

?I was in absolute crawl-around-the-house agony. And none of the traditional treatments was taking the pain away,? recalls Mills. Her doctor even recommended a hysterectomy, advice she flatly refused. ?So I went to doctors of nutritional medicine in London, and I?ve been pain-free ever since.?

Mills?s supplement regimen included B vitamins, particularly thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin B₆. Not only did her pain disappear, but she was so inspired by her success with the nutrition program that she went on to study clinical nutrition at the Institute of Optimum Nutrition in London and is now pursuing her master?s degree in health education at the University of Brighton in England.

Dr. Lark recommends that women with endometriosis take considerably more than the Daily Values of the B vitamins. She suggests approximately 50 milligrams each of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, 30 milligrams of vitamin B₆, 50 micrograms of vitamin B₁₂, 400 micrograms of folic acid and 200 micrograms of biotin.

You can also fortify your diet with B vitamins by eating whole-grain cereals, pastas and rice, fish, legumes and green, leafy vegetables.

Antioxidant Onslaught

Another way to thwart the effects of endometriosis is by upping your intake of these antioxidant nutrients: vitamins C and E, beta-carotene (which converts to vitamin A in the body) and the mineral selenium. Antioxidants are best known for their ability to fight free radicals, the naturally occurring unstable molecules that cause tissue damage in the body by stealing electrons from healthy molecules to balance themselves. Doctors know that antioxidants can also build immunity, lessen cramping and reduce excessive menstrual bleeding. All of these are useful functions in treating endometriosis.

?While you can?t just pop these supplements and expect instant relief from acute pain, I?ve found that doses of antioxidants, along with dietary changes, can treat the chronic problem of endometriosis,? says Dr. Lark.

Dr. Lark recommends a daily regimen of 1,000 to 4,000 milligrams of vi tamin C, 25,000 to 50,000 international units of beta-carotene, 400 to 2,000 international units of vitamin E and 25 micrograms of selenium. These are dosages at which she has arrived during her many years of treating women?s health problems.

Because the recommended doses of vitamin C and vitamin E are many times the Daily Values of these nutrients, you should check with your doctor before trying this therapy. Vitamin C can cause diarrhea when taken in doses exceeding 1,200 milligrams a day.

And just because symptoms improve, that doesn?t mean you can stop taking supplements, cautions Dr. Lark.

Antioxidants can have a dramatic effect on the regulation of bleeding as well as on the reduction of pain and cramps that may accompany endometriosis, says Dr. Lark. ?Vitamin C is good for controlling excessive bleeding,? she explains. ?Vitamin A has also been shown to lessen profuse menstrual bleeding. And vitamin E has antispasmodic effects, which help in pain management.?

To get more antioxidants in your diet, start by hitting the farmers market. Broccoli, spinach and cantaloupe are excellent sources of vitamin C and beta-carotene; cabbage, celery and cucumbers are great sources of selenium. For more vitamin E, try sautéing these veggies in sunflower oil or safflower oil. Or reach for a handful of almonds, another good source of vitamin E.