Endometriosis occurs when the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium, grows and thrives beyond the uterine cavity. The most common place for endometrial lesions to occur is the lining of the abdominal cavity, called the peritoneum.
Women with endometriosis suffer most commonly from pelvic pain, especially during the menstrual cycle. This pain can be debilitating and even threatening to health from excessive blood loss.
In addition to pain and bleeding sometimes all month long, endometriosis is also credited with as much as 50% of cases of infertility.
Other signs and symptoms of endometriosis include the following (1):
- Pain before and during your period
- Lower back pain
- Pain during or after intercourse
- Fatigue, infertility, chronic pelvic pain not just during your period
- Painful bowel movements, constipation, diarrhea, painful urination during your period
- Irregular or heavy periods
When endometriosis involves the ovaries, tissue can grow and bleed over time forming what is called chocolate cysts (2).
No Curing Endometriosis with Conventional Treatments
Unfortunately, if a woman visits her gynecologist about symptoms or complications related to endometriosis, only medication to control the pain or surgery for severe cases is all that is typically recommended.
If infertility is the result of endometriosis and a woman wishes to get pregnant, expensive fertility treatments are the order of the day. Unfortunately, this approach does not resolve the problem. In fact, it may actually worsen a woman’s hormonal balance over time causing other health issues later.
Curing Endometriosis Naturally With Diet and Non-Toxic Therapies
Fortunately, there is growing recognition that the pain and inflammation which characterizes endometriosis can be improved dramatically or even resolved completely with diet.
I myself suffered from endometriosis starting when I was a teenager. Diet change alone with no other treatments whatsoever completely resolved the problem. I’ve been in complete remission now for well over 20 years.
If you are also experiencing symptoms of endometriosis,, there is hope! Whether the problems are new to you or longstanding, diet change combined with holistic therapies as needed work extremely well.
Kim Schuette, CN and Certified GAPS Practitioner and owner of the clinic Biodynamic Wellness in Solana Beach, California reports that the following dietary changes have proven to be very helpful to women battling endometriosis:
Dietary Recommendations for Endometriosis
- One TBL high vitamin cod liver oil TWICE daily for 60 days. Please note that the cod liver oil MUST be high vitamin as all the other cod liver oils on the market extract the oil using either heat or chemicals. This processing alters the integrity of the oil and destroys nutrients. Click here for a list of reputable suppliers of this critical supplement which is not available in stores.
- Traditional Diet with special emphasis on daily dietary fats. These include raw butter, ghee, and/or X-factor raw butter oil, egg yolks, organ meats and fish roe. Click here for dietary guidelines for Traditional Diets from the Weston A. Price Foundation. The over 120 free videos on this blog demonstrate many of the practical aspects of implementing the principles of Traditional Diets in your kitchen.
Holistic Therapies for Endometriosis
Holistic therapies that can be implemented as needed in conjunction with Traditional Diet for curing endometriosis include:
- Rubus ideaus, or gemmotherapy, at a dosage of 1/2 tsp in water twice daily.
Gemmotherapy is a therapeutic modality using stem cell extracts of fresh buds, shoots, roots or stems from embryonic or mature plants. This therapy is helpful for tissue regeneration, positive growth development and drainage of toxins. Rubus idaeus is derived from the shoots of the red raspberry bush and is a very effective remedy for drainage of the uterus and pelvic region. It also tonifies the uterus.
- Castor oil pack once daily or nightly over the liver and pelvic region. Click here for details on how to make and use a castor oil pack properly.
- Coffee enemas can be a helpful addition to the process as needed.
Are you are one of the millions of women suffering month after month with the debilitating effects of endometriosis? Instead of bombarding your body with drugs or resorting to surgery to manage the problem, try diet change first! This combined with holistic methods for curing endometriosis naturally will give you much needed permanent and nontoxic relief!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sources and More Information
Safe Alternatives for Toxic Tampons and Feminine Hygiene Products
Sarah Pope has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. Her work is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.
Her work has been covered by major media including USA Today, ABC, NBC, and many others.
How to Make and Use a Castor Oil Pack for Detoxification
Hi Sarah,
Thank you so much for this awesome article! I was just diagnosed with endometriosis on Friday. I have spent the weekend reading on how to cure it naturally, as only drugs and surgery have been offered as solutions by my doctors. Do you notice any recurrence or symptoms when eating einkorn, red meat or dairy? I was reading some sources that said wheat, red meat and dairy can all contribute to endometriosis and should be avoided forever. Your thoughts would be so appreciated. Thank you for all you do to help us live healthy lives!!
Wheat, red meat and dairy are not bad foods if you get them high quality such as grassfed and organic. Dairy should only be raw or cultured. Some people are able to reintroduce without a problem. It is very individualized.
Is the Carlson’s brand of Cod liver oil ok?
It really isn’t, unfortunately. It is heat treated and the company removes much of the natural vitamin A and D so that it isn’t at therapeutic levels for endometriosis. See my shopping guide page for vetted brands that are appropriate for this purpose.
Thank you for this information! I had surgery for this that included removal of one overt and ablation throughout. My question is, was this necessary? Could I have done something to shrink or dissolve the overgrowth?