Up to 80% of women may get fibroids during their reproductive years, and around a third of those will experience uncomfortable symptoms including pelvic pain, frequent urination, and heavy periods. (1) If you’ve recently been diagnosed with fibroids or are experiencing a common symptom of fibroids, you might be wondering what medical treatment is available to help you get rid of them. There are a few natural things you can do to shrink fibroids and reduce your risk for fibroids. Check out these natural remedies and alternative therapies to help you deal with pesky fibroids.

What Are Uterine Fibroids?

Fibroids are muscular, benign tumors that can grow in the wall of your uterus. Fibroid size can vary, but fibroids of all sizes can cause discomfort and pain. Fibroids are almost always noncancerous tumors; in fact, they are the most common gynecological growth among premenopausal women. (2)

Scientists aren’t sure why fibroids develop, but it’s believed that stem cells in the smooth muscular tissues of the uterus might eventually collect to form fibroids. There are a few things that put you at risk for fibroids, including obesity, a lack of adequate exercise, and a diet high in sugar and processed foods.

Fibroid Development

Precisely why uterine fibroids develop is not known, but some research suggests they can be caused by: (3)

1. Hormonal Imbalance—If your body is overloaded with estrogen or progesterone, you might have an increased risk of fibroids. (4) Post-menopausal women are less likely to develop fibroids than women who have not yet gone through menopause.
2. Genes—Your fibroid risk might run in the family.
3. High Concentration of Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)—Research suggests that having a high concentration or overexpression of the protein TGF may encourage the growth of fibroids. (5)

Fibroid Symptoms

For many people, uterine fibroids cause no symptoms at all. But for others, a fibroid growth can cause extreme discomfort that impacts their quality of life. Some common symptoms of people with fibroid tumors include: (6)

• Heavy menstrual bleeding
• Painful periods
• Lower back pain
• Abdominal pain
• Needing to urinate frequently
• Pain during sex
• Enlarged lower abdomen
• Depression

Natural Treatments for Uterine Fibroids

If you seek medical treatment for fibroids, your doctor might recommend that you go on a hormonal contraceptive, like the pill, to help manage your symptoms. Because a major cause of fibroids is an imbalance in your body’s hormone levels, finding a way to balance hormones can help relieve symptoms, which is where hormonal contraceptives come in. However, some people don’t like the thought of taking a pill or having an intrauterine device inserted and would prefer to manage fibroids another way. It’s also possible to get fibroids surgically removed with fibroid removal surgery or a hysterectomy, but the process can be painful, and pre-menopausal women may not be ready for a hysterectomy.

If you’re wondering about natural, effective treatment for fibroids, you’ve come to the right place. There are 4 broad things you can do to shrink fibroids and reduce your fibroid risk.

The 4 Essential Stages of Fibroid Treatment

Whether you have a history of fibroids, are looking to reduce symptoms, or just want to avoid developing them in the first place, focus on these 4 strategies.

1. Reduce Your Estrogen Overload

An imbalance in the hormone level of estrogen can cause fibroids, so it makes sense that reducing the amount of estrogen in your body can help manage them! There are a few natural ways you can influence your body’s estrogen levels without taking medication, and most involve making changes in your diet plan.

For example, taking natural supplements and herbal remedies like magnesium, vitamin B6, maca, milk thistle (a strong detoxification agent), choline, taurine, and calcium-D glucarate can naturally regulate the balance of hormones in your body, including reducing an excess of estrogen, when necessary.

A balanced diet high in fiber can help balance your body’s estrogen level by removing excess estrogen via digestion. (7) Fiber also regulates blood sugar levels, which is important for maintaining hormonal balance. Some great sources of fiber you can add to your daily diet are:

• Turnips
• Peas
• Green vegetables like Brussels sprouts
• Avocados
• Berries8
• Coconut
• Flax seeds
• Nuts
• Veggies containing starch (sweet potatoes, plantains, etc.)

Royal jelly, a milk-like secretion produced by worker honeybees, has been found to mimic estrogen; consuming it can help protect you from estrogen dominance.

Taking dietary supplements and consuming a healthy diet can help balance your hormones, but it also helps to avoid consuming some items that can cause hormonal imbalance. For example, eating non-organic beef and dairy can increase the amounts of estrogen in your body because conventional farms usually feed the livestock with estrogenic drugs, which increase your body’s estrogen levels when you eat them. Instead, choose organic dairy and protein sources when possible.

Additionally, drinking water from public supplies can boost your body’s estrogen because some chemicals, like chlorine and other industrial chemicals, can contain xenoestrogens (foreign estrogens). (9) Drink filtered water instead of public tap water to reduce your risk of hormonal imbalance.

2. Improve Your Lymphatic Drainage

Lymphatic drainage techniques help you increase circulation of lymph throughout your body and remove excess wastes from your blood. Ayurveda, a natural system of medicine practiced most commonly in India whose techniques and tenets include lymphatic drainage and internal purification, has been shown to decrease fibroids in women in one study. (10)

To naturally improve your lymphatic drainage:

• Drink lots of water. Water is a natural detoxifier that can remove wastes out of your body.
• Exercise more. Regular exercise improves blood flow, so it makes sense that it improves the flow of lymph throughout your body as well.
• Consume nutrient-rich foods like fruits and veggies, and supplement your diet with herbs like turmeric and red root. (11) These foods can boost digestion and help promote fat and toxin removal from the body.

3. Reduce Your Gut Inflammation

A properly functioning digestive system is essential to removing toxins, waste, and excess hormones from your body, all of which can help reduce the presence of fibroids. But in order for your digestive system to work well, you need to properly balance your gut microbiome. (12) You have good and bad bacteria residing in your gut—ensuring good bacteria is nourished and bad bacteria is reduced can help your digestive system to do its job well. To support your gut microbiome, try:

• Taking supplements with natural ingredients like fish oil, evening primrose oil, and turmeric, which can reduce inflammation in your gut
• Adding probiotics to your diet, which help support the good bacteria in your gut13
• Getting enough Vitamin D in your diet, since it’s shown to combat gut inflammation14
• Eating anti-inflammatory foods, like:
  .Berries such as grapes and cherries
  .Veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower
  .Olive oil
  .Coconut oil

If you’re struggling with persistent bloating and gut inflammation, you can also try an elimination diet to help you pinpoint what your body is reacting to. Try cutting out soy, gluten, citrus fruits, or dairy to see if one of these items is causing your persistent inflammation.

4. Boost Your Liver Function

A healthy liver can maintain and regulate your body’s hormones, helping with fibroids. (15) Keep your liver healthy by:

• Limiting or even eliminating alcohol from your daily life.
• Drinking green tea—it contains powerful compounds called catechins that act as antioxidants, reducing liver inflammation and improving your liver function.
• Reducing your consumption of fat- and carbohydrate-rich foods to boost liver function
• Filling your grocery cart with leafy greens, since they contain antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties.
• Cooking with fresh herbs like coriander, parsley, and oregano—these herbs boost glutathione, which is used to treat liver diseases. (16)

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