Uterine fibroids (also called uterine leiomyomas) are extremely common. In fact, about 75 percent of women experience them at some point in their lives.
They are common, noncancerous growths that develop in the uterus associated with menstrual cramps, backaches, and other discomforts.
Simply changing your diet can help you reduce the risk of having fibroid especially if a history of fibroid in your family. Here are 5 healthy ways you can avoid the risk of developing fibroid:
1. Stick to a Mediterranean diet
Add plenty of fresh and cooked green vegetables, fresh fruit, legumes, and fish to your plate. A Mediterranean diet is one way to do this. Research shows that eating these foods regularly may help lower your risk of fibroid. On the other hand, eating beef, ham, lamb, and other red meat may raise your risk.
2. Reduce or stop your alcohol consumption
Drinking any type of alcohol may increase your risk of fibroid. This can happen because alcohol raises the level of hormones needed for fibroid to grow. Alcohol may also trigger inflammation. One study found that women who drank one or more beers a day increased their risk by more than 50 percent. Avoid or limit alcohol to help reduce your risk.
3. Get adequate vitamin D
Vitamin D may help reduce your risk of fibroid by 32 percent. Your body makes this “sunshine vitamin” naturally when your skin’s exposed to sunlight. If you have darker skin or live in cooler climates, you’re more likely to be deficient. Ensure you eat foods like egg yolk, cheese, cod liver oil and fatty fish such as tuna and salmon.
4. Have a balanced estrogen level
Estrogen is a hormone important for healthy fertility in both women and men. However, too much estrogen can increase your risk for fibroid or even make them worse. You can balance your estrogen level by losing weight if you are obese because obesity increases the risks of having fibroid. The fats cells in our body produce excess estrogen, so losing weight can help to prevent r slow down the growth of fibroids.
5. Develop a balanced blood pressure
Developing a balanced blood pressure will help you reduce the risk of having fibroid. You can achieve this by exercising daily, increase your potassium by eating a majority of plants at each meal, avoid salt in your food as best as possible, limit high-sodium processed and packaged foods and don’t forget to check your blood pressure daily with a home monitor.
