Treating Uterine Fibroids Naturally

Research into the interrelationship of diet and fibroids is limited, but Italian investigators found that women with uterine myomas reported more frequent consumption of beef, other red meat, and ham and less frequent consumption of green vegetables, fruit, and fish. The study of 1,557 women found that eating more beef roughly doubled the risk of having fibroids, whereas eating more green vegetables cut the risk of fibroids in half.

No herb is more useful in treating fibroids than black cohosh. This widely used women’s herb contains chemicals that keep estrogen from stimulating the prolifer ation of cells, stopping the growth of fibroid tissue. Laboratory studies specifically confirm that black cohosh, unlike so many other hormone-related products, abso lutely does not stimulate the growth of cancerous cells. Unlike medications for uterine fibroids, black cohosh does not block the beneficial actions of estrogen.

Three classes of compounds in black cohosh bind to receptor sites in the reproductive tract, the brain, and other organs that otherwise would receive estrogen. This reduces overall estrogen activity when estrogen levels are high. Other compounds in black cohosh compounds block the formation of luteinizing hormone (LH), which stimulates a surge of estrogen production in the first 14 days of the menstrual period. This stimulates estrogen production when estrogen levels are low. The dual action of the herb allows it to stabilize the body’s estrogen usage.

Taking more than 3,000 milligrams of black cohosh a day may cause abdominal pain, nausea, headaches, and dizziness. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use black cohosh