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Claims about miracle foods and “natural” remedies come with the territory of practically any chronic illness, endometriosis included. After all, getting diagnosed with endo and finding out it has no proven cure can hit like a one-two punch. Learning that medical options for managing the condition are limited to hormonal drugs and surgery just piles onto the disappointment. So it only makes sense to go searching for a different answer. But is there any credence to the concept of an endometriosis diet…or at least a way to eat that helps keep symptoms at bay?
Thaïs Aliabadi, MD, a board certified ob-gyn in Beverly Hills, California, and cohost of the SHE MD podcast, is quick to reiterate that endometriosis, which occurs when endometrium-like tissue grows outside of the uterus and typically sparks intense pain, is indeed incurable. And that the only proven therapies for tamping down on pain, cramping, heavy period bleeding, and other endo symptoms again involve consistent use of hormonal medications (which can come with side effects) or surgery to remove the errant tissue (which often grows back). That said, she allows that there’s some evidence suggesting dietary changes, particularly those known to cool down inflammation, may help take the edge off symptoms for certain folks.
Case in point: The largest-ever international survey on endometriosis and diet, released in March 2025 and involving more than 2,500 people from 51 countries, found that roughly 45% of both those who reported reducing their gluten intake and those who said they cut down on dairy noted improvements in pain. Additionally, 53% of those who reported limiting alcohol and 43% of those who said they tempered caffeine noticed a dip in pain. And in former studies, folks with endo have reported positive effects like fewer or less severe symptoms and greater well-being after tweaking their diet in various ways, for instance slashing the offenders above, eating more vegetables, or following an eating plan like the low-FODMAP diet (more on this later).
The downside to all this data is that it comes from surveys—which rely on respondents to remember and accurately record what they ate and how they felt. It doesn’t provide proof that any one specific diet or food or drink can cause an endometriosis-diminishing effect across the board. For that, you’d need a randomized controlled trial—of which there are not yet conclusive ones in this space. But the upside is, while imperfect, these studies do offer real-world data from a substantial number of people that lends credence to diet as a potential endo-fighting factor. And solid science on the effects of certain nutrients in the body paints a picture of how these positive changes might occur.
Given the possible benefits and low risk of shifting your diet, it’s worth considering some of the tactics that research suggests might be impactful for endometriosis. Not to mention, it’s an empowering way to find some agency over the condition and its effect on you, Phillipa Saunders, PhD, senior author on the recent survey above and codirector of the EXPPECT Centre at the University of Edinburgh, tells SELF. And that’s a powerful thing in the face of chronic illness. Read on to learn how your diet can help diminish your endo symptoms and what kinds of changes could spark the most noticeable improvement.
The reason some foods may help with endometriosis pain boils down to inflammation.To grasp how the things you consume could impact the manifestation of endometriosis, it’s helpful to know a bit about how the condition unfolds.
Its initial genesis is not totally clear—but one prominent theory suggests that bits of endometrium (the inside lining of the uterus) shed during menstruation can flow backward through the fallopian tubes and leak into the pelvis. And if your immune system doesn’t mop up all the spillage, they can stick to other body parts and grow into the disease’s painful implants. Other explanations posit that certain abdominal cells can morph into endometrium-like cells in response to immune wonkiness or hormones like estrogen and then turn into those errant tissues. Regardless of how they show up, these patches tend to be supersensitive to estrogen, thickening up like your endometrium typically does each month and then breaking down and bleeding—only without anywhere to exit your body, which incites inflammation, Dr. Aliabadi explains. All the while, endo cells are thought to pump out their own estrogen, spurring on their growth…and more inflammation in what becomes a chaotic cycle.
Knocking down either the influx of estrogen or the inflammation can halt that vicious feedback loop and the rush of pain and discomfort it brings. Hence why birth control pills and hormonal meds that tamp down on estrogen can manage symptoms, as can anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen.
As for where diet comes into play? It’s possible that it could reduce your estrogen levels—a bit of research has suggested that fiber and certain chemicals in cruciferous veggies (like broccoli and cauliflower) can alter estrogen metabolism. But both Dr. Aliabadi and Susan Khalil, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn at Mount Sinai, note that there’s lacking evidence of a “low-estrogen diet” to meaningfully help endo. Where diet can likely bring some relief, though, is in stymying inflammation.
Both physicians point to a growing body of research suggesting an anti-inflammatory diet—high in fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts, and seeds; and low in things like ultraprocessed foods and red meat—can lessen the intensity of endo symptoms. And that makes sense: A bunch of prior research has shown that whole plant foods contain phytochemicals that act as antioxidants in the body, zapping harmful molecules called free radicals that can otherwise contribute to inflammation. Not to mention the positive influence of plant foods on your gut microbiome, or the community of microbes living in your colon. Studies have shown that loading up on fiber-rich plants can help nourish your supportive gut bugs, or probiotics, which pump out anti-inflammatory chemicals as they chow down. And growing evidence on the link between gut wonkiness and endometriosis progression suggests maintaining a thriving microbiome could really help keep symptoms in check.
What you consume can also directly diminish symptoms of “endo belly.”There’s also the role of diet in tackling the GI fallout of endo—or the bloating, gas, and bowel upset known among folks with the condition as “endo belly.” A handful of factors can cause endo to translate into gut issues: Patches of endo throughout your pelvis can swell in ways that interfere with digestion because of the simple fact that your colon is a next-door neighbor to your reproductive organs, Dr. Khalil says. Those wayward cells can even clamp onto your bowels and grow there. And more generally, the inflammatory process spurring the progression of the condition may also spark inflammation in the gut—indeed, endometriosis commonly coincides with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). So an inflammation-cooling diet could also directly mitigate certain GI symptoms.
At the same time, endo belly may also emerge from not-so-inflammatory gut conditions that often crop up alongside endo, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)—both of which are known to cause GI issues and respond to changes in diet.
Researchers think endo might put you at high risk for IBS by messing with your nervous system in a way that causes you to perceive normal gut sensations, like food moving through it, as uncomfortable. In this case, following a low-FODMAP diet, which cuts out certain carbs that tend to create more gas and fluid in your GI tract, can minimize pressure on your intestines and the painful bloaty feeling that comes with it. (Just note: Low-FODMAP is restrictive and can throw off your microbiome if you adopt it long-term, so it’s key to work with a dietitian if you’re planning on trying it.)
As for SIBO? It’s possible that inflammation from endo can slow down the movements of your gut, Dr. Aliabadi says, leading bacteria to overpopulate your small intestine. And in this scenario, limiting carbs (e.g., cutting back on gluten, dairy, and sugar) or going low-FODMAP can restrict the fuel you’re feeding that bacteria, taming some of the belly cramping and GI upset.
So which types of food are best for alleviating endometriosis symptoms?Fruits and vegetables
Plants are anti-inflammatory powerhouses, so it’s no wonder they’re among the top recommendations from both Dr. Aliabadi and Dr. Khalil, and they are consistently highlighted in endo-diet research. In particular, you want to load up on fruits and veggies that are rich in antioxidants. Foods packed with vitamin C (like citrus fruits, brussels sprouts, and red pepper) or vitamin E (e.g., mango, spinach, and avocado) fit the bill. Berries, dark leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots, and apples also contain a bunch of antioxidants with anti-inflammatory capabilities.
There’s also ample reason to consume a big variety of plants. Different plants supply you with different antioxidants that can pack a greater anti-inflammatory punch together. Plus, research suggests your gut microbiome can really flourish when you feed all those bugs a diverse diet. Just note: Some fruits and vegetables are also high in those potentially tough-to-digest FODMAPs. These include asparagus, apples, pears, mangos, and peas, for starters. So if you’re dealing with endo belly (or have IBS or SIBO too), it may be worth digging into possible fruit or veg triggers with a registered dietitian.
Fatty fish, like salmon and tuna
These protein sources are full of a healthy fat called omega-3, which Dr. Aliabadi suggests loading up on. The reason why? It’s a potent inflammation-buster, shown to reduce certain pro-inflammatory compounds while elevating anti-inflammatory ones. Research suggests increasing omega-3 consumption may be linked with less pain in folks with endometriosis, and multiple studies have pointed to a lower risk of endometriosis in people who take in higher amounts of the healthy fat.
Oily fish (which, BTW, also includes mackerel, sardines, anchovies, and trout) contain a good deal of vitamin D too, which may have its own anti-endo effects, perhaps via tamping down on inflammation or acting on cells in a way that slows the growth of endometriosis tissue.
Nuts and seeds
Like fatty fish, nuts and seeds—particularly walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds—are rich in omega-3s, delivering a healthy dose of the anti-inflammatory benefits noted above. These foods, as well as sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and pistachios, are also great sources of the aforementioned antioxidant superstar vitamin E.
A note on supplements…
Could you get the nutrients highlighted above in supplement form? Sure. And there’s a bit of research to suggest popping a fish oil capsule (rich in omega-3) or supplementing with either vitamin D or a combo of vitamins C and E could help mitigate pelvic pain from endo—but all of these results either weren’t significantly different from the placebo or occurred in small studies that haven’t been replicated, or both. It’s notoriously tough to know if you’re actually getting what the label promises for any supplement, given they’re not regulated by the FDA. And experts agree, you’re always better off getting nutrients from food, where they’re found in their most usable form. (This way, you’re also getting other healthy components of the whole food that might contribute to its endo-busting effect versus just a single isolated nutrient.)
Which foods and drinks could worsen endometriosis symptoms?Red meats and processed meats
A handful of studies have identified links between consumption of red meat or processed meats (like hotdogs, salami, and bacon) and endometriosis risk. The largest and most recent one found that eating two or more servings of red meat a day was associated with a 57% spike in risk of endo (compared to people eating a max of one serving a week), while eating five or more servings of processed red meat a week was linked with a 20% increase in risk relative to people who ate virtually none. These results don’t prove that red meat causes or worsens endometriosis—but researchers suspect it could exacerbate it by notching up inflammation and estrogen levels, in part due to its high amount of a saturated fat called palmitic acid.
Ultraprocessed foods
Engineered for can’t-have-just-one palatability, ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are packaged items (like instant noodles, cookies, and chips) typically infused with a lot of sugar, salt, and saturated fat—all of which can drive up inflammation and may in turn exacerbate endo symptoms. What’s more, some commonly used sweeteners in UPFs, like high-fructose corn syrup and sugar alcohols, fall in the FODMAP bucket and so could pile on the bloating and discomfort in folks with endo belly.
There are also foods and drinks that fall into the “maybe, for some people” category.Dairy
Dairy often gets villainized—but to set the record straight, there’s no good evidence that it causes inflammation in folks without a milk protein allergy. It can trigger a great deal of bloating and GI upset in people with lactose intolerance, but again, that’s not indicative of any inflammatory effect writ large. In fact, dairy intake, specifically yogurt and cheese, might even help lower inflammation and lessen endo symptoms by upping your levels of vitamin D and calcium. Research shows that consuming roughly three servings of dairy a day is linked with lower risk of the condition.
That said, science also points to ways in which dairy might worsen endo—after all, like red meat, it contains the not-so-supportive animal fat palmitic acid. That could be why high consumption of butter, a concentrated source of animal fat, is linked with an elevated risk of endometriosis (even if overall dairy intake shows the opposite association). Not to mention, the lactose in dairy is a FODMAP, which could worsen endo belly in some folks.
It’s also hard to ignore the substantial crew of respondents in the recent endometriosis survey who reported benefits from cutting out dairy. Some of that effect could have been placebo, given how commonly dairy is advised against in elimination diets for endo and the popularity of the dairy-causes-inflammation myth. But regardless, less pain is…less pain, and future research could still uncover new reasons for that.
Gluten-containing foods like bread and pasta
Much like with dairy, gluten has gotten a bad rap, inflammation-wise. But outside of folks with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, there’s no conclusive evidence that gluten consumption triggers inflammation. Similarly, research on endo and gluten hasn’t determined a consistent link; the one study for which people were instructed to go gluten-free and report back after a year did suggest this change could alleviate symptoms. But it excluded data from folks who dropped out due to side effects (which could’ve skewed results) and didn’t include a placebo control, so it’s tough to say whether the effects were just because people expected cutting gluten would help them. Hence why researchers have recently noted the lack of evidence for a gluten-free diet to help with endo.
And yet, the large recent survey and others assessing real-world effects of diet on endo symptoms suggest plenty of people experience relief from limiting gluten. A chunk of that might be placebo. Some people noticing benefits of going gluten-free could have undiagnosed celiac, given the overlap in symptoms. Others might be sensitive to the FODMAPs in wheat, rather than the gluten itself. In any case, if you have endo belly in particular, it might be worth reducing your gluten intake for a brief period to see if you notice any shifts.
Alcohol
The research on alcohol and endometriosis is hazy, mostly because studies assessing usage and symptoms can’t typically tease out whether the booze preceded disease progression or if people dealing with the constant pain of endo are more likely to tap alcohol to cope. Nonetheless, alcohol is well-known to spike inflammation in the body, in part by messing with the integrity of the gut lining. It’s also a proven GI irritant (hello, hangover dumps) and a common trigger for IBS symptoms. No wonder cutting back on booze was the dietary change that helped the most people in the recent survey.
Caffeine
The data is fuzzy here too. A couple research reviews have noted a lack of evidence for a link between caffeine intake and endo risk, while a study looking at data from a multiyear survey found that both high and low levels of caffeine consumption may correlate with greater risk…. Suggesting that about 170 mg per day (roughly two cups of coffee) is the goldilocks amount.
These mixed results underscore a few competing mechanisms: On the one hand, caffeine might have certain anti-inflammatory effects, as do antioxidants in coffee (one of the key ways it’s consumed). But on the other hand, it can send your gut muscles into overdrive, prompting GI upset and diarrhea that could worsen endo belly. And as Dr. Saunders points out, it’s a well-known anxiety trigger for some and can get in the way of sleep—both effects that can make an endo flare feel that much worse. So if you’re a consistent caffeine-consumer, it may just be worth lessening your intake a bit.
The bottom line is there’s no one-size-fits-all endometriosis diet—but it’s worth experimenting with the tweaks above.For every person who finds that their diet influences their endo, there will be another who doesn’t. Even the recent survey pinpointing popular dietary solutions didn’t uncover any one change (whether adding in or cutting out a particular food or drink) that seemed to help everyone. And that’s not surprising: Endo is a complex disease that presents in many distinct ways, and different bodies respond uniquely to various foods.
Still, there’s enough data to suggest trying out the dietary modifications above—at least the ones that feel practical for your lifestyle, Dr. Khalil notes. That’s where working with a registered dietitian to personalize your approach and figure out what works for you can be super helpful, she adds. Just remember: Nutritional changes are always something to pair with medical care, Dr. Aliabadi says, and shouldn’t replace it. Without treatment, endo pain can become seriously debilitating and even cause infertility, she notes. So long as you’re staying in regular contact with your ob-gyn, though, adjusting your diet can soften the grip of your symptoms—and help shift the power back into your hands.
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