Private MD News

Healthy fats linked to reduced risk of endometriosis

Category: Infertitlity Hormone Testing

Women with the highest intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may be less likely to develop endometriosis than those who consumed low levels of the nutrient, a recent study has found.

Endometriosis is a debilitating and often painful condition that causes pieces of the uterine lining to grow outside of the womb. The disease, which commonly predicates infertility, currently affects approximately 10 percent of U.S. women.

In the study, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston analyzed dietary data taken from nearly 71,000 U.S. nurses between 1989 and 2001, finding that nearly 1,199 women had been diagnosed with the condition in that time.

After comparing the results of the dietary questionnaires to the incidences of endometriosis, the investigators found that women who consumed the highest the highest levels of omega-3s were 22 percent less likely to develop the condition than those with the lowest intake of the nutrient.

Furthermore, they discovered that women who ate the most trans fats had a 48 percent increased risk of being diagnosed with endometriosis than women who consumed the least, Reuters reports.