A examine revealed in Frontiers in Vitamin used information from the Nationwide Well being and Vitamin Examination Survey (NHANES) to investigate the correlation between dietary antioxidants and endometriosis.
It discovered that individuals with a analysis of endometriosis had considerably decrease consumption of key antioxidants equivalent to vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, beta-carotene and selenium.
“We discovered that CDAI [composite dietary antioxidant index] is a vital protecting issue for the chance of endometriosis, indicating that an antioxidant food regimen can play an essential position within the major prevention of endometriosis,” wrote researchers from Harbin Medical College, China.
Endometriosis and antioxidant consumption: is there a hyperlink?
The composite dietary antioxidant index is a complete rating used to evaluate the whole antioxidant consumption inside a person’s food regimen. This predominantly consists of nutritional vitamins and minerals with antioxidant results, together with nutritional vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene, as properly selenium and zinc.
Earlier research have discovered that the CDAI is carefully associated to many facets of girls’s well being. For instance, research have discovered low antioxidant consumption is linked to infertility and better consumption is related to migraine reductions and better maternal and perinatal outcomes.
Nevertheless, whereas some analysis has proven that supplementing related antioxidants can inhibit endometriosis-related signs, the connection between CDAI and endometriosis stays unclear.
What’s endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a long-term situation the place cells just like the liner of the uterus develop in different reproductive organs, such because the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Signs embrace ache in decrease stomach or again, extreme interval ache and ache throughout or after intercourse.
Whereas the precise explanation for endometriosis is unknown, some attainable causes embrace retrograde menstruation (when menstrual blood and tissue movement backward by the fallopian tubes), genetic predisposition and immune system dysfunction.
Research particulars
The examine included 4,153 girls between the ages of 20 and 54 who had stipulated whether or not they had an endometriosis analysis and supplied dietary recall information.
The evaluation revealed that the median CDAI stage of the endometriosis affected person group was decrease than that of non-endometriosis sufferers, with a unfavorable dose–response relationship between the extent of CDAI and the chance of endometriosis.
The protecting impact of excessive CDAI ranges on endometriosis had been extra pronounced in females between the ages of 30 and 39, indicating that ladies of their thirties usually tend to profit from a food regimen wealthy in antioxidants.
Along with the heightened advantages on this explicit age group, the researchers discovered that there have been sure subgroups the place antioxidants had a higher protecting impact. This included pregnant girls, low-educated girls, people who smoke and girls with a excessive BMI or weight problems.
Drawing on earlier research, the researchers recommended numerous protecting mechanisms of antioxidants. For instance, vitamin C can inhibit the adhesion and development of endometrial cells, whereas vitamin E has anti-angiogenic and anti inflammatory results. The vitamin can even scale back ranges of free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby attenuating oxidative stress and inflammatory responses.
Causation but to be established
Whereas the examine famous that the hyperlink between antioxidant consumption and endometriosis threat is obvious, it acknowledged that causation can’t be established and that ladies with endometriosis might merely have poorer diets.
The researchers subsequently known as for scientific intervention research to verify the findings and set up the true potential of those advantages.
“Potential or interventional research are required to verify the causal nature of this relationship,” they wrote. “In complete, our outcomes present an essential reference for the first prevention of endometriosis.”
Supply: Frontiers in Vitamin. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1549948. “Affiliation between the composite dietary antioxidant index and threat of endometriosis in girls: a nationwide population-based examine. ”Authors: Y. Yu, et al.
