Re: An Article by B.Browne Part 1...Foods That can Help us as Endo Sufferers & Women
From: Marcia (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri Jul 13 12:08:48 2001
This is wonderful information...you are what you eat (or what you don't
eat)....this ties right in with the estrogen / phytoestrogen /diet
questions that have been here lately.
The hardest thing is trying to find a balance in our bodies for each of
us, and this points us in the right direction. The calcium intake I
knew about, but not the manganese, and the info about fat
intake...wow....Thank you for this article!
~~Marcia~~
At Fri, 13 Jul 2001, B. wrote:
>
>Part 1- Foods that can help us as endo sufferers and women
>
>Calcium Subdues Mood Swings
>Take extra calcium as a supplement..especially during PMS and menstruation.
>Foods high in calcium besides a glass of milk or dairy products
> - any green vegetables are high in calcium.
>
>Manganese
>This mineral is very important and lack of it will increase the flow of bleeding from up to 50% especially if it is lacking and when you actually have your period, the blood loss can cause you to lose anywhere from 50% to 100 % of your iron, copper, zinc and manganese.
>Eat more foods rich in manganese such as fruits(especially pineapple, which also maybe contraindicated because of problems such as IBS) Vegeatbles are also a good source, whole grains, nuts and seed " A cup of Tea also has a great deal of manganese"
>
>Fats are important
>A deficiency of fat both in diet and in the body can disrupt the normal menstrual cycle and can shut down our reproductive function.
>Infact if a woman doesn't have sufficient levels of LDL cholesterol, traditionally called "bad fats" they may not menstruate normally.
>Its sad to think that some women would wreck their chances of having children ...all from exercising fanatically, dieting and not eating any fat...al to stay thin and keep their fat levels below normal, which we know now to be very dangerous to the female reproductive system and to the body in general.While being under weight they may make themselves temporarily infertile and susceptible to fragile bones and osteoporosis in later years.
>All the similar things that happen after menopause...!
>The female hormone oestrogen, which regulates menstruation, is partly derived from fat and cholesterol. People think the ovary makes oestrogens, but the fat tissue also makes estrogens. That is an important source for over all levels of oestrogen. When your body is starved of fat it shuts down reproductive functions. Therefore, you need a certain percentage of body fat to bring about normal hormone production for normal menstrual regularity, we all need a critical amount LDL cholesterol because oestrogen is synthesised from the precursors of LDL Cholesterol. Young women with very low levels of LDL cholesterol put themselves in a hazardous situation... but this is not to say there are not other reasons for the shut down of a womans hormones.. and her periods...Other reasons like some hormonal treatments for endometriosis like the GnRh antagonist..for example Lupron, Synarel and Zoladex, as well as certain drugs like chronic pain sufferers on regular around the clock pain relief, this
>can sometimes also cause a shut down of a womans menstrual cycle but no-one knows why. What we do know is that its healthy for a womans body to want to have a period and its fine if a woman is put on birth control pills and is instructed to take them round the month..so that she misses her period, this will help to protect her body against getting brittle bones and later forming osteoporosis..It is thought that a woman with endo still needs a break from the pill just to have that release and get rid of the built up endometrium that may have developed and built up since the last time she had bleeding cycle.
>The solution is to Eat enough fat to keep fat stores and cholesterol at a sufficiently high levels to support normal regular menstruation.
>Monounsaturated fat, as in olive oil, is a good bet.
>
>PMS/PMT - Are Sweets a Cause or a Cure ?
>
>Do do some women with PMS crave carbohydtates as a "self medication" to help relieve their symptoms ? The answer is yes..Their have been many studies and research and the conclusions are Women with PMS should not deny a craving for carbohydrates..Dr Judith Wurtman from MIT Research Center ( who has carried are compelling research with women suffering PMS in all shapes and forms.) Says That the craving represents a cure to PMS..Not a cause BUT also we must realize that this means carbhydrates in modration or in small amounts for an endometriosis sufferer, not large amounts, which may very well set off an episode of IBS and this can cause alot of extra unecessary pain, bloating and diarrhoea or constipation.
>Food cravings usually mean we are in need of something, a vitamin a mineral or fats, anything that a food might contain.. that our body is crying out for, or craving.
>
>New Carbo Diet for PMS sufferers
>
>Some British doctors also agree that carbohydrates are good medicine for PMS and have even come up with a high-carbhydrate
>diet to relieve PMS symptoms. They have found..that eating a small portion od starchy high carbohydrates ( like bread, potato, pasta, oats or rice ) every three hours and within one hour before going to bed or getting up combated PMS symptoms for many sufferers but unfortunately this study and the rest have not been done on endometiosis sufferers, only women suffering PMS but it is of interest to all of us, as we must know what is normal and what helps regulate the average PMS or female suffering PMS , periods or any female or hormonal related problem.. most of us understand each other but there are exceptions to every rule..!!
>
>Another theory ... Shall we Blame Caffeine or not ?
>
>If PMS is so disabling and it upsets your life, just try giving up caffeine beverages for only a couple of months to see if the symptoms lessen.
>Dr Annette Rossignol, an associate professor of public health at Oregon State University. Dr Rossignol first noted that women in China who drank one- half to four cups of tea each day were twice as likely to have PMS as non tea-drinkers. Drinking from four and a half to eight cups a day increased their PMS incidence about tenfold. Dr Rossignol then followed up with another study of 841 female American students. Here, too, caffeine seemed to be a culprit. Those consuming at least one cup of a caffeine-containing beverage per day, such as coffee, tea or soft drink, were more prone to PMS symptoms. The more caffeine they consumed, the more severe their PMS symptoms were. Not all individuals had their PMS worsened by caffeine, some may be more sensitive to caffeine's effects than others, suggests Dr Rossignol. You can find out fairly quickly if you are so effected. " You can tell within 2 or 3 months of giving up caffeine...whether it is a contributing factor to PMS ..Says Dr Rossignol
>. How caffeine might promote PMS is still unknown
>
>Can Foods Replace Oestrogen After Menopause
>
>When women stop making oestrogen, they enter into menopause, sometimes suffering terrible, uncomfortable, unattractive and uncomfortable and sometimes horrendous side effects, such as Hot Flushes, Mood swings, Dryness everywhere. The lack of oestrogen may also boost the risk of heart distrubances and disease and osteoporosis in later years. It is possible to help overcome oestrogen depletion by eating foods that boost the bodies supply of oestrogen, thus softening the symptoms of menopause Mark Messna Ph.D. a nutritionist formerly with The American National Cancer Insitute. To What extent is unknown and it all depends on a womans individual chemical make up and responses but some research suggests eating soya beans, as well as flaxseed, can stimulate oestrogen in a postmenopausal woman.
>
>Reference Food-Your Miracle Medicine - Jean Carper 1994,2000
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