Fibroids: Nutritional Considerations

Diets low in fat and high in fiber, such as vegetarian diets, have the ability to reduce blood hormone concentrations and may decrease the risk and progression of fibroids. Studies have found higher risk for fibroids in women who eat red meat more often than most women, and in women who are overweight, as described below. However, this does not necessarily mean that a diet change, even if effective, will improve symptoms rapidly enough to avoid the need for other treatments.

Here are the dietary factors linked to fibroid risk in research studies:

• Red meat consumption: Available evidence suggests that women who eat more than one serving per day of red meat have a 70 percent greater risk for fibroids, compared with women who eat less (or no) red meat. Further, women who eat more than one serving per day of green vegetables may have as much as a 50 percent lower risk.
• Weight gain: A greater number of women with fibroids are obese, compared with the general population. In the Black Women’s Health Study, the risk of fibroids appeared to increase in women as their weight increased. In this study, the women at highest risk were those who were moderately overweight (body mass index (BMI) of 27.5 to 29.9); their risk increased by nearly 50 percent.
• Alcohol: Alcohol appears to increase the risk for fibroids. This risk increases with the number of years an individual has consumed alcohol and specifically with beer consumption. Compared with women who abstained from alcohol, those who had one or more drinks of beer per day had more than a 50 percent increased risk.