Osińska, D., Woźniak, A., & Woźniak, S. (2026). The Role of Nutrition on the Pathogenesis of Endometriosis. Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18040646
Osińska D, Woźniak A, Woźniak S. The Role of Nutrition on the Pathogenesis of Endometriosis. Nutrients. 2026. doi:10.3390/nu18040646
Osińska, Dominika, et al. "The Role of Nutrition on the Pathogenesis of Endometriosis." Nutrients, 2026.
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Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may ease endometriosis pain
A scoping review found that eating more fruits and vegetables may ease endometriosis pain. The authors mapped diet studies from a ten-year window without pooling results. Evidence on dairy, gluten, fat and body weight was mixed or thin.
Key Findings
In a 2023 pilot study of 62 participants, women on a low-FODMAP or endometriosis diet reported less bloating and better scores in six of eleven quality-of-life domains than controls at 6 months.
Dairy and gluten studies disagreed. A 2021 study tied cutting dairy to less pain, while a 2020 study of 156 women tied dairy plant compounds to lower risk.
Vitamin B studies disagreed. A 2023 case–control study tied higher dietary vitamins B6, B2 and B12 to lower risk. Other studies tied high vitamin B6 levels to higher prevalence.
For curcumin, the review reports lower TNFα and VEGF expression in endometriotic cells. It also cites studies where curcumin paired with other compounds went with pain relief and fewer post-surgery recurrences.
Interpretation
The review covers diet studies published from 2014 to 2024. One reviewer screened and extracted the studies. The protocol was unregistered and no risk-of-bias assessment was done. The authors list missing blinding and missing control groups among the main limits of the intervention studies. Such designs show associations and patterns. Some findings come from cultured human cells. The authors ask for randomized controlled trials using standard methods.
RRM Context
Excision is the surgical standard for endometriosis, and the review tests no diet against excision. Restorative reproductive medicine looks for the cause of pain and infertility in both partners. Findings on inflammation and oxidative stress fit that interest in how the body works.
Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.
Abstract
Background
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory gynecological disease affecting approximately 10% of women of reproductive age and is associated with pelvic pain, infertility, and reduced quality of life. Increasing evidence suggests that diet may influence endometriosis development and symptom severity through modulation of inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormone metabolism. This scoping review aimed to map current evidence on the role of nutrition in endometriosis.
Methods
This scoping review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PubMed and Scopus were searched for original human studies published in English between 2014 and 2024. Eligible studies examined dietary patterns, food groups, micronutrients, bioactive compounds, body mass index, or fat consumption in relation to endometriosis risk, progression, or symptoms.
Results
Diets rich in fruits and vegetables, including Mediterranean and low-FODMAP dietary patterns, were associated with reduced pain symptoms and improved quality of life. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, particularly vitamins C and D, zinc, and curcumin, were linked to modulation of oxidative stress, inflammation, angiogenesis, and cellular proliferation. Evidence regarding dairy intake, gluten, carbohydrates, dietary fat, and BMI was inconsistent or limited. Considerable heterogeneity across study designs and outcome measures was observed.
Conclusions
Dietary factors may contribute to the modulation of endometriosis-related symptoms and underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Nutrients with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties appear promising as complementary, non-invasive strategies; however, methodological heterogeneity highlights the need for high-quality randomized controlled trials.
Lifestyle and Environment › Nutrition and Metabolic Health › Dietary Patterns · Endometriosis › Pathophysiology › Origin Theories · Clinical Guidelines and Standards › Diagnostic Criteria and Classification › Staging and Classification Systems
Dominika Osińska, Andrzej Woźniak, Sławomir Woźniak
D Osińska, A Woźniak, S Woźniak
PMID 41754163 41754163 DOI 10.3390/nu18040646 10.3390/nu18040646 Osińska et al. 2026, Osińska 2026
