Endometriosis is a painful condition where tissue grows in the wrong places inside a woman’s body. Researchers studied 200 women to see how food choices and hormone treatments affected their pain and ability to work or study. They found that women taking hormone therapy had more severe pain than those not taking it. Interestingly, what women ate made a big difference too—women not on hormone therapy who ate lots of sugary foods had more trouble concentrating and missed more work, while women on hormone therapy who ate more nuts and vegetables had more absences. This suggests that both medication and diet choices matter for managing endometriosis symptoms.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How different foods and hormone treatments affect pain and daily life in women with endometriosis, a condition where tissue grows outside the uterus causing pain.
  • Who participated: 200 women between ages 18 and 47 with endometriosis. Half were taking hormone therapy (medication to manage symptoms), and half were not.
  • Key finding: Women taking hormone therapy reported more severe pain (8 out of 10 vs. 7 out of 10) and missed more work or school. Women not on hormone therapy who ate sugary foods and drinks had more trouble concentrating and missed more days. Women on hormone therapy who ate more nuts and vegetables had more absences.
  • What it means for you: If you have endometriosis, your food choices may help manage symptoms, but the effect depends on whether you’re taking hormone therapy. Reducing sugary foods might help with focus and attendance if you’re not on medication. This is early research, so talk to your doctor before making major diet changes.

The Research Details

Researchers recruited 200 women with endometriosis and split them into two groups: 100 women not taking hormone therapy and 100 women taking hormone therapy. All women answered detailed questionnaires about their pain levels, what they ate, and how their symptoms affected their work, school, and daily life. The researchers used a pain scale (VAS) where women rated their pain from 0 to 10, and a food frequency questionnaire to track what they typically ate. This type of study is called cross-sectional, meaning researchers looked at everyone at one point in time rather than following them over months or years.

This approach is important because it shows real-world patterns in how women with endometriosis actually live and eat. By comparing women on and off hormone therapy, researchers could see whether medication changes how food affects symptoms. The questionnaire method allowed researchers to gather information from many women without expensive lab tests.

This study has some strengths: it included a decent number of participants (200 women) and looked at both medication and diet together. However, because it’s a snapshot in time rather than following women over months, we can’t be completely sure about cause-and-effect. The study relied on women remembering what they ate, which can be imperfect. The results suggest patterns worth exploring but aren’t definitive proof.

What the Results Show

Women taking hormone therapy reported significantly more pain (median score of 8 out of 10) compared to women not on hormone therapy (score of 7 out of 10). This might seem like a small difference, but it was noticeable enough to matter. Women on hormone therapy also reported more frequent problems at work or school—they missed more days and had more disruptions to their work performance. In contrast, women not on hormone therapy had better work attendance overall. The researchers found these differences were statistically significant, meaning they’re unlikely to be due to chance alone.

Diet patterns showed interesting differences between the two groups. In women not taking hormone therapy, eating more sugar, honey, sweet cereals, and sweetened beverages was linked to missing work or school and having trouble concentrating. This suggests that sugary foods might make symptoms worse for this group. Surprisingly, in women taking hormone therapy, those who reported missing work actually ate more nuts and vegetables—the opposite of what researchers expected. This unexpected finding suggests that hormone therapy might change how diet affects symptoms in ways researchers don’t fully understand yet.

Previous research has shown that endometriosis causes inflammation in the body, and diet can either increase or decrease inflammation. This study supports the idea that anti-inflammatory foods (like nuts and vegetables) might help, though the results were mixed. The finding that hormone therapy increases pain levels somewhat contradicts some earlier studies, suggesting that different women respond differently to the same treatment. This research adds to growing evidence that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for endometriosis.

This study has several important limitations. First, it’s a snapshot—researchers only looked at women once, so they couldn’t track whether diet changes actually improved symptoms over time. Second, women had to remember what they ate, which isn’t always accurate. Third, the study didn’t measure inflammation levels in the blood or other biological markers, so we don’t know the actual mechanism behind the findings. Fourth, the unexpected finding about nuts and vegetables in the hormone therapy group suggests something more complex is happening that the study didn’t fully explain. Finally, all participants were volunteers, which might mean they’re different from women with endometriosis who didn’t participate.

The Bottom Line

If you have endometriosis and are not taking hormone therapy, consider reducing sugary foods, sweet cereals, honey, and sweetened drinks—this may help you concentrate better and miss fewer work or school days. If you’re taking hormone therapy, the picture is less clear from this study, so talk with your doctor about diet. These recommendations have moderate confidence because the study is early-stage research. Always discuss dietary changes with your healthcare provider, especially if you’re managing a chronic condition.

Women with endometriosis should pay attention to these findings, particularly those not on hormone therapy who struggle with concentration or frequently miss work. Women considering hormone therapy should know that this study suggests it may increase pain levels, though it might help with other aspects of the condition—discuss this with your doctor. Healthcare providers treating endometriosis should consider asking patients about their diet and discussing how food choices might affect their specific situation.

If you reduce sugary foods, you might notice improvements in concentration and energy within 2-4 weeks, though pain relief typically takes longer—usually 4-8 weeks of consistent dietary changes. Everyone’s body is different, so some women may see benefits faster or slower. Keep a symptom diary for at least 6-8 weeks to track whether changes are helping.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Log daily sugar intake (grams) and pain levels (0-10 scale) along with work/school attendance and concentration quality. Track this for at least 4 weeks to see patterns between what you eat and how you feel.
  • Set a goal to replace one sugary drink or snack per day with nuts, vegetables, or water. Start small—this might mean swapping one soda for sparkling water or replacing one sweet snack with almonds. Track this swap in the app to build the habit.
  • Create a weekly summary view showing your average pain level, sugar intake, and work attendance. Look for patterns each week—do high-sugar days correlate with missed work or concentration problems? Share this data with your doctor at appointments to guide treatment decisions.

This research is preliminary and shows associations, not definitive cause-and-effect relationships. Endometriosis is a serious medical condition requiring professional diagnosis and treatment. Do not use dietary changes as a replacement for medical care. Always consult with your gynecologist or healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes or stopping any prescribed medications. This article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Individual responses to diet and treatment vary widely, and what works for one person may not work for another.