Nutritional supplements could transform endometriosis pain management

A recent comprehensive review of clinical studies published in the ‘Journal of Gynecology Obstetrics and Human Reproduction' shed light on the potential benefits of oral nutritional supplements for alleviating endometriosis-related pain. Endometriosis, known for causing severe pain and discomfort in women, often proves challenging to manage due to the variable effectiveness and potential side effects of current treatments. This has spurred growing interest in incorporating nutritional supplements as an adjunctive therapy.

The review analyzed 20 studies (of which 12 were randomized controlled trials, non-comparative trials, and observational studies) using specific keywords, published from 2013 to 2023 on the Pubmed and MEDLINE databases. Researchers explored the impact of various supplements—such as vitamins, fatty acids, probiotics, medicinal plants, and bioactive compounds—on pain associated with endometriosis.

Results indicated that several supplements significantly reduced pain:

• Vitamins in 3 out of 5 studies
• Fatty acids in 4 out of 6 studies
• Bioactive compounds in 5 out of 6 studies
• Probiotics in 1 study
• Medicinal plants in 2 studies

These supplements proved to have positive effects through their anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, antioxidant and antiangiogenic properties, as mentioned by the study authors.