Endometriosis and Menorrhagia
Endometriosis occurs when the endometrium does not slough off
normally at menstruation. It is usually accompanied by
menorrhagia (heavy bleeding), severe menstrual cramps, and
pain with defecation, intercourse and even ovulation. In
severe cases the endometrium or lining of the uterus migrates
to other sites such as the intestines and the bladder. The islands of
the endometrium cause pain when they go through the cycle of
menses and bleed as if they were normal uterine tissue. Cysts
and fibroid tumors are common side effects.
It is thought that endometriosis and related disorders are associated
with a disruption in the estrogen-progesterone cycle,
resulting in high levels of estrogen and low levels of
progesterone. In monkeys, exposure to dioxin, which is an
estrogen-like compound, resulted in moderate to severe
endometriosis. In horses, endometrial fibrosis
has been treated successfully with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which
is approved for use in animals but not in humans.
Orthodox treatment includes estrogen-blocking drugs, such as
Danocrine, and laser treatment of the endometrium.
Unfortunately Danocrine can provoke many side effects,
including weight gain, fatigue, dizziness, headaches, acne,
increased facial hair, pelvic and back pain, breast problems,
cramps, hot flashes, depression, rashes and allergies. When
laser treatment is not successful, the only remaining surgical option
is hysterectomy. In fact, the leading cause of hysterectomy is
excessive bleeding, often associated with endometriosis.
Most popular books on endometriosis warn patients not to eat animal
foods such as butter, liver and eggs because these contain
arachidonic acid, a long-chain fatty acid which serves as the
substrate for localized tissue hormones-called
prostaglandins-that provoke inflammation. Actually
endometriosis is not really an inflammation of the type that occurs
after an injury; and arachidonic acid also serves as the
substrate for prostaglandins that counteract inflammation.
The irony-actually the tragedy-of this advice is that animal
foods like butter, liver and eggs are excellent sources of
vitamin A. And endometriosis and excessive bleeding respond
very well to vitamin A therapy. In South Africa, vitamin A
has been used as standard practice for the treatment of menorrhagia
(excessive bleeding) since 1977 with a 92 percent cure rate!
Virtually every popular book dealing with women's health contains fundamental misinformation on vitamin A,
asserting that vitamin A from animal foods is toxic and recommending
carotenes from plant sources instead. Typical of the confusion
about vitamin A is this statement from a book on
endometriosis: "Vitamin A taken too enthusiastically can be
toxic, since it is stored in the liver. Beta-carotene,
however, is not converted into vitamin A unless the body
requires it, and you cannot suffer from toxic levels of it."
Actually natural vitamin A from cod liver oil and other animal sources
is not toxic except in very large amounts. The liver is
exquisitely designed to store vitamin A so that this vital
nutrient is available in times of scarcity.
Many conditions
prevent the conversion of beta-carotenes into true vitamin A,
including low thyroid function; and even individuals who
convert beta-carotene easily cannot obtain optimum amounts from
plant foods. Finally, both synthetic vitamin A and synthetic beta-carotenes can be toxic. Yet books on women's health usually recommend supplements containing the synthetic forms.
Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, potassium, iron and good
quality protein are all recommended for endometriosis and
related conditions. Yet the body cannot absorb these minerals
and protein without adequate amounts of natural, animal
sources of vitamin A and D in the diet. Iron deficiency is a
critical problem for women suffering from heavy bleeding but
iron cannot be absorbed without adequate vitamin A. Many women have reported that bleeding worsened when iron was given without supplementation with vitamin A.
Wise Choices, Healthy Bodies: Diet for the Prevention of Women's Diseases
Written by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD -2000
