Uterine Fibroid Tumors

There are specific foods that cause fibroids to grow, and if you would like to shrink your fibroids naturally, you will need to avoid eating these.  In a previous articles, I explained the link between fibroids and estrogen, and xenoestrogens and fibroids.  I’m going to continue this theme by telling you which types of foods will make fibroids worse.

Meat, Fish & Dairy Products

Eating animals that are high in the food chain can increase your exposure to xenoestrogens.  For example, eating large fish that survive by eating smaller fish.  This is because microscopic creatures eat algae already been contaminated with the chemicals, so they accumulate the chemicals in their bodies.  Because these chemicals are artificially created, animals are not able to break them down and neutralize them, so instead accumulate them in their bodies. 

These microscopic creatures are eaten by the smallest of fish, which then accumulate even more of the chemicals, and they’re eaten by larger fish, which accumulate even more of the chemicals.  Xenoestrogens accumulate in fatty tissue, which means that each animal in the food chain substantially increases its xenoestrogen levels by eating smaller animals.  Since we’re at the top of the food chain, we are most likely to be affected.

This is one of the reasons why women who eat less animal products are less likely to have fibroids, and if they do have fibroids, they’re less likely to suffer from the symptoms of fibroids.

I talked a lot about fish, but red meat and dairy products, especially when they come from non-organic sources, can make fibroids grow, and aggravate the symptoms of fibroids.  This is because commercial farmers add synthetic hormones, antibiotics and drugs to the feed given to livestock, so they can grow fast, gain weight and be sold for a high price.

The chemicals fed and injected into livestock are transferred to you whenever you eat meat from non-organic sources, or consume dairy products that come from non-organic sources, or consume dairy products that come from non-organic milk.

Many of these chemicals are xenoestrogens and others are growth hormones.   You’d never take a supplement containing artificial estrogens and growth hormones, but whenever you eat commercial meat and dairy, you’re consuming these substances indirectly. 

Fruits & Vegetables

Non-organic vegetables and fruit, especially those imported from overseas, where regulations are not as strict, are a common source of xenoestrogens.  Commercial produce, is typically sprayed several times in its lifecycle with chemical herbicides and pesticides in order to protect the crops from disease and being eaten by insects. 

The most dangerous of these chemicals are no longer used in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, but they’re still used in other countries around the world.  At the moment, it is possible for supermarkets to import overseas produce sprayed with dangerous chemicals, or for food manufacturers to use these fruits and vegetables as ingredients for their packaged foods.

Packaged foods, especially those that are not organic are likely to contain xenoestrogens, this is due to the food preservatives, artificial colourings, flavorings and other additives put in the foods.  They’re also stored for several weeks in plastic containers, and since many packaged foods have a high fat content, you’re likely to consume estrogenic chemicals that have melted into the fats.

Food Storage & Preparation

Plastics are a major source of xenoestrogens, particularly when you  store your food and water in plastic.  The worst type is the soft platic wraps like clingfilm or saran wrap, which is more likely to leak xenoestrogens into your foods.  Xenoestrogens, as with most chemicals, are fat-soluble, so wrapping fatty foods in plastic will almost guarantee that these chemicals will get into your food. 

Similarly, heating your food in plastics, especially in the microwave, and keeping plastic boottles of water in the sun or near heat, can dissolve xenoestrogens into your food and water.  

But that’s not all!  In the next article, I’m going to tell you which products in your home are causing your fibroids to grow out of control.

Researchers have linked uterine fibroids with xenoestrogens, which are estrogen mimickers – artificial chemicals that can fit into estrogen receptors, and can cause 

Contaminated water is a prime source of xenoestrogens, as lakes and rivers near chemical processing plants where waste products are dumped, have been noted to have an extraordinary effect on the wildlife that live in the water. 

Researchers at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans have linked estrogenic toxins in the environment to uterine diseases such as fibroids and endometriosis.

They found that male fish, turtles and frogs in detergent-contaminated water started to develop female characteristics, such as ovaries, and decided to see whether the contaminated water affected mammals.

The researchers found that polar bears exposed to the contaminated water gave birth to hermaphrodite offspring (this means they are neither male nor female), and female seals developed an excess number of uterine fibroids.

When they started to research the effect of these chemicals on human females, the results were the same.  Women exposed to estrogenic toxins tended to develop more fibroids and endometriosis than women who were not exposed to the substances.

If you’re drinking this water, even if it’s been refined, or you eat plants or animals that have been farmed with this waster, then you are more likely to be affected by xenoestrogens. 

Contaminated water is just one source of xenoestrogens.  Your fibroids can grow from:

• Foods that cause fibroids to grow
• Substances that cause fibroids to grow

Don’t freak out when you read these two articles… I’ll show you how to reverse the damage in a few days time.  Just keep reading to find out more about how to get rid of your fibroids!

Believe it or not, I found so many substances that cause fibroids, I had to spread out the information over 2 videos. Both videos are vital for your health, so please take the time to watch them:

And here is the 2nd video:

I hope you found this video helpful.  Here is more information on how to shrink fibroids naturally.

What makes fibroids grow, and how can you stop fibroids from growing?

It’s been well documented in the scientific community that estrogen makes fibroids grow.  I just cracked open some academic journals and looked up a few findings:

• Gynaecologists at the University of Athens, Athens, Greece reported that estrogens increased fibroid growth.
• Doctors at the West China Hospital also reported that estrogens increased fibroid growth.
• Gynaecologists at the University of Siena Policlinico identified uterine fibroids as a hormone-dependent gynaecological disorder.
• Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan also reported that high concentration of estrogen could promote fibroid growth.

Women who have other estrogen-related disorders such as endometriosis or endometrial hyperplasia tend to suffer more from fibroids than women who don’t have these conditions.

I’ve created a few articles that explain which substances cause fibroids.  These include:

• Estrogen and Fibroids
• Xenoestrogens And Fibroids
• (More to follow)

Xenoestrogens are environmental estrogens, artificially created as a by-product to the chemical industry.  In the past 10 years, there have been a lot of studies that have linked xenoestrogens to conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis, infertility, lowered sperm counts and cancer. 

They are found in pesticides, PCBs, plastics, the lacquer that lines the inside of cans used for storing food, and many common foods and household products.

Xenoestrogens are recognised by estrogen receptors, but have a stronger effect on the cells than other types of estrogen.  Some of the most deadly xenoestrogens are PCBs.

PCBs were used in industry decades ago, but were banned in the 1970’s.   Although these substances are no longer in use, they have accumulated in water, soil and in the fat of animals and humans.  Scientists have even found the substances secreted in human breast milk!

Because they’re a mix of synthetic chemicals, they’re not very biodegradable, this means it’s difficult for the environment, and human body to break them down. 

It can take hundreds of years for these substances to be broken down in the environment, and in our bodies as they are unnatural substances that nature does not have processes or tools to deal with. 

Estrogen is a hormone.  It is produced by the ovaries, and it’s the hormone responsible for the development of the female reproductive system during puberty.  It also stimulates the growth of the muscles of the uterus, and the thickening of the endometrial lining.

Hormones are essentially chemical messengers that travel from one organ to another, via the blood stream and instruct organs to perform specific actions at a cellular level.

Hormones affect the organs that have receptor sides.  Receptor sites are a group of cells that respond only to a specific hormone.  The cell will have receptors attached to it – receptors are microscopic structures that take a specific shape or configuration that match only the chemical composition of the hormone.  It works in a similar way to a key and a lock, if you imagine that hormones are keys, and receptors are locks.

When the hormone connects with the receptor, this gives the cells and the tissues that the cells make up, specific instructions, e.g. estrogen can tell the endometrial lining to thicken, and unfortunately, it can also tell fibroids to grow.

The more estrogen you have in your body, the more estrogen receptors you develop.  And the more estrogen receptors you develop, the more your body makes use of estrogen.

There are actually several types of estrogen:

• The estrogen your ovaries produce naturally

• Phytoestrogens – which are estrogens that occur naturally in plants, and are used by herbalists to help women who are going through menopause, and to help to block the effects of more powerful estrogens in women with estrogen-dependent disorders.

• Mycoestrogens – estrogens that are produced by fungi.  They mostly affect livestock and poultry, but you can find them growing on mouldy crops, such as rice, oats and wheat.

• Xenoestrogens – man-made chemicals that mimick the effect of estrogen in your body

The symptoms of fibroids largely depend on the type of fibroids you have. This video explains the different types of fibroids, including the symptoms of each type of fibroid.

If you can’t view the video, or prefer to read, I have summarized the information on an article on the types of fibroids .

Believe it or not, there are many different types of uterine fibroid.  I’ve already created articles on the main types of fibroid, but I’ll summarize them here:

• Subserosal fibroids – these grow on the outside wall of the uterus and can compress nerves and other organs

• Intramural fibroids – these are fibroids which grow inside the uterine wall, and are responsible for making the uterus appear and feel large

• Submucosal fibroids – these grow below the uterine lining and cause heavy bleeding, cramps and spasms

• Pedunculated fibroids – these are fibroids that grow from a stalk, and can be very painful if the stalk is twisted

• Intracavitary fibroids – these fibroids grow inside the uterine cavity, cause heavy bleeding, cramping and affect the fertility
• Calcified fibroids – these are fibroids that have developed calcium deposits, and become hard like bone (or teeth)

• Cervical fibroids – these fibroids grow on or near the cervix and can cause painful intercourse

While there are only these few types of uterine fibroids, it is important to note that a women diagnosed with fibroids usually have more than one fibroid, and more than one type of fibroid.

Pedunculated fibroids can grow inside or outside the uterus, but they are distinguished by growing from a stalk, called the peduncle.

It can develop and grow either in the uterus itself or on the outside of the uterus. Although rare, pedunculated fibroid tumors can cause extreme pain when the stalk becomes twisted.

The symptoms of perdunculated fibroids can range from very mild, to extreme, for example:

• Cramping from the uterine muscles, as the uterus attempts to get rid of the fibroid

• Diggestive problems, including nausea and vomiting – especially if the fibroid is disturbing a nearby organ such as the small intestine

• Extreme pain if the fibroid stalk twists

Submucosal fibroids are those tumors that are located just below the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus.  (The mucosa refers to the lining of the uterus. Sub means below.)  While they are the most infrequent type of fibroid, they often cause prolonged menstrual periods and excessive heavy bleeding, a condition called menorrhagia.

Submucosal fibroids are more likely to cause the woman a lot of pain.

Typical symptoms of submucosal fibroids include:

• Uterine cramps and spasms – sometimes these can be very strong and almost as powerful as childbirth.  This is because the uterus is trying to expel the fibroid.

• Heavy periods, as the large fibroid mass increases the endometrial surface, resulting in more menstrual blood

• Lengthy periods, as a result of more blood being shed