Empowerment Through Food: Major Study Reveals How to Heal Endometriosis

There is a moment many women with endometriosis know all too well—when the pain whispers, then screams, and no one seems to hear it but you. I lived that moment not once, but for over twelve years. Misdiagnosed. Unseen. Exhausted by the cycle of silent suffering.

And then in 2017, my truth was finally confirmed: endometriosis. A laparoscopy at a specialist hospital in Leuven revealed what my body had been telling me for over a decade. But even before that, I had already taken a different path—one that I now believe was my true turning point. Food became my ally. And food, in many ways, became my medicine.

And now, in 2025, science is finally catching up. A major international study confirms what many of us have intuitively known all along: empowerment through food is not just possible—it’s powerful. It’s real. It’s here.

The Beginning of My Healing: A Journey Before the Diagnosis

I was vegan and vegetarian for over ten years, believing I was nourishing myself. But I was bloated, tired, inflamed, and weighed down by symptoms no one could explain. Then, just months before my diagnosis, I discovered my body couldn’t tolerate beans or casein (milk protein). That was the start of something radical: I went paleo for six months, eliminating grains, legumes, dairy, and sugar.

It was life-changing. My pain eased, my energy returned, and I finally felt like me again.

Later, when my energy started dipping once more, I turned to functional medicine. My practitioner, Iris from Let’s Talk Nutrition, suggested I take out gluten, sugar, and dairy—completely. I followed it diligently for two years. And again, my energy soared. My digestion calmed. I felt light. Clear. Empowered.

Now I live by the 90-10 rule—90% deeply nourishing, anti-inflammatory food, and 10% only the highest-quality indulgences. Even in that 10%, I honour my body.

Empowerment Through Food: Major Study Reveals How to Heal Endometriosis

This new study, led by the University of Edinburgh and published in JAMA Network Open, is the largest of its kind—surveying 2,599 women from 51 countries. The findings are staggering:

• 45% of those who cut gluten felt less pain

• 45% who removed dairy experienced relief

• 43% who reduced coffee or caffeine felt better

• 53% who cut back on alcohol noticed pain reduction

• Nearly 40% found pain improved after removing processed foods like ready meals and sweets

• About a third felt better without garlic and onion, easing the infamous "endo belly"

This isn’t vague or anecdotal anymore. These are thousands of women, across continents, telling us: Food makes a difference.

Professor Philippa Saunders, senior author of the study, said:

“It is so important for women if they feel they can do something for themselves to tackle the pain… that is tremendously empowering.”

Exactly. This is empowerment through food in action.

Why This Matters So Much: Because Women Deserve Better

Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. It causes severe pelvic pain, sciatica, backaches, joint aches, and gut symptoms so bad they’re often dismissed as IBS. Yet it takes an average of seven years to get a diagnosis. Seven years of suffering in silence.

But here’s what this study shows loud and clear: You don’t need to wait seven years to start healing. You don’t need to wait for surgery to start feeling better. You don’t need to rely solely on hormonal medications that don’t work for everyone.

You have another option. You can begin with your plate.

Because when you eat with awareness, when you choose anti-inflammatory foods, when you cut out what fuels pain—you’re not just feeding your body. You’re saying: I am no longer waiting for permission to heal.

How Diet Impacts Endo: The Functional Medicine Perspective

Endometriosis is not just a reproductive issue—it’s a systemic, inflammatory condition. Your immune system is in overdrive. Your gut is inflamed. And your pain pathways are screaming.

• Gluten can increase intestinal permeability, leading to widespread inflammation

• Dairy, especially casein, is highly inflammatory for many (as it was for me)

• Caffeine can worsen sleep and stress, both of which heighten pain

• Alcohol mimics oestrogen and disrupts hormonal balance

• Processed foods disturb gut microbiota, which plays a key role in inflammation

• Garlic and onions, though healthy for some, can worsen bloating in sensitive individuals

This is why so many women (including me) feel better when they eat simply. When we cut out the irritants. When we listen.

We are not weak for being sensitive. We are wise for responding.

Empowerment Through Food: You Hold the Keys

You don’t have to suffer quietly. You don’t have to explain your pain to people who don’t understand. And you don’t need to keep living in a body that feels like it’s at war with itself.

You can begin with one step. Remove one trigger. Notice what shifts. Reclaim your rhythm.

Your healing is not a mystery. It’s not waiting at the end of a waiting list. It’s in your hands. It’s on your plate. It’s in your choices. It’s in your trust.

You are not alone—and you are not powerless.

This Is What Healing Can Look Like

Healing can be simple meals. Healing can be saying no to wine, even when everyone else says yes. Healing can be bone broth instead of coffee, and breathwork instead of sugar. Healing can be giving your body back its power—and watching what blooms when you do.

Let this study be the validation you never received. Let this blog be the sisterhood you needed. Let this message echo louder than your doubts:

You are not crazy.You are not weak.You are waking up to your own power.And empowerment through food can help you heal.

With love, truth, and deep trust in your body,

Shaini