Why Do Women Develop Uterine Fibroids?
Around 30% of women will develop uterine fibroids during their reproductive lives, but this also means that a higher proportion do not.
You might wonder what it is which causes some women to have fibroids and some to be completely free, and the answer is not a simple one.
There are a number of reasons why women might have fibroids.
The key issue seems to be hormonal imbalances which can trigger off conditions such as fibroids, ovarian cysts and endometriosis.
The hormones in question are estrogen and progesterone.
Some of the more common contributory factors are listed below:- Poor Diet Women eating the wrong kind of foods on a regular basis, or who have a diet largely based around fast foods are often found to be sufferers.
Conversely, those who eat the basis of a very healthy diet, comprising a high proportion of fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, peas and nuts and small amounts of lean, organic meats are generally less prone to having fibroids.
Foods which seem to be particular "offenders" include fatty foods, sugary products, those with artificial additives and preservatives as well as meats and meat products.
Some foods seem to offer a degree of protection and these include dark green cruciferous vegetables like kale and cabbage.
Also, women who drink plenty of filtered water seem to be less prone.
Hereditary Factors Although on its own, the fact that a close female relative has or had fibroids is not a definitive reason why you would have fibroids, there is no doubt that when combined with other factors, it does make growth more likely.
The genetic factor is probably the main reason why women of African origin seem to be more prone to developing fibroids.
Stress In itself, being stressed may not trigger the growth of uterine fibroids and is considered to be a secondary factor.
However, being excessively stressed can make the body produce the hormone cortisol which in turn can cause quite significant hormonal imbalances.
Carrying Excess Weight When we are overweight, in simple terms it means that we have an excess of fat cells.
Within these cells, hormones are produced, one of which is estrogen.
Indeed, the fat cells are a secondary production site of this hormone.
This estrogen overload can cause the body to be more prone to the growth of uterine fibroids, particularly if other factors happen to be present.
Eating Too Much Sugar Of course, eating too much sugar can cause you to be overweight, which is a contributory factor in itself, notwithstanding this, sugar can also cause quite significant hormonal imbalances by causing spikes in insulin as it tries to cope with the overload.
Eventually, the body cannot cope and a situation called "insulin resistance" may develop where the insulin has little effect.
The sugar then causes hormonal imbalances.
Fibroids can prove difficult to treat as the key is to eliminate the potential causes.
However, if you do not know which causes apply to you, then this can be problematic.
Coupled with this is the realism that making dietary and lifestyle chances is often not that easy for many of us.
You might wonder what it is which causes some women to have fibroids and some to be completely free, and the answer is not a simple one.
There are a number of reasons why women might have fibroids.
The key issue seems to be hormonal imbalances which can trigger off conditions such as fibroids, ovarian cysts and endometriosis.
The hormones in question are estrogen and progesterone.
Some of the more common contributory factors are listed below:- Poor Diet Women eating the wrong kind of foods on a regular basis, or who have a diet largely based around fast foods are often found to be sufferers.
Conversely, those who eat the basis of a very healthy diet, comprising a high proportion of fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, peas and nuts and small amounts of lean, organic meats are generally less prone to having fibroids.
Foods which seem to be particular "offenders" include fatty foods, sugary products, those with artificial additives and preservatives as well as meats and meat products.
Some foods seem to offer a degree of protection and these include dark green cruciferous vegetables like kale and cabbage.
Also, women who drink plenty of filtered water seem to be less prone.
Hereditary Factors Although on its own, the fact that a close female relative has or had fibroids is not a definitive reason why you would have fibroids, there is no doubt that when combined with other factors, it does make growth more likely.
The genetic factor is probably the main reason why women of African origin seem to be more prone to developing fibroids.
Stress In itself, being stressed may not trigger the growth of uterine fibroids and is considered to be a secondary factor.
However, being excessively stressed can make the body produce the hormone cortisol which in turn can cause quite significant hormonal imbalances.
Carrying Excess Weight When we are overweight, in simple terms it means that we have an excess of fat cells.
Within these cells, hormones are produced, one of which is estrogen.
Indeed, the fat cells are a secondary production site of this hormone.
This estrogen overload can cause the body to be more prone to the growth of uterine fibroids, particularly if other factors happen to be present.
Eating Too Much Sugar Of course, eating too much sugar can cause you to be overweight, which is a contributory factor in itself, notwithstanding this, sugar can also cause quite significant hormonal imbalances by causing spikes in insulin as it tries to cope with the overload.
Eventually, the body cannot cope and a situation called "insulin resistance" may develop where the insulin has little effect.
The sugar then causes hormonal imbalances.
Fibroids can prove difficult to treat as the key is to eliminate the potential causes.
However, if you do not know which causes apply to you, then this can be problematic.
Coupled with this is the realism that making dietary and lifestyle chances is often not that easy for many of us.
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