Omega-3s Lower Endometriosis Risk

BOSTONA diet rich in foods containing omega-3 oil may reduce a womans risk of developing endometriosis, while a diet heavily laden with trans fats might increase the risk of developing the condition, according to a new study published in the journal Human Reproduction.

The study found while the total amount of fat in the diet did not matter, the type of fat did. Women who ate the highest amount of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids were 22-percent less likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis than those who ate the least; those who ate the most trans fats had a 48-percent increased risk, compared with those who ate the least.

Researchers collected information from 1989 to 2001 on 70,709 women enrolled in the U.S. Nurses Health Study cohort. They used three food-frequency questionnaires spaced at four-year intervals to record the women's usual dietary habits over the preceding year. They categorized consumption of the various types of dietary fat into five levels and related that information to later confirmed diagnoses of endometriosis. A total of 1,199 women were diagnosed with the disease by the end of the study. The results were adjusted to eliminate any influence on the findings from factors such as total calorie intake, body mass index, number of children born and race.

The findings also provide more evidence that a low-fat diet is not necessarily the healthiest and further bolster the case for eliminating trans fats from the food supply, said the study's leader, Dr. Stacey Missmer, an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

"Millions of women worldwide suffer from endometriosis. Many women have been searching for something they can actually do for themselves, or their daughters, to reduce the risk of developing the disease, and these findings suggest that dietary changes may be something they can do. The results need to be confirmed by further research, but this study gives us a strong indication that we're on the right track in identifying food rich in omega-3 oils as protective for endometriosis and trans fats as detrimental," she said.