Can Diet Help Manage Endometriosis Pain?
When navigating the challenges of endometriosis, the idea that something like changing what you eat or adding a supplement could ease your pain might be incredibly appealing. A new international survey, the largest of its kind has, shed more light on how much of a difference these changes might make.
The survey asked thousands of women with endometriosis about their experiences with dietary changes and supplements. What stood out? Those who reported improvement in their symptoms had noticeably lower pain scores compared to those who didn’t.
On a 0 to 10 pain scale:
People who reported pain relief from dietary changes had a median pain score of 4.0, compared to 5.0 for those who saw no benefit.
The same was true for supplements: those who felt better had pain scores of 4.0, while those who didn’t saw scores closer to 5.0.
These differences were statistically significant (P < .001), meaning the improvements weren't just by chance, they were real and measurable.
What Changes Helped the Most?
Instead of adopting entire dietary frameworks, most people leaned into eliminating specific items from their diet. Here's how they stacked up for reported pain relief:
Reduced alcohol: 53.2% reported improvement
Reduced gluten: 45.4% reported improvement
Reduced dairy: 45.2% reported improvement
Reduced caffeine: 43.4% reported improvement
Interestingly, fewer people tried structured diets like the low-FODMAP diet, which is a quite restrictive diet and not advisable long term (only about 32.1% of those who tried it found it helpful), and among those who used magnesium supplements, 32.3% reported pain relief.
Coffee, gluten, dairy, FODMAP?
There's no one-size-fits-all approach. What works for one person might not move the needle for another.
This survey reaffirms that diet and supplements can play a role in pain management. But there's no one-size-fits-all approach. What works for one person might not move the needle for another.
The researchers also highlighted a few limitations: participants were already interested in dietary changes (which may skew results), and the study didn’t explore how long people had been on these diets or whether they helped with symptoms like bloating.
So, if your considering changing your diet or trying supplements, this survey shows that it may be worth exploring. But it is a good idea to start small, listen to your body, and speak with a health professional for guidance.
Reference:
Hearn-Yeates F, Edgley K, Horne AW, O’Mahony SM, Saunders PTK. Dietary Modification and Supplement Use For Endometriosis Pain. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(3):e253152. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.3152