new meta-analysis shows that Vitamin D supplementation is effective reducing fibroid size

 So time to make sure you get your Vitamin D if you are not taking already.

Link to the study here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01635581.2023.2288716

Important to remember if you take D -- you also need to take vitamin K. Explanation here: https://www.balancedwellbeinghealthcare.com/are-you-taking-vitamin-d3-dont-forget-vitamin-k/

This is a useful article with information on how much vitamin K you need to take: https://www.vitaminexpress.org/en/how-to-combine-vitamin-d-and-vitamin-k-properly

New study: women with fibroids have higher risk of breast cancer

 New study out of South Korea shows that women with uterine fibroids have higher incidences of benign breast disease, carcinoma in situ, and breast cancer. Read the study here, and be sure to do your monthly self-exams and regular mammography.  

One woman's fibroid induced trip to the emergency room

This excellent piece captures a lot of issues with the short shrift women are given in our healthcare system. If men menstruated and got fibroids, it would be a lot different.

Excerpt:

"This means that not only was my own fibroid growing stealthily, covered by all my other symptoms during menstruation, but that most women don’t know they have any issues at all until their pain becomes so extreme that they go to the ER or nearly die due to blood loss, like my dear friend almost did earlier this year. And even after I was diagnosed and was steered to see an OBGYN for follow up, I called nearly every doctor in town and couldn’t be seen before November!"

Functional medicine view of fibroid treatment

 Nothing earthshattering in this article but it's a good overview. Link here. I agree on doing both the Dutch test and stool test.

more evidence suggesting EGCG from green tea may help for fibroids

 Link to the study here. It was just in vitro, so no human studies yet.

Meanwhile, I recently started taking Thorne Green Tea Phytosome -- benefits of green tea without the caffeine.

Vitamin D and fibroids

"Several studies have reported the beneficial effect of vitamin D on uterine fibroids. Vitamin D inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell death (apoptosis) and reduces the function of pro-fibrotic factors such as fibromodulin, biglycan and versican. Long term treatment (many months) have shown that fibroid tumors in women decrease in size because of a reduction of the extracellular matrix and up-regulation of apoptosis through the action of transforming growth factor β responsive genes that act on Wnt/β-catenin and mTOR signaling pathways."

Quoted from this article: https://www.fribergfertility.com/vitamin-d-fibroids-and-infertility/

cashews help with estrogen dominance

 I thought that this article was interesting about cashews. Cashews evidently contain anacardic acid, which has a natural anti-estrogen effect. 

So sounds like cashews are a good snack if you want to battle estrogen dominance!

Personally I love the Trader Joe's Thai Lime and Chili Cashews. They are kind of intense so I often mix them with plain ones. 

Her foot became numb while driving. A watermelon-sized fibroid was to blame

 That's quite the headline, isn't it? Story here. And I'm interested in the study this doctor is doing...

Uterine fibroids increase the risk of thyroid goiter and thyroid nodules

 Not surprising, I've been dealing with thyroid nodules and hyperthyroidism the past few years...

Details here.

Baby at 50 after fibroid removal!

 She was 50, her husband 61 but their last embryo worked! Heartwarming story here. 

eat more fruit and animal source Vitamin A to reduce fibroid risk

 This study specifically looked at fibroid incidence in black women. Both fruit and veggies were shown to help, but fruit more so. 

Liver is a particularly good animal source of vitamin A. Time for some nice pate! Or take it in capsule form if you can't bear to eat it. Cod liver oil supplements are another option. 

trans fats associated with fibroid risk

 You already knew trans fats were bad for you. This study showed an association with fibroids.

study shows higher rates of depression, anxiety and self-directed violence among women with fibroids

 This study showed that women diagnosed with uterine fibroids have higher rates of depression, anxiety and self-directed violence.

What the study can't tell us of course is which came first -- the fibroids or the depression, anxiety and self-directed violence. 

Why do we know so little about what causes fibroids?

 Because not much money has been spent to research them.

This article talks about a bill in Congress to allocate some funding to fibroids research.

Let's hope it passes.

new study: small fibroids shrunk by 37.9% in 4 months with this formula

The study participants had smaller fibroids, less than 4 cm in diameter. They took the following:

2 tablets of 25 μg vitamin D + 150 mg EGCG + 5 mg vitamin B6

No side effects. Decrease in fibroid volume of 37.9%. Control group had 5.5% increase over the same period.

Here are some good sources for each of these (note that these give higher amounts than were used in the study)

• Vitamin Code Raw D3
• Thorne Green Tea Phytozome (absorbs better than usual EGCG supplements)
• Vitamin B6

This combo makes a lot of a sense as when I was diagnosed with my fibroids I had low Vitamin D levels (but didn't find out about it until later), and also didn't yet know that I am MTHFR which means that I metabolize B vitamins poorly. 

Much better alternative to "watch and wait".  Wow, wish that I had known about this when my fibroids were first diagnosed. 

Hope this is helpful to someone. 

You can see the details of the study for yourself here.

air pollution linked to fibroids, could be one reason why black women have more fibroids

 The study results are here. Seems this is the third study to show a pollution link to fibroids. 

U. Chicago has found combo of meds that works for fibroids

 It's a combination of relugolix, which cuts off the estrogen and progesterone. Then they put back a little estrogen and progesterone, enough so you don't go into menopause. And evidently it works. Study results: "73% and 71% of participants, respectively, showed significant improvement in such key measures as volume of menstrual blood loss, pain, anemia, distress from bleeding and pelvic discomfort". 

Details here. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.

They told her she wouldn't be able to have children due to fibroids. She ended up with three, naturally.

 Rather amazing story of one woman's journey. Article here.

So you thought your fibroid was big...

 Just be glad you aren't this woman who had a 5kg one removed! Story here. 

Tapping increases tumor necrosis factor, changes DNA expression

I've talked about EFT tapping previously on this blog. 

So thought I would share this interesting news, that a study shows tapping can increase tumor necrosis factor (which is a good thing for people with tumors!) and affects DNA expression. Article here. 

If you are not tapping already, time to get started!

Kamala Harris introduces uterine fibroids bill

The bill would earmark money for research and for outreach. 

Good for her!

More info here.