Suffering from a bloated, endometriosis belly? Doctor shares which diet works the best

A bloated belly is common in endometriosis, with roots that can be traced to poor gut health. Know which diet is the most efficient.

The puffed-up, bloated belly, usually seen after a heavy meal, can also show up in people with endometriosis. It’s a condition where tissue similar to the inner lining of the uterus grows outside it. Endometriosis is typically painful, commonly marked by intense cramps, fatigue, and infertility issues. But the gut issues are less talked about.

Dr Karan Rajan, an NHS surgeon and health content creator, took to Instagram, reacting to a video of a woman with endometriosis pointing to her bloated belly. The swollen belly is so noticeable that it could easily be mistaken for a pregnancy bump. Shedding more light on the gut health link, Dr Rajan explained how gastrointestinal symptoms are common in endometriosis and how a particular kind of diet may be the key to managing the GI symptoms.

FODMAP diet is the answer

A FODMAP diet, which restricts certain types of carbohydrates, may help ease endo belly and other gut issues. Dr Rajan elaborated, citing a study that shows how this diet holds promise and can improve quality of life.

He said, “If you get severe bloating or gut problems with endometriosis, there's some very interesting new research that's useful to know. A study recently came out that a low FODMAP diet improves GI symptom pain and bloating and even quality of life in 60% of people with endometriosis, compared to just 26% on a controlled diet. A low FODMAP diet is one that limits certain types of carbohydrates that can ferment, so it removes common culprits like garlic, onions, et cetera, and gradually reintroduces foods over time. The women on a low FODMAP diet had clinically significant improvements in GI symptoms, like abdominal pain, cramping, bloating and wind. There are even more days of normal stool formation compared to baseline and the control diet."

Need to factor in the gut issues for endometriosis

Debilitating period pain and infertility commonly take centre stage in most endometriosis treatments, overlooking gut issues. But there’s an inherent link with gut health, which makes it essential to address digestive symptoms too.

Dr Ranjan explained, “One of the many problems with endometriosis is that the clinical guidelines often fail to mention and target GI symptoms, and current endometriosis therapies to target pain and infertility, like progesterone, opiates, or non-steroidal drugs, can actually make gut symptoms worse. A low FODMAP diet isn't a panacea and should always be done under supervision, and what works for one endometriosis sufferer may or may not work for another because the disease process can be wildly different in every person. There's a huge treatment gap which exists here, and we need to learn a lot more about the link between the gut and endometriosis.”

However, a FODMAP diet isn’t the only solution to the problem of endo belly, as the disease manifests differently in every individual; what works for one may not work for another.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.