Maureen, a Pacific Northwest woman with deep-infiltrating endometriosis, found relief by combining expert surgery with diet and lifestyle changes. After several surgeries to remove lesions from her abdominal cavity and diaphragm, she cut out caffeine and processed foods and prioritized whole, anti-inflammatory meals.
She’s not cured, as there is no cure yet for endometriosis, but her pain is manageable, her energy is up, and she feels more in control of her body.
“When I started healing my gut, I felt like I had a fighting chance,” she told The Epoch Times.
Endometriosis has long been misunderstood as a condition that affects only the reproductive system. However, new research reveals a more complex picture: This painful disease can affect the entire body, and a newly discovered connection to gut health may help explain why.
A 2023 pilot study led by Dr. Shanti Mohling from the University of Tennessee found a significant link between endometriosis and increased intestinal permeability—commonly known as “leaky gut.” This connection offers new hope for more holistic treatment strategies that go beyond hormones and surgery.
More Than a Gut Feeling
In Mohling’s study, researchers examined women with confirmed endometriosis and compared them with healthy controls. Nearly half of the endometriosis patients showed signs of leaky gut, while none of the healthy participants did.
Mohling noted that leaky gut happens when the cells lining the intestines break down, which can occur because of environmental toxins, overuse of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, food sensitivities, or an imbalanced gut microbiome.
She said that her findings reflect broader trends: People with endometriosis often show signs of inflammation and altered gut bacteria. While her study doesn’t prove one condition causes the other, it adds a valuable piece to the larger puzzle of understanding endometriosis.
The results suggest that a damaged gut lining may allow harmful substances to leak into the bloodstream, triggering widespread inflammation that can worsen endometriosis symptoms.
Leaky gut isn’t a formal medical diagnosis yet, but it’s gaining attention from scientists. A 2023 review published in the journal Pharmaceuticals found that a balanced gut microbiome helps maintain a strong gut barrier. When this balance is disrupted, the weakened gut barrier may lead to a leaky gut and contribute to diseases marked by inflammation, including endometriosis.
A Disease That Goes Beyond the Uterus
Endometriosis is much more than bad period pain. The condition causes tissue similar to the uterine lining to grow outside the uterus, where it doesn’t belong—attaching to the ovaries, bladder, bowels, diaphragm, kidneys, and even the lungs. In severe cases, these lesions can fuse organs together.
Some patients have lost kidney function, while others have suffered collapsed lungs from lesions on the diaphragm or lungs. Despite this, it often takes about six to 10 years to get an endometriosis diagnosis, with people older than 35 getting diagnosed later.
Many patients live with daily, debilitating pain—not just during their periods, but all month long. Fatigue, painful sex, digestive issues, trouble breathing, and infertility are also common. Endometriosis doesn’t just affect the reproductive system; it disrupts the immune, digestive, and nervous systems, making it a full-body condition.
Can Gut Health Alone Cure Endometriosis?
The short answer is no. Improving gut health can reduce inflammation and ease some symptoms, but it won’t remove the disease itself. Experts now believe that endometriosis may be influenced by genetics and might even begin developing before birth.
Today, many endometriosis specialists consider expert excision surgery the most effective treatment for deep or widespread endometriosis, which involves carefully removing lesions from affected organs. This procedure must be done by highly trained excision specialists, as poor surgery—such as ablation, which burns the lesions instead of removing them—can leave disease behind.
Still, many doctors agree that addressing gut health can be a powerful support strategy. Dr. Jeffrey Arrington, a leading Utah-based excision surgeon, emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach in the YouTube video “Endometriosis and Informed Consent,” uploaded in 2021. In the video, he discusses treatment options, including excision surgery, and stresses that hysterectomy is not a cure for endometriosis, stating, “There is nothing that shows anywhere in the literature that hysterectomy magically makes endometriosis disappear” (27:50).
In a 2017 Facebook post, Arrington wrote, “Gynecologists also often quote hysterectomy with removal of the ovaries to be ‘definitive treatment for endometriosis.’” He said that this claim is misleading, however, as removing the uterus and ovaries does not eliminate the disease unless lesions are present on those organs—and residual endometriosis may remain if not fully removed.
Mohling recommends that after surgery her patients follow gut-healing diets, which often include nourishing foods such as bone broth, rich in collagen and amino acids that help repair the intestinal lining.
Other gut-friendly steps include avoiding processed foods, added sugars, and inflammatory ingredients such as gluten and dairy. Some herbal remedies—such as slippery elm bark, licorice root, and marshmallow root—have shown potential for reducing inflammation and soothing the digestive tract.
Emerging research suggests that dietary fiber may also play an important role. Fiber supports a diverse gut microbiome and helps the body eliminate excess estrogen, which may be beneficial for people with estrogen-sensitive conditions such as endometriosis. Diets high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and gluten-free whole grains can help meet these fiber needs.
Patching Up a Leaky Gut: Practical Tips
Mohling recommends the following evidence-backed strategies to support gut health while managing endometriosis:
- Eat anti-inflammatory foods: Include leafy greens, berries, wild salmon, and turmeric in your diet.
- Eliminate common irritants: Remove gluten, dairy, and added sugars for four to six weeks to see if endometriosis-related symptoms improve.
- Use probiotics wisely: Add fermented foods such as coconut milk yogurt, kimchi, and apple cider vinegar to your meals. Try apple cider vinegar in salad dressings or add a tablespoon of kimchi to a chicken and vegetable stir-fry.
- Manage stress: Practice mindfulness, prioritize quality sleep, and engage in gentle movement such as stretching or yoga.
The discovery of a link between leaky gut and endometriosis adds to growing evidence that this disease requires a whole-body approach. While surgery remains a crucial tool, lifestyle and gut health strategies can offer additional relief and empower patients.
