Novel dietary supplement association reduces symptoms in endometriosis patients

Abstract

Endometriosis is characterized by disabling symptoms that afflict young women with severe physical discomfort, difficulty in relationship life, and infertility; however, the currently available therapeutic strategies are unsatisfactory. Goal of this research was to identify a new combination of natural active ingredients that, administered as dietary supplements, could have the effect of reducing inflammatory response in endometriosis patients, decreasing the symptoms the disease produces and its harmful effects on affected organs. A cohort of endometriosis patient was treated for 3 months with a composition including quercitin, curcumin, parthenium, nicotinamide, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, and omega 3/6. Using a VAS scale, we demonstrated a significant reduction of the symptoms in endometriosis patients treated with the dietary composition respect to the controls. Moreover, we demonstrated also a significant reduction in the serum levels of PGE2 and CA-125. Further study are required to compare the effect of this combination of molecules with standard therapies and to evaluate if the use of these dietary supplements in combination with standard therapies may lead to the improvement of the regular medical treatment for endometriosis.

Investigational drugs for the treatment of endometriosis, an update on recent developments

“…A cohort of women with endometriosis was treated for three months with a combination of antioxidants, including omega -3 and-6 fatty acids. The authors showed a significant reduction of the symptoms as well as in PGE 2 and CA-125 serum levels of patients treated with the dietary composition than controls (152). N-acetylcysteine is an antioxidant that downregulates inflammatory protein production and gene expression (148).…”

A two-arm parallel double-blind randomised controlled pilot trial of the efficacy of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for the treatment of women with endometriosis-associated pain (PurFECT1)

“…A large, prospective cohort study investigated dietary exposure and endometriosis risk in women, and concluded that increasing O-PUFA intake might reduce the risk of endometriosis [16]. A dietary modification and supplementation trial, which included O-PUFA, reduced pain scores in women with endometriosis [17]. A low ratio of O-PUFA to Omega-6 PUFA intake is also reported to correlate with painful menstruation in women with endometriosis [18], with fish oil supplementation significantly reducing pain scores in adolescents with menstrual pain [19].…”

Beneficial Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Immune and Reproductive Endometrial Function

“…These effects of omega-3 fatty acids have been mainly studied in animals such as bovine and ovine; however, some recent studies have begun to be performed to demonstrate the beneficial effect of these fatty acids in humans and mice. Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids has been associated with a reduction of the symptoms and lower risk of developing endometriosis in women, a hormone-dependent chronic inflammatory condition [44,45]. In wild-type mice, the administration of EPA reduced the number of endometriotic lesions, similarly as was observed in a transgenic mouse model with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids [46].…”