Discussion Forum
I am 56, menopausal and no oil WFPB. I heard Dr. Carney speak about the connection between estrogen production and diet at HealthFest this morning. i have been no oil WFPB for about five years but I assume my fibroid grew prior to my change in diet. Now that I eat no oil WFPB and am menopausal and don't take any hormone replacement therapy, how likely is my fibroid to shrink and by how much?
Hi Leah,
When people have followed the Starch-Smartest plan, (as outlined here https://www.drcarney.com/starch-smart-system/starch-smartest) for more than 1 year, yet they still have vaginal bleeding or the ultrasound shows no shrinkage in fibroids, they probably need a detailed consult in order to figure out what will help their unique situation.
Questions that I cannot ask here publicly (such as your weight, number of pregnancies, detailed food logs, etc) are better suited to a private conversation so that I will be able to protect your privacy.
https://www.vegvor.com/advice/half-hour-custom-coaching-consultation
So Leah, the answer to your question is multi-sided and relates to how many estrogenizing factors are currently present in your life. But the real question is, are you having symptoms such as pain, bleeding, pressure on your urinary bladder? (Please do not answer these questions here on this talk forum, to protect your privacy.) If you are not having any of those symptoms or others than trouble you, it may not be necessary to perform another pelvic ultrasound if your risk factors are all optimized and you are not suffering any symptoms.
Best Wishes,
Dr. Carney
Thank you for your reply. I was particularly interested in how high fat foods contribute to estrogen generation. I eat a very low fat, no oil WFPB diet. I assume that's why I had very few symptoms of menopause. I have no symptoms from the fibroid other than it pushes my uterus out. But I don't suffer from pain, bleeding or pressure. I was just hoping that the fibroid would shrink since it's not being fed estrogen from either medication or diet but I'm not confident it will shrink.
Leah
The higher the fat content of the food, the more estrogen that food can induce our cells to generate directly.
Indirectly, high fat foods stimulate body cells to produce cholesterol, which can easily be converted to estrogen becuase they are so similar, chemically.
The 3rd way is by the body fat we might gain by eating foods higher in calorie concentration, because the fat that we eat may become the fat that we wear. Each body fat cell is a factory for creating estrogen.
One's BMI may simply be too high to permit rapid shrinkage of fibroids.
However, instead of being induced by the fat content of the diet, the estrogen may be over-produced if we eat chocolate, drink any caffeine or alcohol, or simply do not eat enough fiber in the from of legumes and vegetables at breakfast.
To top it all off, some people cannot shrink their fibroids unless they consume no calories after 2 PM.
I know....not easy!
Health Wishes,
Dr. Carney
Thank you for this explanation. I don't drink caffeine, extremely little alcohol, a little 70%+ chocolate and an all fiber, unprocessed diet. My BMI is 20.2.
My OBGYN recommended Uterine Fibroid Embolization. I did an MRI to see if I was a candidate. I decided against the procedure since my only symptom is the existence of the fibroid (pushes my uterus out) since I have no pain, pressure or bleeding. I thought that wasn't reason enough to subject myself to a medical procedure which always entails risk.
The ultimate question is: Can a fibroid the size of a grapefruit shrink meaningfully even on a perfect diet? And is there anything in writing that specifically addresses this that I could study in case there are tweaks I can make other than not eating after 2:00 p.m.?
Thank you for this conversation!
Leah
Hi Leah,
Dr. McDougall wrote a book called :women's health.
Min this book he wrote that the uterine fibroids were created by eating animal foods and dairy.
i think he meant the farm's animals.
i heard that actually the grass-fed and organic free range animals can heal me out. So far after 3 years of eating plant based diet I have not seen any reducing in the size of those fibroids and I can tell you that I am a little disappointed ?
Cygal
Cygal,
Eating free-range animal products will never shrink your fibroids.
Leah,
You’re welcome and thanks for expressing your gratitude. The fibroid will not shrink as fast, if you eat chocolate or drink alcohol.
The effects of those small indulgences will last approximately 30 days.
Dr. Neal Barnard’s book “The Cancer Survivors Guide” lists the studies that address this problem.
Depending on your age and your percentage of bodyfat, it would take a LONG time to shrink a fibroid the size of a grapefruit.
I recommend measuring your percentage of bodyfat in a BodPod.
You may do better just leaving out the alcohol and chocolate, nuts, coconut, and avocado, than by undergoing embolization for a fibroid that does not even seem to be harming you.
Please consider a custom consult so that we can discuss what you mean by “pushes my uterus out”.
https://www.vegvor.com/advice/half-hour-custom-coaching-consultation
This can be taken one of several ways, such as a protuberant abdomen or a prolapsed uterus.
Healthy Wishes,
Dr. Carney
Leah,
Sorry, but the message to which you are referring was spam so we deleted it.
Most supplements are not worth your time and are a waste of money.
I recommend vitamin B12 daily for all those over age 50, and for vegans under age 50 who are drinking alcohol or caffeine, or who are deficient (lower than a level of 400.)
There are some people who are deficient in magnesium or zinc or iron, as measured by blood tests. Those people need appropriate supplementation if they are not willing to eat the Starch-Smartest way.
https://www.drcarney.com/starch-smart-system/starch-smartest
Those whose 24-hour urinary iodine level is low may benefit from levothyroxine therapy, rather than iodine supplements, which can cause harm in some cases.
Best Wishes,
Dr. Carney
Dr. Carney,
Thank you for your super quick response. I found the post rather incredible but since it was posted to your site, I thought I should inquire.
I’m a patient of plant-based doctor Adam Weinstein He monitors me very closely and prescribes the necessary supplements
I met you when you were in Houston for the Healing America Tour. I was one of the local organizers and the leader of the Houston PlantPure pod where I’ve met mutual friends Chris Boyle and Louise Placek.
Best regards,
Leah
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