Why? Well my research into fibroids and alcohol
consumption threw up some quite disturbing revelations and I like many other
women enjoy a glass or 2 of wine. I used
to drink everyday and for me one glass of wine was never enough.
More often than not one glass would lead to 2 and 3 and so on
until before I knew it I had finished the bottle! So cutting down alcohol consumption for me
would be quite difficult and so I decided to stop altogether and see what effect
if any it would have on my fibroids and menstrual cycle.
But
before I post my experiences let’s look at the affect alcohol can have on our
bodies:
- Women have a different response to alcohol intoxication to that of their male counterparts. Studies have shown that acute alcohol consumption tends to cause increased levels of testosterone and estradiol - estradiol is the primary fibrosis driving estrogen with testosterone being a close second.
- Our reproductive system is controlled by a delicately balanced mechanism called the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Alcohol can interfere with the working of all three areas.
- We all know that alcohol is stressful to the liver and estrogen is metabolized or broken down by the liver. If your liver is unable to perform this function higher levels of estrogen can build up in your body!
- Alcohol also depletes B Vitamins and minerals like magnesium. If you deplete your store of B vitamins and magnesium with alcohol, it can worsen the cramping during your menstrual cycle
- Regular drinking can disrupt a woman’s menstrual cycle and ovulation. In one study, half of ‘social’ drinkers who drank three to four drinks a day over three weeks experienced abnormal menstrual cycles, including a lack of ovulation.
- When women don’t ovulate they don’t produce progesterone which will create an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone within your body.
- The good news is that many of alcohol’s effects on our bodies are temporary and the reproductive system will return to normal if you stop drinking.
I’m
firmly of the belief that just by stopping drinking it has had a measurable affect on my fibroids and their symptoms.
It took a couple of months for the effects to be really noticeable but
my menstrual cramps were greatly improved, my periods were certainly lighter
and shorter in duration. I also lost
some weight and my quality of sleep has greatly improved and I rarely now
suffer from fatigue during the day.
If you
have fibroids and suffer from their symptoms try cutting out the drink for a
couple of months. It doesn’t have to be
forever but if it helps it has to be worth it.
