Gut microbiota: the link between diet and endometriosis!

Endometriosis is a disease where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus – which is eliminated during menstruation – begins to colonize places where it does not belong (ovaries, peritoneum, etc.). This results in pain, complicated periods, digestive problems, and sometimes even infertility. Endometriosis affects around 10% of women of childbearing age.

We already know that diet can play a role in inflammation: a balanced diet appears to help reduce pain. But a team of researchers wanted to see what the opposite would do, i.e. a typically Western diet, high in fat and low in fiber. To this end, they used mice as… guinea pigs.

Western diet results in lesions twice as large

The mice were fed either a “normal” rodent diet (17% fat) or a fast-food diet (45% fat, low in fiber) for four weeks. Endometriosis was then surgically induced and changes in the lesions were monitored over seven weeks. The result? The mice on a Western diet developed lesions twice as large as the control mice. Not only were the lesions larger, but they were also more fibrous and full of cells in maximum proliferation mode.

Metabolism and immunity: when everything goes too far

What causes this? The fast-food diet appears to disrupt metabolism and immunity:

• it boosts the activity of macrophages (immune cells which here seem more harmful than beneficial)
• it activates leptin, a hormone involved in the growth of lesions and glucose metabolism
• it accelerates the oxidation of glucose, which acts as fuel for the lesions

What now?

Since the study was conducted on mice, rather than humans, the results remain preliminary. However, it has confirmed that diet has a major impact on endometriosis and that a healthier diet may limit pain and the progression of the disease. The gut microbiota also plays a key role in the pathophysiology of endometriosis, while certain bacteria such as Akkermansia muciniphila may have a protective effect.