The Best Veggies to Eat When You Have Fibroids
Eighty out of every 100 women have non-cancerous fibroid tumors, also called myomas, by the time they reach the age of 50, according to the University of Michigan Health System.
Eighty out of every 100 women have non-cancerous fibroid tumors, also called myomas, by the time they reach the age of 50, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Because anemia can be linked to uterine fibroids, it is important to have sufficient iron in your diet, not only from eggs, meats, shellfish and iron-enriched cereals, but also from vegetables with a high-iron content.
Dark Leafy Greens
Changing your diet will not cure your fibroids if you have them. However, fibroids may be causing you menstrual pain and excessive blood loss which can lead to anemia. Increasing the amount of iron in your diet may be important, and one of the best sources of iron is dark green leafy vegetables. These include turnip greens, watercress, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, kale, dark leafy lettuce, bok choy and collard greens. Spinach and broccoli, both on the top 10 list of healthiest foods put out by the Mayo Clinic, are among the best dark green vegetables you can eat when you have fibroids.
Think salads and soups, and always include at least one dark green vegetable. Lightly steaming these vegetables is a good way to prepare them, or boiling them with little water and using the liquid for your gravies and sauces.
Brightly Colored Vegetables
Besides dark green leafy vegetables, bright highly-colored vegetables full of phyto-nutrients are also good food choices if you have fibroids. Choose red, yellow or orange peppers, colorful squash, carrots, beets, corn, stewed tomatoes and okra. Although what causes fibroids is unknown, eating the organic varieties of these vegetables avoids ingesting pesticides and growth hormones that may influence the production of fibroids or aggravate them.
If you have fibroids, you may be prone to inflammation and adding curcumin to these cooked vegetables or rosemary can have an anti-inflammatory effect, heightening the benefit of these colorful vegetables.
Non-Starchy Vegetables
Bloating and cramping are common symptoms of fibroids. Choose non-starchy vegetables to balance the other veggies you eat and help you manage your symptoms. Non-starchy vegetables contain less carbohydrates and are less sweet. Good choices of non-starchy vegetables are peppers, artichokes, cabbage, cucumbers and broccoli. Add onions and garlic for the added benefit of antioxidants, and include nuts and seeds. Avoid processed vegetable dishes and prepared vegetable meals, which can contain additives.