Fibroids and Alcohol Use
It probably isn’t a surprise to learn that in the United States, alcohol use is the third preventable cause of death. In fact, the list of negative effects associated with consuming excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages is long and seems to be getting longer. Overconsumption of alcohol has been associated with addiction, high blood pressure, liver disease, heart disease, various forms of cancer, stroke, hepatitis, and more. But what effect, does it have specifically, on women with uterine fibroids?
In 2020, a study published in Current Molecular Medicine found that alcohol consumption can alter hormones levels in the female body. This study and others like it found that this alteration in the hormone levels caused by drinking alcoholic beverages increases the risk of uterine fibroids. The most likely reason being that it specifically raises the level of estrone and estradiol.
Though the exact cause of fibroids is unknown, there is evidence to suggest that when higher levels of estrogen are introduced to the reproductive system, a woman is more likely to develop fibroids. Furthermore, for those of us already living with uterine fibroids, the effect of alcohol is not good. Alcohol consumption can lead to increased inflammation and dehydration, both of which may result in increased fibroid pain. This can also result in bloating, constipation, and anemia in women with fibroids. The bottom line, limiting the amount of alcohol consumed is beneficial for all of us. Alcohol use is the third most preventable cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of many health issues from cancer to heart disease. And, when it comes to women with fibroids or a family history of fibroids, they may wish to avoid it altogether. Though more studies need to be done to conclude that alcohol has a definite impact on the development of fibroids, one thing can be said for sure- For women living with uterine fibroids, drinking alcohol will not make anything better. Not only can it increase the severity of fibroid symptoms, but it can also increase the duration of them.
