Diet and endometriosis risk: A literature review

Fabio Parazzini, Paola Viganò, Massimo Candiani, Luigi Fedele
Reproductive BioMedicine Online · 2013 · vol. 26(4) , pp. 323–336 · doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2012.12.011 · PMID:23419794 · W2089568219
review OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 116 in-corpus citations
View on OpenAlex View on PubMed View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This literature review examines the association between diet and endometriosis risk, analyzing various dietary patterns and their potential influence on disease development.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

A connection between dietary factors and endometriosis onset has become a topic of interest mostly due to the observation that physiological and pathological processes of the disease can be influenced by diet. This paper systematically reviews prior publications dealing with this aspect in order to identify potentially modifiable risk factors. Comprehensive searches in the electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE and Science Citation Index Expanded were conducted to identify published studies evaluating the association between food intake (nutrients and food groups) and endometriosis. Eleven studies were identified: 10 case-control and one cohort study. Information on diet was collected using food frequency questionnaires in seven studies, while in one study the questionnaire focused on caffeine and alcohol intake. Women with endometriosis seem to consume fewer vegetables and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and more red meat, coffee and trans fats but these findings could not be consistently replicated. Most data have also been discussed herein in light of the available experimental and animal model results. At present, evidence supporting a significant association between diet and endometriosis is equivocal. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of diet on endometriosis risk and progression.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Diet Dietary Fats Endometriosis Fatty Acids, Omega-3 Vegetables Case-Control Studies Coffee Cohort Studies Dairy Products Disease Progression Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans Phytoestrogens Phytoestrogens Risk Factors Soy Foods

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (80)

Cited by (50)

Source provenance

europepmc
last seen: 2026-07-31T06:09:14.520117+00:00
openalex
last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
pubmed
last seen: 2026-05-13T22:19:12.052662+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK