Best Foods for Endometriosis: What to Eat and What the Research Shows

When I first changed my diet in 2024, my plate looked painfully empty.

I'd cut sugar, gluten, dairy, alcohol, caffeine and almost everything processed, all on the same day. For weeks I was so focused on what I couldn't eat that I forgot to ask the question that actually mattered: what does my body want more of?

That question changed everything. Slowly, I built my meals back up around a handful of foods I now eat every single week. And when I finally sat down with the research, a few of them surprised me. So did some of the things I used to believe.

This post is that list: the foods I build my plate around, what the research really says about each one (including the parts most "superfood" lists leave out), and the easiest places to start.

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The short answer

No single food treats endometriosis. But the research does show a pattern. In a study following over 70,000 American women, those who ate citrus fruit every day were 22% less likely to be diagnosed with endo, and those who ate the most omega-3 from fish were 22% less likely too. Red meat, trans fats and butter went the other way. So the best foods for endometriosis are everyday ones: oily fish, vegetables, citrus and other fruit, olive oil, nuts and seeds, legumes, eggs and, for me, fermented foods.

What the research says about food and endometriosis

Before the list, a quick word on the evidence. Most "best foods" lists are built on how a food behaves in a lab, not on what happened to real women, and I didn't want this to be another one of those.

Most of the research below followed thousands of women for years and looked at who went on to be diagnosed with endo. That tells us about risk, not about pain once you have it. Trials testing foods directly on endo symptoms are still small. Even the European endometriosis guideline (ESHRE, 2022) doesn't recommend any specific food for endo pain, though it does encourage a healthy diet, less alcohol and regular movement.

Here's where things stand:

What was studied	What the research found	How strong the evidence is
Citrus fruit	Over 70,000 US women: one or more servings a day linked to 22% lower risk of endo, compared with less than one a week.	Association, not proof of cause
Omega-3 from fish	Same group of women: those eating the most were 22% less likely to be diagnosed with endo.	Association, not proof of cause
Fish oil capsules for endo pain	Two small trials (69 young women in the US, 33 women in Edinburgh) found no less pain than a placebo.	Early, small trials
Green vegetables	An Italian study of 504 women with endo and 504 without found the biggest eaters were about 70% less likely to have endo. The big US study found no clear link.	Mixed
Cruciferous vegetables	In the US study, broccoli, cabbage and similar were linked to slightly higher risk, possibly through gut symptoms.	Weak association
Red meat	A review of 8 studies linked it to 17% higher risk.	Association, not proof of cause
Fast-acting carbs	In nearly 82,000 women, diets with the highest glycaemic index were linked to about 12% higher risk.	Association, not proof of cause
Probiotics	Two small trials (37 and 62 women with endo) found less period pain than placebo. Both had links to the companies involved.	Early, small trials

The part I love about this table? The foods with the best evidence aren't expensive powders or exotic berries. They're sardines, oranges, lentils and vegetables. Ordinary food, the kind you can pick up on your next shop.

If you want the bigger picture first, start with my guide to the anti-inflammatory diet for endometriosis. This post goes one step deeper, into the foods themselves.

Best foods for endometriosis: what’s on my plate

These are the foods I come back to every week, in roughly the order I'd add them if I were starting again.

Oily fish

If I could only add one food, it would be oily fish. It's the richest source of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, which your body uses to make compounds that help settle inflammation.

In a study that followed over 70,000 American nurses for 12 years, the women who ate the most of these fats were 22% less likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis. Those eating the most trans fats were 48% more likely.

Capsules are a different story. Two small trials gave fish oil to women who already had endo, and neither found less pain than a placebo. In ordinary period pain (not endo), a review of 12 studies did find omega-3 eased pain. That's one reason I'd rather eat the fish than rely on a capsule.

What I eat: wild salmon when I can find it, and sardines or mackerel when I can't. Herring is great too.

Is wild salmon better than farmed? Not for omega-3. Farmed salmon is fattier, so it usually has as much per portion as wild, sometimes more, although its omega-3 has roughly halved since 2006 as fish feed switched to plant oils. The bigger difference is pollutants. A large 2004 study found farmed salmon, especially Scottish and Faroese, carried more of them than wild. Levels have dropped since, but it's why I choose wild and lean on sardines and mackerel.

Watch the labels. "Responsibly sourced" isn't a legal term and can include farmed fish. The blue MSC label means wild-caught. ASC means farmed to a certification standard.

Don't overdo it. The NHS advises at least one portion of oily fish a week, and no more than two (about 140 g each) for girls and women who haven't been through the menopause, because of those same pollutants. Tuna doesn't count as oily fish.

What about chia, flax and walnuts? They contain ALA, a plant omega-3, but your body only converts part of it into EPA and DHA. In one study of young women, about 21% became EPA and 9% DHA. They're still great foods, just not a swap for fish.

Vegetables and leafy greens

When I started eating greens every day, I noticed a real shift in how light my body felt. I rotate them: spinach, kale, rocket, chard, beetroot, courgettes, whatever's in season.

The research here is more mixed than you'd expect. In an Italian study, women with endo ate far fewer green vegetables than women without it. In the big US study, green vegetables showed no clear link either way.

One finding surprised me. In that same US study, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts) were linked to a slightly higher risk of endo, and a later analysis of the same women found the same. The researchers think gut symptoms may be part of the story. These vegetables are high in fermentable fibres called FODMAPs, which cause bloating and pain in some women and can make endo pain feel worse.

Vegetables are still the base of every meal I eat. If broccoli or cabbage leave you bloated, try smaller portions, cook them well, or rotate them with gentler veg like courgette, carrots, spinach and green beans. I also cook my cabbage and broccoli with cumin seeds or powder, a traditional kitchen remedy for wind that's been used for centuries.

And the magnesium? Greens are often sold as a cramp fix because of their magnesium. A portion gives roughly 80 to 120 mg, towards the 270 mg a day women need. But they aren't the richest source, and spinach's magnesium is absorbed less well than kale's. I've put where I really get my magnesium in its own section below.

Citrus and other fruit

Citrus has the strongest link to endo of any fruit, and most anti-inflammatory food lists don't even mention it. In the US study, women who ate at least one serving of citrus a day were 22% less likely to be diagnosed with endo than those who ate less than one a week. The researchers think beta-cryptoxanthin, the orange pigment in oranges and tangerines, may be part of the reason.

Berries are rich in antioxidants called anthocyanins. In trials they lowered a blood marker of inflammation (CRP) slightly, and nearly half of those trials were funded by the berry industry. I eat them because I love them, not because I expect them to treat anything.

My go-to breakfast or snack: berries, coconut yoghurt and chia seeds, with a sprinkle of homemade granola.

Strawberries are one fruit I only buy organic. In UK government testing from 2020 to 2024, 86% of strawberry samples carried residues of more than one pesticide. When fresh organic ones aren't in the budget, I buy frozen organic. Frozen fruit is picked ripe and frozen fast, so it holds its nutrients as well as fresh, and often better than fruit that's sat in the fridge for a week. Blueberries are a good swap too: they're not on the UK's most-sprayed list. I explain how I handle organic on a budget in my anti-inflammatory diet guide.

Olive oil and healthy fats

The right fats aren't something to fear. Extra virgin olive oil is my everyday fat and the one the research supports most consistently. I've covered olive oil, seed oils, butter, ghee and tallow in depth in the fats section of my diet guide, so I won't repeat it here. For everyday cooking I use Odysea organic Kalamata extra virgin olive oil*, and for drizzling over salads and vegetables, November Polyphenols*.

Avocado, walnuts and ground flaxseed are my other daily fats. They keep me full for longer and bring fibre and plant omega-3s with them.

Nuts and seeds

Walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, chia and flax are in my kitchen every week. Pumpkin seeds are one of the richest food sources of magnesium: a small handful (about 30 g) gives roughly 180 mg.

Are peanuts bad for endo? Some endo books and paleo-style diets say peanuts are one of the most inflammatory foods you can eat, and I avoided them for a long time because of it. So I went looking for research that wasn't paid for by the nut industry. A US government-funded study of over 6,000 adults found that people who ate nuts and seeds five or more times a week had slightly lower inflammation markers (CRP and IL-6) than those who rarely did. In a Brazilian government-funded trial, men who ate 56 g of peanuts a day for four weeks saw no change in those markers either way. And an independently funded review of 20 studies linked peanuts with less heart disease, just like tree nuts. There are no studies at all on peanuts and endometriosis.

Peanuts are often blamed for their omega-6, but walnuts contain more than twice as much. The real concerns are narrower. Peanuts contain a lectin that can briefly reach the blood, but only after eating around 200 g in one go, and its inflammatory effects have only been shown in cells and mice. Peanuts are also the nut most often flagged for aflatoxin, a mould toxin linked to liver cancer, which is why UK imports are tightly checked. So I buy reputable brands, throw away anything mouldy, shrivelled or discoloured, and enjoy them now and then. If peanuts don't agree with you, or you're allergic, skip them. Otherwise there's no evidence you need to avoid them.

Magnesium: the sources most lists miss

Magnesium comes up in every conversation about period pain, usually with a picture of spinach and a bar of dark chocolate. When I looked at the actual numbers, the best sources turned out to be ones most lists skip. And how much your body absorbs matters just as much as how much is in the food.

Hemp seeds. Three tablespoons (30 g) of hulled hemp seeds give about 210 mg, roughly three quarters of the 270 mg a day women need. They're also very low in oxalate, a compound that can block magnesium absorption. I sprinkle them on salads, soups and yoghurt.

Pumpkin seeds. A small handful (30 g) gives about 180 mg, and they contain almost no oxalate. Honestly I add them to nearly all my foods :) I love them.

Magnesium-rich mineral water. This one surprised me. Some natural mineral waters are high in magnesium: Gerolsteiner has about 108 mg per litre and Badoit about 80 mg. In small studies, people absorbed around half the magnesium in water, compared with the 30 to 40% usually absorbed from food, and more when they sipped it through the day rather than drinking it in one go. Those studies were funded by water companies, and Badoit is also high in sodium.

Low-oxalate greens. Spinach and chard are high in magnesium but also in oxalate. In one study, people absorbed 27% of the magnesium from spinach and 37% from kale. Kale, rocket, bok choy and dandelion greens are all low in oxalate.

Tamarind and dandelion. Both are often named as hidden sources. Tamarind pulp has 92 mg per 100 g, but a typical 30 g portion gives about 28 mg. A cup of raw dandelion greens gives about 20 mg. Lovely foods, just not big contributors.

Cacao and sea moss. Cacao and cocoa powder are rich in magnesium (about 50 mg in 10 g), but they're also high in oxalate and can carry cadmium, so for me they're a treat rather than a source. Sea moss gives only about 14 mg in a 10 g serving, and seaweeds can contain very high, unpredictable amounts of iodine.

Epsom salt baths. I love a warm bath on a bad day, but a 2017 review found no good evidence that magnesium is absorbed through the skin in useful amounts.

Spread it out. Your body absorbs a bigger share of magnesium when it comes in smaller amounts, so a little at every meal works better than one big dose.

I eat these foods to cover my daily needs, not as a pain treatment. A 2026 review found no good evidence yet that magnesium helps endo pain specifically.

Legumes and slow carbs

Lentils and beans are the base of my lunches, usually as a big pot of soup, or in a warm salad. They're cheap, filling and full of fibre and plant protein. In the research, legumes show no link with endo risk either way. I eat them because they keep my energy steady and my gut happy.

Chickpeas are my exception. Whether they're in a soup, a curry or hummus, my gut always struggles with them a little. Legumes contain fermentable fibres called GOS, one of the FODMAPs, which cause bloating and wind in some people and don't bother others at all. Canned, well-rinsed chickpeas and lentils tend to be gentler than dried ones, because some of those fibres soak out into the water.

If one legume doesn't suit you, there's no need to push through it. Swap it for one that does. Plenty of women eat chickpeas every day without a problem, and that's exactly why there's no one-size-fits-all endo diet. Your plate has to work for your body.

Your body needs carbs, but the type matters. In a study of nearly 82,000 women, those whose diets had the highest glycaemic index (foods that spike blood sugar fast) were about 12% more likely to be diagnosed with endo. So I choose slower carbs: sweet potato, oats, quinoa, brown rice and lentils.

Gluten deserves its own conversation, and it's coming in my next post.

Eggs and good-quality protein

Eggs were the first food I brought back, and my body loved them. They're on my plate most mornings.

Where you can, choose eggs from hens that actually live outdoors. In one small study, eggs from hens kept on pasture had twice the omega-3 and twice the vitamin E of eggs from caged hens.

A quick tip for the shop: every egg sold in the UK is stamped with a code, and the first number tells you how the hen was kept. 0 means organic, 1 free range, 2 barn (indoors, no cages) and 3 caged. It's the fastest way to see past the pretty pictures on the box.

Alongside eggs and legumes, chicken and fish are my main proteins.

Choose happier chickens. For me this is about quality, but it's also about not supporting cruelty. Most supermarket chickens in the UK are fast-growing breeds that reach slaughter weight in around 35 days, in sheds that typically hold about 25,000 birds. Only a small minority, roughly 5% or less, are free range or organic. That fast growth shows in the meat too: fast-growing birds are much more prone to "woody breast" and white striping, tough and fatty streaks through the breast meat.

What the labels actually mean. Free range chickens live at least 56 days, with daytime access to outdoor runs for at least half their lives. Organic chickens live at least 81 days (or are a slow-growing breed) and have more space outside. RSPCA Assured means slower-growing breeds, more space and things to do, like straw bales to peck at. "British" or "farm fresh" on its own tells you nothing about how the birds were kept.

Find a farmer you trust. Labels are only a starting point. Organic isn't automatically the best quality, and a small free-range farm you know and trust can be better than a big organic one. A local farm shop or butcher can be a brilliant option, but "local" isn't a welfare guarantee on its own either, so ask what breed the birds are, what they eat and how they're kept. Pasture for Life has a directory of certified farms and butchers, and BigBarn maps local producers by postcode. To keep it affordable, I buy a whole bird and use the carcass for stock, and I'd always rather eat less meat of better quality.

Don't pay extra for "hormone-free". Growth hormones have been banned in UK and EU beef since 1989, and hormones aren't allowed in chicken in the UK, the EU or even the US. So "hormone-free" on a pack of chicken tells you nothing.

What about red meat? In the research, red meat is linked to a higher risk of endo: 17% higher in a review of 8 studies, and in the Italian study, the women who ate the most were twice as likely to have endo. Red meat is my guilty pleasure once or twice a year, not my recommendation. When I do have it, I choose 100% grass-fed, which has a better fat profile. "Grass-fed" has no legal definition in the UK, so look for the Pasture for Life label, which guarantees the animals ate only pasture all their lives. Even so, grass-fed beef gives only a tiny fraction of the omega-3 you'd get from fish.

Fermented foods

This is the one I'd fight for. Fermented foods helped me rebuild my gut after SIBO, and I genuinely crave them when my body needs them. I buy some and make the rest: sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented gherkins and coconut yoghurt with live cultures. I make mine in glass jars. Le Parfait Super Jars* are a great choice, with a glass lid and natural rubber seal, so no plastic touches your ferment. These glass fermentation weights* keep the vegetables under the brine so they don't go mouldy.

The research in endo is early. There are no studies yet on fermented foods themselves, but two small trials gave probiotic bacteria to women with endo, 37 women in Iran and 62 in China, and both found less period pain than a placebo. Both had links to the companies making the probiotics. What we do know is that women with endo are about three times more likely to also have IBS, so looking after your gut matters.

Check the label. Most supermarket gherkins and sauerkraut are pickled in vinegar or pasteurised, which means no live bacteria. Look in the fridge section for "naturally fermented" or "unpasteurised".

Start small. A forkful a day is plenty to begin with. If ferments make your bloating worse, ease off and mention it to your doctor.

Herbs, spices and teas

Turmeric. I use a pinch of good-quality turmeric powder, Forest Whole Foods organic turmeric* here and there, in my cooking and in my morning drink of turmeric, honey, lemon and black pepper. It feels like a gentle reset. I found it helped with my joint pain. I don't take turmeric supplements.

Turmeric is best known for inflammation, and that's where most of the research sits. Its main active compound, curcumin, has been tested in dozens of trials, mostly in people with conditions like diabetes and heart disease. A 2024 review of 54 meta-analyses found that curcumin supplements lowered CRP, a common blood marker of inflammation, in seven out of ten analyses, though the drops were modest and the results varied a lot from study to study. Those trials used concentrated curcumin, often several hundred milligrams a day, while a whole teaspoon of turmeric powder holds roughly 100 mg, so a pinch in your cooking is much gentler.

For endo specifically, the only trial I could find gave 68 women in Iran 500 mg of curcumin twice a day for 8 weeks, and it found no difference in pain compared with a placebo.

A little turmeric in your food is fine for most people, but more isn't better, and big doses aren't safe for everyone. In 2024, the UK's Committee on Toxicity found reasonable evidence linking turmeric supplements to rare cases of liver injury. Turmeric can also interact with blood thinners such as warfarin and raise the risk of bleeding. If you take any regular medication, are pregnant or are thinking about supplements, check with your doctor or pharmacist first.

Ginger. In trials for ordinary period pain (not endo), ginger powder capsules of 750 to 2,000 mg a day in the first days of a period reduced pain, and in two trials worked about as well as mefenamic acid, a prescription painkiller. A cup of ginger tea holds much less ginger than that, but I find it soothing on bad days.

Peppermint. Peppermint oil capsules have good evidence for IBS-type gut pain (12 trials, 835 people). With endo and IBS overlapping so often, they're worth asking your GP about. Peppermint tea hasn't been tested the same way, but it's my go-to after a heavy meal.

Raspberry leaf tea. This is the one I reach for when my period starts. The European Medicines Agency recognises its traditional use for relieving period cramps, though it hasn't been tested in trials. It isn't recommended during pregnancy. For me every time I drink it, it genuinely works, but I barely have any cramps these days, and if I do - they are very small. I'm still shocked every time I say this!

The one I buy is Huntly Herbs' organic raspberry leaf tea, grown on their small farm in Aberdeenshire and certified organic by the Soil Association. It's not an affiliate link, I just want you to have the good stuff.

Chamomile, nettle and dandelion are lovely calming teas, but there's very little research behind them for period pain or bloating. I drink them everyday for different reasons, more on it in another post.

And water. Filtered water and herbal teas through the day. Staying hydrated supports normal digestion and energy. The NHS suggests 6 to 8 drinks a day, and tea counts.

Dark chocolate (yes, really)

A square or two of 70%+ dark chocolate with a few walnuts is my favourite treat. It's rich in antioxidants and it feels grounding. I reach for at least 80%.

One thing worth knowing: when Consumer Reports in the US tested 28 dark chocolate bars, every one contained some lead and cadmium, and organic bars were no better. UK testing is more reassuring: all 31 dark chocolate samples tested by local authorities between 2013 and 2025 were within the legal cadmium limit. I keep it to a small piece, and I switch brands.

If you want to see how all of this comes together on my plate, I've shared my full day of eating in How I eat now.

How to start adding these foods

You don't need to change everything this week. If I were starting again, this is the order I'd go in.

1. Add before you take away. It's much easier to add one good food than to cut one you love. Start with what you'll add to your plate, not what you'll give up.

2. Eat oily fish twice a week. Sardines on toast, a mackerel salad, salmon with roasted veg. Stick to two portions a week at most.

3. Have a citrus fruit every day. An orange or two satsumas as a snack is one of the simplest changes on this list. I also squeeze lemon over almost everything, from salad dressings to fish marinades. A squeeze is too small to count as your citrus for the day, but it's a lovely habit, and the vitamin C helps your body absorb the iron from greens and lentils.

4. Swap fast carbs for slow ones. Sweet potato instead of chips, oats instead of sugary cereal, lentils in your soup, and a quinoa or pearl barley salad instead of white rice. Barley contains gluten, so if gluten doesn't suit you, quinoa is your one.

5. Try a forkful of ferments. Naturally fermented sauerkraut or kimchi with breakfast or lunch, and build up slowly.

6. Notice how you feel. No list knows your body better than you do. Cheese and alcohol turned out to be my biggest triggers, and I only found that out by paying attention.

Pick one of these this week. Just one. Then come back for the next.

If you'd like some easy ideas for between meals, I've put my favourite snacks into a free guide, Snack Smart: 10 Anti-Inflammatory Treats.

Questions I get asked a lot

What is the best food for endometriosis? There isn't one single food, but oily fish and citrus fruit have the strongest links in the research. In a study of over 70,000 women, those eating the most omega-3 from fish, and those eating citrus every day, were both 22% less likely to be diagnosed with endo. Build your meals around those, plus vegetables, legumes, eggs and extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil hasn't been studied in endo itself, but it's the fat with the most consistent research behind it, and in a review of 30 trials, diets using olive oil lowered inflammation markers like CRP.

Is wild salmon better than farmed for endometriosis? Not for omega-3: farmed salmon usually has as much per portion, because it's fattier. Wild salmon has tested lower in pollutants, which is why I choose it. Sardines and mackerel are cheaper and just as rich in omega-3. Whatever you choose, the NHS advises no more than two portions of oily fish a week before the menopause.

Are peanuts bad for endometriosis? There's no good evidence they are. Independently funded studies link peanuts and other nuts with neutral or slightly lower inflammation markers, and no study has looked at peanuts and endo. The sensible precaution is aflatoxin, a mould toxin: buy reputable brands and throw away any mouldy or shrivelled nuts. If they don't agree with you, or you're allergic, skip them.

Does turmeric help endometriosis? Turmeric's strength is inflammation: in many trials, curcumin supplements modestly lowered inflammation markers like CRP, mostly in people with other conditions. For endo itself, the one trial I found, in 68 women, showed curcumin capsules didn't reduce pain more than a placebo. A pinch in your cooking is fine for most people, but big doses aren't safe for everyone: turmeric supplements have been linked to rare liver injury, and turmeric can interact with blood thinners like warfarin. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking supplements.

Are frozen fruit and vegetables as good as fresh? Yes. They're picked ripe and frozen quickly, so they keep their nutrients well, often better than fresh produce that's been in the fridge for a few days. Freezing doesn't remove pesticides, though, so I buy frozen organic for strawberries.

Should I stop eating broccoli if I have endo? No. The link in the research was weak and may be about gut symptoms rather than endo itself. If broccoli, cabbage or cauliflower leave you bloated, try smaller portions, cook them well or rotate them with gentler vegetables.

From me to you

I want you to know something before you close this page.

You found your way here, to this post, to this information, to this community, and that matters more than you might realise. It means you're already fighting for yourself.

Already refusing to just accept the pain and move on. Already choosing to understand your body better and give it more of what it needs.

That takes courage. Especially on the hard days.

So please be gentle with yourself. You don't need to transform your whole kitchen this week. Start with one meal. Add one food from this list. Take one small step, and then take another.

That is truly enough. Every choice you make for your body counts, even the ones that feel too small to matter. Especially those.

I've been where you are. I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed, exhausted and desperate for something to finally work. And I know what it feels like when the small things start to add up, when you wake up one morning and realise you feel a little lighter, a little more like yourself again.

I hope that morning comes for you soon.

Coming next in The Endo Kitchen

You've seen what I add to my plate. Next, I'm looking at the other side: the foods that may be making things harder.

Coming up next:

1. Foods That May Make Endometriosis Worse: alcohol, processed food, sugar, gluten, caffeine and dairy, what the research really says about each, and how to find your own triggers

2. The Best Cooking Oils for Endometriosis: olive oil, ghee, tallow, coconut oil and the seed oil debate

3. Non-Stick Pans, PFAS and Endometriosis: what's proven, what's hype, and what to cook with instead

Want each one in your inbox as soon as it's live? Sign up here and I'll send it straight to you.

Send Me New Post

Keep reading

• Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Endometriosis: What the Evidence Says and How I Actually Eat: the big picture, what I did, and how to start

• Life with Endometriosis: My Story of Struggle and Strength: where it all began

• My Journey with Endometriosis and Chronic Inflammation: How I Reclaimed My Health Naturally: the five changes that made the biggest difference

This post is for information only and isn't medical advice. Please talk to your doctor before making big changes to your diet or starting supplements.

With love, Lena

Founder of Live Beyond Endo

Stay connected, stay informed, and above all, stay empowered.

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