The standard medical treatment for a woman with fibroids depends on the severity of symptoms and whether or not she wants to have children. Medicines may be prescribed for uterine fibroids and, in the worst cases, a hysterectomy is often recommended. Natural remedies for fibroids are available that can help women manage the symptoms of fibroid tumors. These natural remedies for fibroids include regular exercise, diet, and herbal remedies to treat the symptoms and shrink the tumors.
Many women who have fibroids experience heavy menstrual bleeding. Some of the natural remedies that decrease blood flow include the herbs yarrow, goldenseal, shepherd’s purse, witch hazel, and horsetail. Cinnamon, nettles, and bilberry are also known to reduce heavy menstrual flow. All of these herbs are astringents that contract passages and tissues in the body to restrict the flow of mucus or blood.
A link has been established between high amounts of estrogen and the growth of fibroid tumors. Since livestock are fed hormones, which then enter the human food chain, eliminating meat and dairy products from the diet can reduce the amount of estrogen in the body. Taking B vitamins can also help lower estrogen levels because the liver requires B vitamins to transform excess estrogen into a milder, less hazardous form.
Other natural remedies for fibroids include phytoestrogens, or plant estrogens. Soybeans are known to contain phytoestrogens, but other legumes are also good sources of plant hormones. Eating pinto beans, mung beans, lima beans, split peas, and black beans can help reduce the incidence of fibroids because these vegetables contain a healthy amount of plant estrogens.
It may seem counterintuitive to ingest phytoestrogens in order to reduce the amount of estrogen in the body, but it works. The mild estrogen in these plants fills the cavities in the cells where the stronger estrogen produced by the body would normally be stored. This causes a lowering of the estrogen levels that may help prevent the growth of fibroids.
Regular exercise also reduces the level of estrogen in the body. Exercise can help decrease the fat cells which store estrogen. This can help prevent fibroid growth and shrink any fibroids that are present.
Some herbs, such as chasteberry, milk thistle, lady’s mantle, and dandelion, can decrease the size of fibroids. It is believed that these herbs aid the liver in metabolizing and eliminating estrogen. Drinking castor oil and placing a warm castor oil poultice over the abdomen is another of the natural remedies for fibroids because it will also cause them to shrink.