Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that grow within the muscle walls of the uterus. Their precise cause remains elusive to the scientific and medical communities. However, a parallel between the female hormone estrogen and fibroid size clearly exists, according to Women'sHealth.gov. Phytoestrogens -- plant-based foods high in estrogen-like compounds such as wheat -- seem to have an impact on estrogen levels in the body, according to Real Age, which may in turn affect uterine fibroid growth.
Identification
The health reference site Life Extension categorizes uterine fibroids as anomalous muscle cells that form dense, spherical lumps on both the interior and exterior muscular wall of the uterus. Fibroids tend to cluster in groups, and occur most often in middle-aged women with a genetic history of fibroids, according to Womenshealth.gov. Uterine fibroids develop rapidly during pregnancy, when estrogen and progesterone levels peak, and shrink once a woman uses anti-hormone medications, or reaches menopause.
Symptoms
Some women experience no symptoms with uterine fibroids. Others encounter heavy menstrual bleeding, anemia, pain during sex, increased vaginal discharge, enlargement of the lower abdomen and pressure on the bladder causing frequent urination.
Lignans
Lignans are phytoestrogens found in numerous whole grains, including wheat, according to Life Extension. Lignans behave like estrogen in the body. They secure themselves to receptor sites on the cells designed for estrogen and partially stimulate them. Women with uterine fibroids tend to have high levels of estrogen. Lignans such as wheat occupy the receptor sites and displace real estrogen, thereby reducing its activity. This hormonal disruption may prevent estrogen dependent malignancies such as breast cancer, according to Real Age, and may also result in the partial reduction of uterine fibroids.
Fertility
Uterine fibroids initiate numerous reproductive issues, including premature labor, recurrent miscarriage, infertility, fetal malpresentations and pregnancy complications. Fibroids deform the uterine cavity, according to the Brigham Women's Hospital Center for Uterine Fibroids, which explains many of these problems. Adding more wheat to your diet now may prevent fertility issues later.
Considerations
Real Age reports no double blind, placebo controlled studies that definitively prove that the lignans found in wheat can prevent uterine fibroids. However, observational studies -- in this case studies that seek associations between what people eat and certain diseases -- suggest that lignans may reduce estrogen-dependent cancers, and since uterine fibroids are also estrogen-dependent, the medical consensus appears to be that lignans may help decrease the size and symptoms of uterine fibroids.
