Learn What to Eat to Prevent Ovarian Cysts
Functional ovarian cysts often develop and grow in relation to hormonal shifts. Hormonal imbalance issues can cause these cysts to grow much larger and even painfully rupture. Ovarian cysts can shrink and disappear without surgery or drugs, simply by you creating an internal hormonal environment that keeps their development in check and under control.
Any woman who is experiencing estrogen overload or estrogen dominance – one of the most common hormonal imbalance situations – is at risk of developing ovarian cysts that become symptomatic. The symptoms of ovarian cysts range from bloating to frequent urination. Oftentimes, a woman who experiences a ruptured ovarian cyst will go to the ER with a lot of pain and a fever and, due to a lack of women’s health awareness, will be treated for appendicitis instead. The best way forward is to take control now for yourself, so you are not dependent on receiving emergency treatment down the line.
How to shrink ovarian cysts naturally
Natural remedies from a functional nutrition standpoint are highly effective as preventing cysts and shrinking those cysts you may already have. Here at FLO Living I have seen, time and time again, women reverse their diagnosis of ovarian cysts, shocking their doctors and themselves by how elegantly and effectively their body is capable of resolving this issue, when given the tools it needs to do so.
Any woman with a hormonal imbalance can take these actions with her diet as a preventative care measure, even if you currently do not know if you have ovarian cysts. Here I will outline the 5 strategies you can take to combat ovarian cysts.
Release excess estrogen – green vegetables like brussel sprouts, kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage contain DIM (Di-Indolyl Methane) which is very effective at helping the body process and eliminate excess estrogen. Try to have a side of these veggies at every meal – whether that’s sauted collard greens with your eggs at breakfast or broccoli with your bison burger for dinner.
Detox your liver – while so many products are marketed to us as detoxifying, the truth is quite simple – you need to eat to support your liver function and the best way to do this directly is with foods. So forget the detox teas and fancy supplements and instead eat more eggs for essential bio-available protein, glutathione-heavy veggies like avocados and asparagus, and selenium super foods like brazil nuts and oatmeal.
Fiber up – a diet high in fiber has been shown to decrease the reabsorption of estrogen in the body, lowering the incidence of estrogen-related health issues including cysts and breast cancer. Fruits and veggies are the best sources of fiber for this purpose. Add fiber-rich flax seeds to your salads, soups, and smoothies. Chomp on a fiber-full pear every day in your fruit salad.
Be good to your gut – fermented foods, be that sauerkraut, kimchi, or pickles help your body manage estrogen levels. The estrobolome (a set of gut bacteria or gut genes) produces an essential enzyme that helps metabolize your excess estrogen. Giving your gut what it wants and needs to process estrogen and maintain hormonal balance is vital.
Cycle-Sync your nutrients – there are 2 peak estrogen surges during your cycle that need to be responded to and controlled with your food choices. The Cycle-Syncing method of eating targets these surges with foods and supplements that contain the micronutrients your body wants in order to benefit from the estrogen it does need, while processing the excess it doesn’t need. This ensures these surges stay as spikes in estrogen and do not become long term estrogen dominance. You simply frontload your fridge and pantry with foods specific to each phase of your hormone cycle to address this common hormonal problem.
Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!
To your FLO,
Alisa
We believe that no woman should suffer simply because she has a period.
And we also know that it’s not always possible to get access to functional and holistic healthcare solutions — sometimes they’re too far away and most of the time they are way too expensive.
That’s why we offer phone and Skype consultation sessions with our FLO coaches.
All of our expert FLO coaches have been trained by Alisa on top of being certified health coaches and licensed acupuncturists. And they are all qualified to help you find the right next step for you in getting out of hormonal chaos and into your FLO. Work with a FLO Coach and find your customized plan to solve your period symptoms.
Cycle syncing sounds interesting – I suffer from painful ovulation, but fairly normal periods. Been checked out for cysts and nothing is there, nor is endometriosis. I’ve had two children and don’t plan on having any more. I have been to a naturopath and learned about these wonderful foods you list above, but wasn’t sure what cycle syncing is. Can you point me to more information.
Hi Megan,
Absolutely! I write all about it and give detailed info in my book, WomanCode!
Alisa
Wonderful article! I took detailed notes and will definitely be referring back to them as reminders throughout the month.
Can you really shrink a 6.4 cm cyst? I have surgery scheduled but am looking for a better answer. I have NO side effects to the cyst. It’s grown almost 2 cm since Dec, which is why dr. Suggested surgery. I’ve had 3 cysts rupture over the last 8 years.
That’s a great question. I was just told that I have a cyst on my right ovary size of a grapefruit with no pain symptoms but want to do a MRI to be certain and surgery is in the plans. I have done my research on natural ways to shrink but not sure if it applies to a cyst my size. Any advice would be appreciated.
I would love to get an update on this as well, as I found out the same thing today.
Had a serious pain in my right lower abdominal on 2016 and the doctor said it was appendicitis. Unfortunately I didn’t go for a scan. Was operated and d appendix. Few months later d pain continued. Event for a scan and discovered a right ovarian cyst(about 8.8cm).meet a gynae who booked me for a surgery and in 2017 I had d surgery. Just 2 months ago I went for a follow up scan(though no signs of pain) and found a cyst 3.3cm same right ovary. Repeated d scan a month after and dey saw a cyst on d left(3cm) and d right had grown to 4.2cm. The gynae insist No surgery, told him I was worried of d size growing
Hi Oji,
Unfortunately, cysts will continue to grow back if the environment in your body is conducive to them growing. Generally, the hormones are out of balance and this gives the cysts the chance to grow. Removing them can be helpful in the short term and/or as part of a larger, holistic plan. If you can pick up a copy of my book, Woman Code, you can learn about what to start doing to rebalance your body.
Alisa
My first cyst was 9cm by 3cm on my right ovary. I could feel it when I walked.. it was pretty uncomfortable. My doctor did not recommend surgery as they said they can come and go and it’s likely it would just come back. 2 months later, it was gone. No rupture.. Just.. gone! With that said, I have had several ruptures over the last 10 years.. but I find if I am not eating Well, or drinking too much alcohol, my cysts are worse. So when I start to feel them, I really watch my diet, drink lots of water and chamomile or ginger tea, and take it easy to avoid a rupture because those are painful as hell!!
Hi, what happened when they ruptured? Did you have to go emergency?
I recently had another rupture 4 days ago and have been on bed rest since going to the ER. Worse pain ever!
Wow I have a 12.2 by 9 cm cyst I have just Ben informed this Feb Dr shedualed me an operation in May the side effects are killing me yes its true I haven’t been eating well lately
Yes you can, mine shrinked from 7.4 when every doctor was telling me to do surgery.
How did it shrink
Can i know what u did?i am having 8.5 cyst ,
Can i know what you did???
What you did?
Hi Siearra, i have the same situation. 3 times ruptured cyst operation at the past and now i have developed another one. I wondered if you had the operation again.
Hi did yiur cyst shrink? And what type was it? Michelle
lakshmanankishore10@gmail.com
Yes I had one but it went away ate garlic and also stopped eating meat and anything with preservatives no any other drinks but only water
Have been married for ten year now without any issues,doctor report :Tube blockage, ovarian cyst, and I was operated twice but not successful please I do need yours help.
Is there away to shrink a 10cm teratoma?
Help me doctor say my uterus has shrunk and became small wht can l l tak to hav normal uterus again
Hi I wanted to know does high protein diet cause cyst in ovaries … as I do regular exercise like weight lifting and take chicken paneer whey protein powder spinach mushrooms veggies on daily base .. recently in my OCR scan I found that I have a cyst due to which can continue with the fertility treatment this month .. so I wanted what can be avoided so that I can continue the treatment from next cycle
Hey Alisa,
This article gave me a li’l bit of peace !! ? I have a cyst which is currently dormant and I am having Thyroid issues as well. Hence, kindly suggest if I can eat cabbage, Brussel sprouts etc that u had mentioned. If not then is there any other alternative foods ?
Hi all,
Thank you for the great information! I have been on a low dose pill for the last four years because my doctor said this will help prevent ovarian cysts. Back in 2014 I happened to have a large one on my right ovary that became tortuous. It grew to the size of a grapefruit and was extremely painful. They had to remove my right ovary and they said I should stay on the pill. I usually don’t like to take medications and lately I keep wondering why am I on this pill if I don’t need to be? I wonder if I discontinued the pill and was more careful with my diet? Should I begin this careful diet first and then discontinue the pill?
Hi please what can I follow to shrink my ovarian cyst? I have a simple right cyst measuring about 6.7 cm . I don’t want to have surgery please I’m willing to try anything …
Help me please on what to do about my ovarian cyst,I don’t want to go under surgery it’s almost 9.33cm,please I need your halp
Can i know what you did???
Hi im 31 years old with ovarian cyst endometrioma,im not ready to undergo surgery,what should i do to shrink my 9.72 size cyst.?
Hi to all.
Is there anyone who can help me, I am 4 weeks pregnant now but unfortunately my OB found in my ultrasound that i have 7cm cyst in my right ovary. I am so scared that it will ruptured any time that i will lose my baby again. This is my first pregnancy but on sept 2018 i had a miscarriage.
Please help me if there are ways to stop growing or to stop to rupture the cyst. Thank you in advance. Godbless us
Hi grace
I had an ovarian cyst on my left ovary with all 3 pregnancy’s and all were absolutely fine, me being pregnant actually helped my cysts shrink when they next did a 6 month scan the cyst had nearly gone, but came back once period started again,,, any miscarriages were due to lack of progesterone but cream soon sorted that,,,,I hope you have a fantastic worry free pregnancy and regular scans can put your mind at ease…
Just checking to see how is your pregnancy is going..I wish you the best
I have eemoved the uterus in 2016 last year I develop ovarian cysts on my left side which I did laparoscopy,now it has developed on my right ….is it not gonna cause cancer I’m worried
Hi,
I just finished my scanning and got to know that I have a cyst of around 4.6cm in my left ovary. I missed my periods for 2 months. I usually have a painful periods. Tomorrow I’m going to meet doctor with my scan report. I’m not sure whether do I need surgery or not. I will keep posted about my cyst. Hope for good. Being strong and positive is very important to face anything so..let’s be positive. I will keep posted
I wish I knew this I formation last year. I had a large cyst, no symptoms. Found when having inguinal hernia. Dr. gave me CA125 test which came back elevated to 47 (36 is normal). I’m over 60. He insisted on hysterectomy and ovaries removed. It has ruined my life. Have continual bowel problems and pain. I no longer have sex, it ruined that too. My sister had same thing at 36. I did not have cancer, neither did she. I like the greens so eating vegetables and better change to diet would have been fine with me. To late for me but thank you for posting this wonderful information. I will discuss this with my nutritionist who is also a chiropractor. He is wonderful. Recommend them to everyone.
Hi Marcia, I’m sorry to learn about the devastation of the surgery. I couldn’t help but wonder if a Pelvic Floor physiotherapist might be able to help with the pelvic pain you are experiencing, from bowel problems and pain to the sex… while I have not had surgery, I have benefitted immensely for pain related to significantly painful bowel momements (8-10/10 pain during period) and more. To over active bladder etc. It has been amazing. A life saver and a Godsend. I know they help people who’ve had surgery from bowel cancer. I’m not a guru, but would definitely highly recommend them to you. https://www.pelviennewellness.com/apps/find-physio Kindest regards,
Marcia, Can I ask if your cyst was complex or a simple cyst. I am 56 years old and just had an U/S yesterday because I found a blood clot in my urine the size of a dime. No pain just a twinge in my left ovary the today as I was waiting for my ultra sound results. The radiologist measured a 2.6 cm complex cystic component. He said the parenchymal portion of the ovary appears somewhat lobulated and coarsened in its echotexture.??? Given the appearance of a complex cyst and possible a solid component withih the the ovary or margin of the cyst, he could not completely exclude neoplasm. There is no free fluid in the pelvis. I have to take the CA 125 test tomorrow. Did you have a similar cyst. I am glad you did not have cancer but are very sorry that you suffered so much by the hysterectomy. Please let me know what the structure of you cyst was before I deal with a similar situation.
Hello,
First timer to any forum-ever really. Never thought it’d be in a period party. (Dont take that personally, any of you.)
I have a bit of a predicament. My normal period is practically a quarterly appearance and has been since I was about 16 (late bloomer) and on that note I think we can take away already that somethings amiss in china town.
I recently (tonight) began spotting (on the night of the blood moon (wtf@#k)) and all werewolf jokes aside, I’m a bit worried. Your article helped put my pregnancy worries aside but that would have either had to have been narrowed down to imaculate conception or I am one hell of a sleeper. So, that leaves me with hormones.
Now with the quarterly periods how in the world am I ever supposed to be able to track my ups and downs with the guides that all the lucky clockwork ladies use?
Please tell me there are biological tell tales I can look out for.
Signed,
The New Werewolf
Hi, You can start by eating cyclically – track the moon cycle for this. So full moon is usually ovulation, and the new moon is the first day of your period. If you are trying to track symptoms, then simply mark these down. You will want to start with some basic exploration of diet and lifestyle before worrying to much about tracking your cycle. With the diet and lifestyle changes we want to focus on getting your cycle regulated!
Alisa
I am 41 years old, have PCOS and have always had irregular periods. I have been having pain in my lower right abdomen for a couple weeks. A week ago it sent me to the hospital. There they found a 4cm complex ovarian cyst with internal flow. My ca 125 was normal at 18. My uterus was also atrophy, thick lining. My doctor wants to do a D and C, but not for two more weeks. Should I be worried? I am in pain and told to take ibuprofen which does nothing!! Confused, worried, and in pain. Any answers out there?
Ovarian cyst on right side size is 137ml
Hi
Can anyone tell me if norethisteron cause ovarian cyst?
I am taking norethisteron for 17 days 5mg 2 times a day.after to get periods on time for ivf cycle.
If cyst develop because of norethisteron does it become normal in bleeding?
I have 7.9cm right side ovary cyst. Sometime little pain .Now i m pregnant .dr. said if start pain go to ER and surgery . I m really worried about it please give me best ways to striking . Thanks
So elaborate and so detailed description of what to do as what to do and what not to do regarding ovarian health
I have complex ovarian cyst in my left ovary measuring 4.7 cm. I am feeling like periods every other day.some time pain in abdomen and sounds are coming from my left side of stomach.is it normal???
Hi, Cysts are not normal in the sense that you ideally wouldn’t have it. Cysts can cause the symptoms that you mention. You want to work to balance your hormones with diet – eating in a way that keeps your blood sugar stable, and you want to support the liver. You could do the 4 day cleanse that is offered on the website for free!
Alisa
I have been bleeding for last 15 days…before this i had regular periods always….now i m diagnosed with approx 4 cm cyst in right ovary…but gynae is not able to tell that my bleeding is because of cyst or not…do cyst causes long periods.plz tell.
How how you can help me
I want to shrink my ovarian cyst please help me
How can I shrink cyst on my left ovary
I also Tht kind of problem mine is not big the problem is so painful it affects my leg also my bigger question is wt can I eat to prevent not having syst
I’m scheduled to have surgery in the upcoming weeks. I was diagnosed with a 14cm cyst on the left ovary. I mean have you ever heard any best case scenario stories where a cyst shrunk dramatically in a week. I don’t see any info on an estimation as to the time it can take for an ovarian cyst to shrink. Any thoughts? Thank you. And for the rest of the woman, I’m here if you’ve any questions.
Hey guys,
I’ve just come from the doctor and I’ve found out that I have a cyst that’s already 11cm and that it can destroy my ovaries if I don’t watch out and that I should go under surgery real soon. I just want to know if there’s any woman here that has shrank a big cyst on their own?
really trying to avoid surgery, but if there are natural remedies that can help me I want to try everything, I’m so stressed!
I’m having a same problem. I have 4.9 cm sized cyst amd I’m on pregnancy planninh. But couldn’t get pregnant. Doctor advised to observe after period if it shrink or not. If not I have to operate. I have no kids yet. After get rid of cyst can I be pregnant?
I had a 5 cm cyst many years ago and I got rid of it completely by doing the following:
I eliminated all forms of caffeine, sugar, alcohol, wheat, all diary, eggs. I added tons of leafy green veggies – mostly kale and collards. Drank tons of green juice. Ate lots of salad and increased water intake. Took good multi-vitamin, b-complex, Evening Primrose oil, and probiotics. Also, ate good protein such as salmon, sardines, organic chicken. It was gone within a month and I never had a recurrence. It has been 25 years. The body can absolutely heal if you give it what it needs and stop feeding it junk. It is completely possible to resolve ovarian cysts. Good luck to everyone!
Any tips for reducing the chance of future cysts? I do not want to take the pill (I am already emotional enough hahaha). Just found out that I have another one (this is my 3rd one since 2014).
Yes! Get on the Monthly Flo protocol – https://www.floliving.com/natural-cures-period-pcos-pms/
Alisa