Women of childbearing age who have been diagnosed with uterine fibroids may benefit from oral supplementation with a combination of vitamin D, vitamin B-6 and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a compound commonly found in tea. This is according to the results of a new study published last month in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, reports contemporaryobgyn.net.

 

Also known as leiomyomas, uterine fibroids (UFs) are benign tumors of the uterus that can cause infertility, pelvic pain and excessive menstrual bleeding. About 20% to 80% or women will develop fibroids by age 50, making it one of the most common gynecological conditions.

For the study, Italian researchers recruited 95 women who were referred to Rome’s Sandro Pertini Hospital for UF-related complaints between April and December 2020. The women were 18 or older and had at least one fibroid with a diameter of less than four centimeters and a color score between 1 and 2. (Color scores indicate the degree of peripheral vascularization, or the amount of blood flowing to individual fibroids.)

Scientists gave 41 women vitamin D, vitamin B-6 and EGCG twice each day for four months; the other 54 did not receive this treatment.

At the four-month mark, researchers conducted medical tests and distributed questionnaires to assess the impact of the supplement regimen on the 41 women’s UF symptoms. Results showed that the women who took supplements experienced a decrease in UF volume and a marked reduction in blood flow to the fibroids. In contrast, scientists noted an increase in both UF volume and blood flow to fibroids in nontreated women.

Additionally, women on the supplements rated their pelvic pain lower on a pain scale, while nontreated women noted no difference in pain level. Finally, 85.4% of treated women reported feeling better than they had originally. (None of the 41 treated women reported any side effects.)

“Thus, this supplementation may represent a valid alternative to the classic ‘wait and see’ approach and, at the same time, an adjuvant treatment that could be administered along with pharmacological therapies even before surgery to reduce the occurrence of possible complications,” concluded researchers. Especially, they added, because, typically, the least invasive medical treatments are considered preferable in women of childbearing age.

For more on new victories in the medical war on uterine fibroids, read “New Combo Therapy Shows Promise as Uterine Fibroids Treatment.” Not sure if you’re in the danger zone? Read “One Pollutant Ups the Risk of Uterine Fibroids in Black Women,” “Common Hygiene Practice Linked to Increased Risk of Uterine Fibroids” and “Childhood Abuse Linked to Uterine Fibroids in African-American Women” to learn more.