Dairy-food, Calcium, Magnesium, and Vitamin D Intake and Endometriosis: a Prospective Cohort Study

Overview

Journal Am J Epidemiol

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Public Health

Date 2013 Feb 6

PMID 23380045

Citations 66

Authors

Holly R Harris

Jorge E Chavarro

Susan Malspeis

Walter C Willett

Stacey A Missmer

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The etiology of endometriosis is poorly understood, and few modifiable risk factors have been identified. Dairy foods and some nutrients can modulate inflammatory and immune factors, which are altered in women with endometriosis. We investigated whether intake of dairy foods, nutrients concentrated in dairy foods, and predicted plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were associated with incident laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis among 70,556 US women in Nurses' Health Study II. Diet was assessed via food frequency questionnaire. A score for predicted 25(OH)D level was calculated for each participant. During 737,712 person-years of follow-up over a 14-year period (1991-2005), 1,385 cases of incident laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis were reported. Intakes of total and low-fat dairy foods were associated with a lower risk of endometriosis. Women consuming more than 3 servings of total dairy foods per day were 18% less likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis than those reporting 2 servings per day (rate ratio = 0.82, 95% confidence interval: 0.71, 0.95; P(trend) = 0.03). In addition, predicted plasma 25(OH)D level was inversely associated with endometriosis. Women in the highest quintile of predicted vitamin D level had a 24% lower risk of endometriosis than women in the lowest quintile (rate ratio = 0.76, 95% confidence interval: 0.60, 0.97; P(trend) = 0.004). Our findings suggest that greater predicted plasma 25(OH)D levels and higher intake of dairy foods are associated with a decreased risk of endometriosis.

Citing Articles

Vitamin D in Reproductive Health Disorders: A Narrative Review Focusing on Infertility, Endometriosis, and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

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Endometriosis in Adolescence: A Narrative Review of the Psychological and Clinical Implications.

Panvino F, Paparella R, Pisani F, Tarani F, Ferraguti G, Fiore M Diagnostics (Basel). 2025; 15(5).

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Causal analysis of dietary preferences and the risk of endometriosis using large-scale population data.

Cheng X, Ma D, Wang X, Li M, Jiang J Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):2611.

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Vitamin D and Endometriosis: Is There a Mechanistic Link?.

Jennings B, Hewison M Cell Biochem Funct. 2024; 43(1):e70037.

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Role of macronutrients, dairy products, fruits and vegetables in occurrence and progression of endometriosis: A summary of current evidence in a systematic review.

Akgun N, Sofiyeva N, Yalcin P, Lagana A, Oral E Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2024; 16(4):409-428.

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