A Simple Guide for Women

Uterine fibroids are common, non-cancerous growths that form in or on the uterus.

They are made of muscle and fibrous tissue and are very treatable.

Many women have them and never know it. Others experience symptoms that affect daily life.

What Are Fibroids and How Common Are They?

Fibroids are benign (not cancer) tumours that grow from the muscle wall of the uterus. They vary in size-from tiny like a pea to large like a grapefruit.

Up to 70% of women develop them by menopause, and they are more common in women of African ancestry.

About 30% of women with fibroids have symptoms that need attention.

Common Fibroid Symptoms

Heavy or prolonged menstrual periods 

Bleeding between periods 

Painful menstrual cramps 

Pelvic pain or pressure 

Low-back or leg pain 

Frequent urination 

Difficulty fully emptying the bladder 

Pain during intercourse 

Constipation 

Abdominal bloating or a feeling of fullness 

Trouble conceiving or repeated miscarriages (in some cases)

*Symptoms depend on the fibroid’s size and location and individual predisposition

In Functional Medicine, the mere presence of uterine fibroids is viewed as a sign that something in the body’s systems is out of balance, even when symptoms are mild or completely absent.

Why Do Fibroids Happen? - The Root Cause Approach

Factors That Can Raise Fibroid Risk:

• Family history 

• Early start of periods 

• Excess body weight or metabolic patterns such as insulin resistance 

• Low or suboptimal vitamin D 

• High blood pressure 

• Exposure to certain environmental chemicals (such as phthalates, PCBs, BPA, or DES)

• Chronic inflammation (often reflected by markers such as hs-CRP) 

• Altered oestrogen metabolism (for example, higher 16-OH-E1 metabolites) 

• Gut microbiome or digestive patterns that affect hormone clearance 

• Ongoing stress and HPA-axis dysregulation

• Never having been pregnant or given birth

• Pro inflammatory nutrition, drinking alcohol

• Deficiencies or sub optimal levels of certain nutrients

• Compromised gut health

These factors do not mean someone will definitely get fibroids - they simply point to patterns linked with higher risk. Many can be supported through lifestyle, nutrition, and medical care.

These factors usually work together rather than just one thing alone, and the exact mix is different for every woman. 

Oestrogen’s Role in Uterine Fibr

Oestrogen plays a key role in how fibroids form and grow. These growths are highly sensitive to hormones. They almost never appear before puberty, and they often shrink after menopause when oestrogen levels drop.

Fibroid tissue usually has more oestrogen receptors than the surrounding uterine muscle. This makes the tissue more responsive to oestrogen, encouraging the growth of these solid, non-cancerous lumps.

When oestrogen signalling stays strong, detoxification or gut clearance slows, inflammation lingers, or nutrient and stress support is limited, the conditions for fibroid growth become more favourable - even before symptoms appear.

A Functional Medicine Perspective – At Lithe Health Clinic

Functional Medicine looks at the whole person, not just the fibroids.

At Lithe Health Clinic we explore your medical history, genetics, how your body balances hormones, handles stress and inflammation, detoxify and gets key nutrients like vitamin D along with others essential micronutrients.

We address fundamentals such as nutrition, sleep, movement, and environmental exposures which all can influence fibroid growth and symptoms.

Your care plan is always tailored to your personal health history, symptoms, goals, and preferences.

The most important functional medicine approach is to address the root causes. This helps break the cycle and lowers the chance of fibroids returning.

How DUTCH Plus Testing Fits In

The DUTCH Plus is a simple urine and saliva test that maps your hormone patterns across a full day. It measures:

• Oestrogen and its breakdown products (how your body processes oestrogen) 

• Progesterone metabolites 

• Testosterone and other androgens 

• Cortisol (stress hormone) patterns, including the morning rise (CAR) 

• Overall HPA-axis rhythm 

• Quinolinate, Other relevant markers (organic acids)

In fibroid care, these results can reveal whether oestrogen metabolism, stress response, or related patterns are contributing to symptoms.

These data-driven insights help guide personalized care protocols, including nutrition, lifestyle, and nutraceutical recommendations as well as BHRT when appropriate.

It does not replace imaging or standard blood tests.

We always combine DUTCH Plus results with ultrasound (carefully performed at Lithe Health Clinic by Dr. Stanislaw Zosik), MRI when needed, blood counts, and vitamin D levels.

 We also consider other blood markers and functional testing as appropriate.

At Lithe Health Clinic, we believe in integrative care.

Hanna and Dr. Zosik work closely together to provide thoughtful, root-cause, patient-cantered care.

We offer a 30-minute free discovery call.

Your 30-minute Discovery Call is an opportunity for us to understand your concerns, answer your questions, and explore whether the LITHE Health Clinic is the right fit for you.

This is not a medical consultation; it is an opportunity to connect, gain clarity, and decide whether we are the right partners in your health journey.

Available in person or online worldwide