The Role of Minerals in Reducing Endometriosis Symptoms: Pain, Bloating & Fatigue

If you’re living with endometriosis, you probably know how frustrating it can be to feel bloated, tired, and in pain ALLLLL THE TIME.… even when you’re trying everything you’re told + doing everything “right.” 

You might be tracking your cycles, eating clean, and following all the anti-inflammatory advice, yet something still feels off. One piece of the puzzle that’s often overlooked? 

Minerals.

Minerals like zinc, magnesium, sodium, selenium, and potassium aren’t just “nice-to-have” nutrients. 

They’re essential for hormone balance, thyroid health, reducing inflammation, supporting digestion, and keeping your energy up. When these are off, endometriosis symptoms can feel ten times worse.

Why Minerals Matter

Minerals are involved in so many processes in your body. For example:

• Zinc supports immune function, hormone balance (helps with progesterone production), and tissue repair. High copper levels (which is common in endo) can deplete us of zinc. 
  • Zinc rich foods include: oysters, grass-fed beef, pumpkin seeds, chicken, legumes
    
    
• Magnesium helps with muscle relaxation, blood sugar balancing, estrogen metabolism, nerve health, and reducing period cramps. 
  • Magnesium rich foods include: Spinach, pumpkin seeds, avocados, hemp seeds, swiss chard, dark chocolate, almonds, cashews, mackerel
    
    
• Potassium & sodium maintain fluid balance, boost digestion, support adrenal health and nerve signaling, which can impact bloating and fatigue. Potassium helps with gut motility (improves constipation) and sodium helps to build stomach acid. 
  • Sodium rich foods include: celtic sea salt or grey salt, Redmond’s real salt  (use code rita to save you 15% off), pickled veggies, sauerkraut, celery juice, artichoke, beets, swiss chard, animal products, eggs
  • Potassium rich foods include: acorn squash, stinging nettle tea, celery juice, coconut water (no sugar added), coconut milk, beet greens, avocados, russet potatoes with the skins, tomatoes
    
    
• Selenium protects against oxidative stress, thyroid function (which is crucial for healthy ovulation + progesterone production to combat endo symptoms) and supports healthy estrogen metabolism.
  
  • Selenium rich foods include: brazil nuts, fish, pork, beef liver,

If your body is depleted in these minerals, it’s no wonder endometriosis symptoms can feel overwhelming. This is why I LOVE running the HTMA test on ALL my clients, especially my endo clients. 99% of my endoclients notice improvements JUST with correcting mineral imbalances.

Root Causes of Common Nutrient Deficiencies in Women With Endometriosis

So what causes these nutrient deficiencies with endo in the first place?

Chronic inflammation from the disease itself, diet, blood sugar imbalances, stress, and digestive issues.

Your gut needs to be able to absorb these key nutrients in order to improve symptoms. I work with a lot of women who are eating healthy, but struggle with absorption and it’s exactly WHY they can’t beat their endo symptoms. 

Restrictive diets are another root cause of depleted minerals. If you have endo, you’ve for sure been told to follow some sort of elimination diet. Low fodmap, AIP, the endo diet, etc. All of these diets are restrictive af and can not only add stress through under eating if not intentional, but can lead to nutrient deficiencies. 

Here Are Some Signs You Might Be Depleted

Some subtle clues your body is missing key minerals:

• Persistent fatigue or low energy no matter how much you sleep
  
  
• Muscle cramps, spasms, super painful periods
  
  
• Hair thinning or hair loss
  
  
• Digestive discomfort like bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
  
  
• Irregular cycles
  
  
• Brutal PMS
  
  
• Skin issues like acne, psoriasis, eczema.
  
  

How to Replete Your Body.

• Food first: Leafy greens, nuts, seeds, seafood, grass-fed beef, high quality dairy, eggs, etc and eating a DIVERSE diet containing many colorful fruits + vegetables. Aim for at least 20-30 plants a week. (easier than it sounds)
  
  
• Targeted supplementation: Sometimes diet alone isn’t enough. Lab testing like a hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) can reveal exactly what you’re low in + tell us exactly what your body needs more support with. A GI map stool test can allow us to look at your gut microbiome and see if poor absorption due to certain infections like H. Pylori + SIBO are the culprit for your nutrient deficiencies.
  
  
• Functional support: Pairing mineral support with gut healing, looking at vitamins like D, A, E + K, blood sugar balancing, and nutrition / lifestyle tweaks can help you replete your levels + start feeling more like yourself again.
  
  

Supporting your mineral status isn’t a “quick fix,” but it’s one of the most powerful ways to reduce inflammation, improve pain, ease bloating + other GI issues, and restore energy with endometriosis. If you’ve been struggling with endometriosis symptoms despite doing everything “right,” minerals could be a missing piece of your puzzle.

If you’d like more support on your journey with endo, DM me “INFO” on IG at radiatewithrita OR book a discovery call using the link below.