Dietary factors and risk for endometriosis: a Mendelian randomization analysis

Abstract Aims Observational studies have reported an association between dietary factors and endometriosis, but the causality remains unknown. The study aimed to investigate the potential causal association between dietary factors and endometriosis using Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods We perf...

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Main Authors: Xia Zhang, Qiaomei Zheng, Lihong Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:Nutrition & Metabolism
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-025-00970-9
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author Xia Zhang
Qiaomei Zheng
Lihong Chen
author_facet Xia Zhang
Qiaomei Zheng
Lihong Chen
author_sort Xia Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Aims Observational studies have reported an association between dietary factors and endometriosis, but the causality remains unknown. The study aimed to investigate the potential causal association between dietary factors and endometriosis using Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods We performed a two-sample MR analysis to investigate the effects of 18 diet-related exposure factors (alcoholic drinks per week, alcohol intake frequency, processed meat intake, poultry intake, beef intake, non-oily fish intake, oily fish intake, pork intake, lamb/mutton intake, bread intake, cheese intake, cooked vegetable intake, tea intake, fresh fruit intake, cereal intake, salad/raw vegetable intake, coffee intake, dried fruit intake) on the risk of endometriosis using summary statistics from the genome-wide association study (GWAS). The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used to deduce the causal association between dietary factors and endometriosis, and sensitivity analyses were further performed. Results Processed meat intake (OR = 0.550; 95%CI:0.314–0.965; p = 0.037) and salad / raw vegetable intake (OR = 0.346; 95%CI:0.127–0.943; p = 0.038) were discovered as protective factors for endometriosis. Heterogeneity test revealed no significant heterogeneity (processed meat intake: pIVW=0.607, pMR−Egger=0.548; salad / raw vegetable intake: pIVW=0.678, pMR−Egger=0.620). MR-Egger regression test didn’t support any evidence for horizontal pleiotropy (processed meat intake: p for intercept = 0.865; salad / raw vegetable intake: p for intercept = 0.725). No causal relationship was found between other dietary intakes and endometriosis. Conclusion These findings suggest that processed meat intake and salad/raw vegetable intake are associated with a decreased risk of endometriosis, but further investigation is required.
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spelling doaj-art-02e835f9ae1b4df99e1f3f35e9872f532025-08-20T03:04:26ZengBMCNutrition & Metabolism1743-70752025-07-0122111310.1186/s12986-025-00970-9Dietary factors and risk for endometriosis: a Mendelian randomization analysisXia Zhang0Qiaomei Zheng1Lihong Chen2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical UniversityDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical UniversityDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical UniversityAbstract Aims Observational studies have reported an association between dietary factors and endometriosis, but the causality remains unknown. The study aimed to investigate the potential causal association between dietary factors and endometriosis using Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods We performed a two-sample MR analysis to investigate the effects of 18 diet-related exposure factors (alcoholic drinks per week, alcohol intake frequency, processed meat intake, poultry intake, beef intake, non-oily fish intake, oily fish intake, pork intake, lamb/mutton intake, bread intake, cheese intake, cooked vegetable intake, tea intake, fresh fruit intake, cereal intake, salad/raw vegetable intake, coffee intake, dried fruit intake) on the risk of endometriosis using summary statistics from the genome-wide association study (GWAS). The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used to deduce the causal association between dietary factors and endometriosis, and sensitivity analyses were further performed. Results Processed meat intake (OR = 0.550; 95%CI:0.314–0.965; p = 0.037) and salad / raw vegetable intake (OR = 0.346; 95%CI:0.127–0.943; p = 0.038) were discovered as protective factors for endometriosis. Heterogeneity test revealed no significant heterogeneity (processed meat intake: pIVW=0.607, pMR−Egger=0.548; salad / raw vegetable intake: pIVW=0.678, pMR−Egger=0.620). MR-Egger regression test didn’t support any evidence for horizontal pleiotropy (processed meat intake: p for intercept = 0.865; salad / raw vegetable intake: p for intercept = 0.725). No causal relationship was found between other dietary intakes and endometriosis. Conclusion These findings suggest that processed meat intake and salad/raw vegetable intake are associated with a decreased risk of endometriosis, but further investigation is required.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-025-00970-9Dietary intakeEndometriosisMendelian randomizationCausal associationProcessed meat intakeSalad/raw vegetable intake
spellingShingle Xia Zhang
Qiaomei Zheng
Lihong Chen
Dietary factors and risk for endometriosis: a Mendelian randomization analysis
Nutrition & Metabolism
Dietary intake
Endometriosis
Mendelian randomization
Causal association
Processed meat intake
Salad/raw vegetable intake
title Dietary factors and risk for endometriosis: a Mendelian randomization analysis
title_full Dietary factors and risk for endometriosis: a Mendelian randomization analysis
title_fullStr Dietary factors and risk for endometriosis: a Mendelian randomization analysis
title_full_unstemmed Dietary factors and risk for endometriosis: a Mendelian randomization analysis
title_short Dietary factors and risk for endometriosis: a Mendelian randomization analysis
title_sort dietary factors and risk for endometriosis a mendelian randomization analysis
topic Dietary intake
Endometriosis
Mendelian randomization
Causal association
Processed meat intake
Salad/raw vegetable intake
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-025-00970-9
work_keys_str_mv AT xiazhang dietaryfactorsandriskforendometriosisamendelianrandomizationanalysis
AT qiaomeizheng dietaryfactorsandriskforendometriosisamendelianrandomizationanalysis
AT lihongchen dietaryfactorsandriskforendometriosisamendelianrandomizationanalysis