How To Naturally Dissolve And Shrink Ovarian Cysts

What Are Ovarian Cysts?

Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs or pockets inside or on the surface of an ovary. (1) Women have two ovaries, and cysts can appear on one or both at a time. Cysts may be simple (which typically resolve on their own) or complex (generally requiring medical treatment, including over-the-counter remedies).

Symptoms

Most people with ovarian cysts don’t experience any symptoms. For some people, cysts cause symptoms that may become chronic if not addressed, like:

• Bloating
• Abdominal pain
• Sudden pain (only if the cyst bursts)

With complex cysts, especially in the case of health problems like PCOS and endometriosis,  these minor symptoms can also be coupled with more chronic symptoms such as:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Changes to bowel movements or urination
• Fatigue
• Painful, heavy periods
• Pelvic pain
• Pain during sex
• Anovulation (failure to ovulate regularly), leading to infertility and other problems with reproductive health
• Frequent urination
• Digestive distress
• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Increased ovarian cancer risk (complex cysts only) (2)

If you experience severe pain in your lower abdomen (near your ovaries), talk to a doctor right away. You may need immediate medical treatment if you have a cyst rupture or experience ovarian torsion (in which the ovary becomes twisted due to the presence of a very large cyst).

Related: Does Saw Palmetto PCOS Support Really Work?

Causes

Ovarian cysts are ultimately caused by a hormonal imbalance between estrogen and progesterone that can interfere with the proper development of tissue. Depending on the person, what triggers this imbalance may be different.

People with ovarian cysts are more likely to be estrogen-dominant, causing your body to hold onto too much estrogen and not enough progesterone. Certain health problems involving hormones like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis can contribute to the development of both simple and complex cysts.

Diagnosis

Ovarian cysts are identified by an intravaginal ultrasound.

Functional medicine providers may perform additional tests to identify the root causes of ovarian cysts. These labs may include:

• Hormone testing like serum hCG, thyroid hormone panel, and sex hormone tests
• Sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening
• Blood glucose, insulin, and HbA1c panels
• CA-125 protein testing (especially for postmenopausal women with cysts or premenopausal women with very large cysts)

Read Next: The Top 6 Ways To Support Fertility + The Functional Medicine Labs You Need To Know About

How To Dissolve An Ovarian Cyst Naturally

In functional medicine, we try to utilize treatments with the greatest results and the fewest side effects. While birth control pills and other hormonal contraceptives can resolve simple cysts, we try to recommend other methods due to the side effects of taking birth control in the long term.

Thankfully, several natural remedies are clinically proven to shrink or dissolve ovarian cysts without surgery or medications.

1. Dietary Changes

Diet should be the first natural remedy you consider to relieve inflammatory or hormonal health problems, including ovarian cysts. A diet high in sugar and unhealthy fats is strongly associated with the development of ovarian cysts and related female hormone issues. (3)

Every person is different, and no specific diet will dissolve ovarian cysts in every single patient. However, a few diets have shown promise in resolving cysts and reducing FSH production for patients with PCOS, including the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and the ketogenic diet. (4)

In general, the best way to eat to prevent and reduce the occurrence and size of cysts includes:

• Significantly reducing your sugar intake, particularly processed white sugars and corn syrup
• Eating nutrient-dense, minimally-processed foods (in other words, eating more whole foods than you do those that come prepackaged)
• Prioritize healthy fats rich in omega-3s
• Buy organic proteins (especially red meat) if possible
• Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits
• Get a lot of fiber every day
• Stay hydrated (you should drink about half your body weight in ounces each day)

2. Exercise

You may be able to prevent some new ovarian cysts from forming with regular exercise. (5) Be sure to prioritize low-to-moderate-intensity exercise rather than high-intensity activity for the best results.

Bonus: More physical activity is fantastic for your overall health!

3. Weight Loss

While PCOS does make it difficult to lose weight, weight loss can also relieve many of its symptoms, including the formation and growth of cysts. (6)

There are many ways to lose weight with PCOS, like diet, exercise, and/or supplements like cinnamon and inositol. (7, 8, 5) Even a reduction of 5-10% of your total body weight may dissolve or shrink some ovarian cysts and resolve many other symptoms like problems ovulating. (9)

Read Next: The Best PCOS Supplements

4. Apple Cider Vinegar

According to some small studies in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, apple cider vinegar (ACV) supplementation over 3+ months might restore ovulation. (10) This is supported by case studies. (11)

While there have been no large-scale studies done to track ACV’s impact on ovarian cyst size, in particular, one likely reason for restored ovulation is cyst reduction.

5. Flaxseed/Seed Cycling

Supplementing with flaxseed can both reduce the size of ovarian cysts and prevent new cysts from forming. (12, 13) This seems primarily caused by flaxseed’s ability to reduce the production of androgens, the levels of which are elevated in patients with PCOS. (14)

Flaxseed is commonly used in seed cycling, a natural remedy for PCOS that involves consuming different types of seeds at specific times in your menstrual cycle. Seed cycling with flaxseed, pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds also seems to reduce the occurrence of ovarian cysts. (15)

6. Korean Red Ginseng

In multiple animal studies, supplementing with Korean red ginseng has been shown to shrink or dissolve ovarian cysts. (16) When combined with birth control, it was able to reduce testosterone and NF-kB levels (used to test for inflammation). (17)

Read Next: Expert Tips For Natural Hormone Balance

7. Triphala Guggulu

Triphala Guggulu is an Ayurvedic remedy used to treat a wide variety of health conditions. In a study of 15 female patients with ovarian cysts, treatment with Triphala Guggulu reduced cyst size in 9 patients and dissolved them altogether in 4 participants. (18)

8. Curcumin

Curcumin, the active ingredient in the turmeric spice, is well-known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Multiple animal studies show that curcumin dissolves ovarian cysts caused by PCOS and prevents some new ones from forming. In general, curcumin has shown incredible success in resolving many issues with ovarian health, including PCOS, endometriosis, and ovarian failure. (19)