The study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies, evaluating the relationship between dietary intakes of specific food groups (dairy, fats, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and meat) and endometriosis risk. The databases PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science were systematically searched until September 2022 to collect data. To measure the effect size and corresponding confidence intervals, the inverse variance-weighted fixed-effect method was used. There were eight publications included in this study, ranging from a sample size of 156 to 116,607, comprising five cohorts and three case-control studies.

The results indicated a link between the risk of endometriosis and dietary intake. A higher intake of total dairy products was associated with a decreased risk, but there was no such association found with either low or high-fat dairy, cheese or milk. Conversely, a higher consumption of red meat, trans fatty acids, and saturated fatty acids showed an association with an increased risk of endometriosis. The results highlight differing associations between dietary practices and endometriosis risk, hinting at the role of diet in the incidence and progression of the condition.