Estrogen Dominance

There is a lot of talk lately about estrogen dominance. What the heck does estrogen dominance mean? It means your estrogen levels are in excess in relation to your progesterone levels during your luteal phase. When this happens, estrogen (specifically estradiol) levels rise and cause some not-so-fun symptoms like:

• acne

• the blahs

• bloating

• brain fog

• cramps

• decreased sex drive

• fibrocystic breasts

• hair loss

• heavy periods

• insomnia

• mood swings

• PMS

• sluggish metabolism

• tender breasts

• thyroid dysfunction

• weight gain

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If you are exhausted, irritable, and moody, yet have trouble sleeping, gaining weight despite a clean diet and working out you are not alone. It is estimated that up to 75% of women report suffering from symptoms that could be attributed to hormone imbalance!

Hormones (cortisol, DHEA, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, and vitamin D) are important chemical messengers in our bodies. They are produced in tissue and then move to other parts of the body via the bloodstream delivering “messages” for that part of the body to do something specific. When the messages get disrupted, it can cause significant issues downstream.

Estrogen dominance is one of the most common hormone imbalance problems for women. Estrogen dominance is a big deal because it has hundreds of functions in a woman’s body. It is a common condition that can develop from a variety of causes such as:

• adrenal issues

• chemical estrogens in the environment (like xeno-estrogens)

• chronic stress

• cortisol/insulin imbalance

• excess body fat

• genetics

• hormonal birth control

• poor diet

• poor digestion

• sluggish liver

• weight gain

Estrogen dominance can impact sugar metabolism, fat build up and break down, energy levels, and neurotransmitter production leading to anxiety and depression. It can also put you at a higher risk of autoimmune disease, breast cancer, thyroid dysfunction, and uterine fibroids.

How do we manage estrogen dominance? The short and sweet answer is to avoid chemical estrogens + lose weight + manage insulin levels + manage stress levels + supplementation + support your gut + support your liver. 

I also recommend that clients:

• Eat quality protein

• Eat plenty of garlic and onions

• Eat more foods that support hormone balance (see below)

• Take a methyl-B complex (if indicated by DUTCH and lab work results)

• Eat a minimum of 3 cups of cruciferous vegetables weekly

• Consider supplementing with DIM (Diindolylmethane), a nutrient that supports the liver in processing estrogen (if indicated by DUTCH and lab work results)

• Detoxing the liver can help bring down estrogen; support your liver with things such as glutathione, milk thistle, and dandelion root

Eat Foods that Support Hormone Balance:

• Broccoli and broccoli sprouts

• Cabbage

• Kale

• Flaxseeds

• Protein like grass-fed beef, lentils, eggs

• Shiitake mushrooms

• Seed cycling

• Carrots, especially a raw carrot salad

• Jicama

• Avocado

• Blackberries

• Beets

• Dandelion root

• Dark chocolate (not complaining about this one)

What about prescription hormone replacement?

When you have tried everything and still find it difficult to balance hormones with natural methods, prescription medications may be an option. There are significant pros and cons to the different types of prescription hormone therapies (bio-identical hormones + hormone replacement therapy (HRT)).

Bio-identical hormones are derived from plants and are made to be exactly the same molecules that your body produces. You don’t hear about them much because pharmaceutical companies cannot patent them and thus there have not been sponsored clinical trials.

HRT is a different molecule from estrogen (hence it can be patented) and is derived from horse urine. It contains over two dozen different estrogen compounds—most of which cannot be used by our bodies—and thus must be metabolized which puts an extra burden on our liver. HRT has a long list of negative side effects such as vaginal bleeding, high blood pressure, blood clots, leg cramps, DNA damage, and has been shown to cause increased risk of cancers.

If this resonates with you, request a free 20-minute Discovery Call to see if we might be a good fit for working together to bring your hormones back into balance. If you haven’t had your estrogen levels tested, consider running the DUTCH, the gold-standard for all things hormone-related.