Estrogen Dominance
Estrogen dominance generally occurs when a body has too much estrogen in relation to progesterone. It can cause a host of problems and health conditions such as:
- Allergy symptoms
- Breast cancer
- Breast tenderness
- Cold hands and feet
- Decreased sex drive
- Mood swings
- Dry eyes
- Depression, anxiety, irritability
- Fatigue
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Increase risk of strokes
- Irregular menstrual periods
- Headaches
- Hypoglycemia
- Insomnia
- Slow metabolism
- Infertility
- PMS
- Zinc deficiency
- Osteoporosis
- Uterine fibroids
- Uterine cancer
- Water retention, bloating
- Weight gain
- Hair loss
- Acceleration of the aging process
- Fat gain around hips and thighs
- Polycystic ovaries
- Endometrial cancer
- Memory loss, foggy thinking
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Magnesium deficiency
- Gallbladder disease
- Unstable blood sugar
- Cervical dysplasia
- Ovarian cancer
Many women in their twenties, mid-thirties through forties, and even women who are menopausal can be overloaded with estrogen. At the same time they may be suffering from a deficiency of progesterone due to a severe drop in the body’s production, which leads to insufficient progesterone to counteract the amount of estrogen in the body. It is most noticeable among peri-menopausal women who do not ovulate, which is quite common. You may have a fairly normal cycle, but no egg is released and very little progesterone is produced.
Estrogen dominance can be caused by more than the body’s production of hormones. For example, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), birth control pills, environmental estrogens, plant estrogens, stress, obesity, poor liver function, peri-menopause, and glandular dysfunction.
We are constantly assaulted by estrogens in our environment from the food we eat and the chemicals we use. Estrogen mimickers in the form of food/plants (phytoestrogens) and chemicals (xenoestrogens), can mimic the action of estrogen produced in cells and can alter hormonal activity. Exposure to xenoestrogens is a concern for everyone, and those with an estrogen dominance condition should be particularly concerned about avoiding xenoestrogens.
Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring estrogenic compounds that are found in a variety of foods, herbs, spices. Their chemical structure resembles estrogen. These compounds are generally weak estrogens, in comparison to real estrogen and xenoestrogens, but in a body that is already experiencing too much estrogen, adding more may contribute to the problem.
Some of the strongest phytoestrogen containing substances are soy, the lignans found in flax seed products, red clover, black cohosh, chasteberry, and dong quai. Soy includes soybeans, soy milk, tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein, roasted soybeans, soy granules, miso, and edamames.
Key points to reducing estrogen dominance:
- Avoid chemical sources of estrogen (xenoestrogen)
- Avoid food sources of estrogen (phytoestrogens)
- Cleanse the liver
- Exercise
- Reduce stress
- Balance hormones
- Metabolize excess estrogen (DIM, Calcium D-Glucarate)
- Do not heat food in plastic
- Drink out of glass containers, not plastic or Styrofoam
