Estrogen is a hormone that plays a crucial role in the female body. It regulates menstrual cycles, supports bone health, and is responsible for many other functions. However, when estrogen levels are imbalanced, it can lead to a condition called estrogen dominance, which can cause a range of health issues. In this article, we’ll explore what estrogen dominance is, its causes, symptoms, and natural remedies to alleviate its effects.

What is Estrogen Dominance?

Estrogen dominance occurs when there’s too much estrogen in the body relative to progesterone. While both estrogen and progesterone play essential roles in the female body, they need to be balanced to function optimally. When estrogen levels are too high, and/or progesterone levels are too low, it can cause estrogen dominance. This hormonal imbalance can occur due to several reasons, including stress, diet, and environmental toxins.

Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance

Estrogen dominance can cause several symptoms, including:

1. Bloating
2. Breast tenderness
3. Endometriosis
4. Fatigue
5. Headaches (including migraines)
6. Irregular menstrual periods
7. Insomnia
8. Mood swings
9. Uterine Fibroids
10. Weight gain (that won’t budge!)

Although the above symptom are aggravating and may decrease your quality of life, the most serious consequence of estrogen dominance is the …”increased risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and other hormone-related cancers.”

Estrogen dominance, also called progesterone deficiency, causes so many physical and emotional problems at midlife. On an average, as women go through the perimenopausal year, estrogen may fall 30-50%. Progesterone on the other hand, has been said by some experts to drop as low as 120%!! Can you see how the ED scenario gets worse at midlife?

Several studies have found that insufficient progesterone may be a more important factor than excessive estrogen in increasing a woman’s risk of breast cancer. One of the most significant studies of the relationship between low levels of natural progesterone and increased breast cancer risk was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. In this study, conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Public Health, women of childbearing age who were having difficulty conceiving were divided into two groups.

The first group consisted of women whose infertility was attributed to progesterone deficiency, while the second group was composed of women with infertility due to nonhormonal causes. All the women were followed for thirteen to thirty-three years and the incidence of breast cancer in each group was recorded.

At the study’s conclusion, researchers found that the infertile women with progesterone deficiency had a premenopausal breast cancer risk that was 540 percent greater than that of women whose infertility was not related to their hormone status. Not only that, but these women had a 1,000 percent greater risk of death from all types of cancer. After menopause, when estrogen levels declined, the breast cancer risk was similar in the two groups, suggesting that progesterone’s protective effects were much more critical during the premenopausal period.

With these kinds of statistics, it’s important that all women (and the men they love) understand what a causes estrogen dominance (ED).

Causes of Estrogen Dominance

Estrogen dominance can have several causes, including:

1. Stress – Prolonged stress can cause the body to produce cortisol, a hormone that can interfere with the balance of Progesterone (P) to Estrogen (E). When cortisol levels are high, progesterone levels drop and can dramatically impact the P:E ratio. If, there are already fake toxic estrogens in the body (which is inevitable in our modern world) then the estrogen dominance is exacerbated.
2. Diet – Consuming processed and high-fat foods; foods with pesticides, herbicides, food coloring, and nasty preservatives can increase estrogen levels in the body, leading to estrogen dominance.
3. Iatrogenic (doctor caused) Birth control pills contain synthetic hormones that can increase estrogen levels in the body.
4. Xeno-Estrogens – Exposure to toxins, also known as “xeno-estrogens”, (xeno means foreign) “endocrine disruptors”, “hormone mimickers” and “obesogens” are found in
   • the air we breathe (molds, amonnia, glyphosphate, diesel fuels and cigarette smoke)
   • the water we drink (chlorine, ammonia, floride & petroleum); 
   • the food we eat (such as perservatives and the artificial food coloring known as FD&C Red No. 3 & bovine growth hormones, Propyl gallate and 4-hexylresorcinol ); 
   • the personal care products we use (Sodium Laurel Sulfate – SLS,  chlorine, benzopheone, phlates, parabens) ; 
   • cleaning products we use (chlorine, Triclosan, Ammonia, Sodium Hydroxide, Perchlorehtlened or PERC) 
   • the yard care products (Glyphosphate, Organophospate pesticides) etc. 

Limiting exposure to the fake, foreign estrogens is of course the first place to start, to reduce the burden or estrogen dominance. However, in our modern world, we are all exposed! Cleansing the toxic burden needs to be an ongoing daily ritual, not an annual or quarterly event. Cleansing our body, our food, our environment, our personal care, cleaning products and yard car products are all crucial.

In addition to cleansing, there are other important DIY measures you can take to help heal your body of this nasty modern mess.

Natural Remedies for Estrogen Dominance

Fortunately, there are several natural remedies that can help alleviate the effects of estrogen dominance. Here are some of the most effective ones:

Eat a Balanced Diet – Consuming a diet that’s rich in whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, can help balance hormone levels in the body.  Another study published in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology found that consuming a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, can help reduce estrogen levels in the body and balance hormone levels.

Exercise Regularly – Regular exercise can help regulate estrogen levels and reduce stress, both of which can help alleviate the effects of estrogen dominance.  For more detailed information on how exercise impacts your hormones, see my earlier blog post.

Manage Stress – Practicing stress-reducing techniques, such as meditation and yoga, can help reduce cortisol levels in the body and balance hormone levels. Here’s an entire blog focused just on hacking stress to support breast health.

Increase your Greens –The Steroid (sex hormone) pathway has over 45 biochemical conversions from Cholesterol, to Pregnenolone, to Progesterone, to all other hormones. Every SINGLE step in that process requires good healthy water, and GREENS. Be sure to increase your greens. If you have a hard time incorporating greens into your diet, I recommend Mighty Maca. (My grandkids love this stuff, too)

Use Essential Oils – Certain essential oils, such as Progessence Plus Serum, Vitex, Lavender, Grapefruit, Lemon, Clarly Sage, Bergamot, and Ylang ylang can help balance estrogen levels in the body and / or alleviate symptoms of estrogen dominance. For more information click here.

Supplement – I know that it’s hard to always have a perfect diet. And, Supplements do not compensate for a crappy diet. However, there are times when we do need additional supplementation, especially if we have DNA SNP’s or variations that can have a negative effect on hormone balance. Certain supplements, such as diindolylmethane (DIM), Resveratrol, Fiber, Indole-3-carbiol and Progesterone cream can help balance hormone levels in the body and reduce the effects of estrogen dominance. To order these supplements, visit my online store with FullScript.com  – the best supplier of high pharmaceutical grade supplements by clicking here

Estrogen Dominance seems to be a 21^st century plaque, yet once we are aware, and begin to eliminate it at the source, we will have a better chance of curbing it and creating lovely hormonal balance.

I highly recommend doing a careful assessment of your hormone levels, and hormone metabolism, to monitor the level of estrogen dominance you may be exposing your body, and your organs too. The best test on the market is the Dutch Test. Don’t let this catch you off guard. Do something before you get a significant diagnosis. You do NOT have to be a victim when there are screening tools and simple measures to rebalance!

Stay tuned for next week’s post–Is Cortosol Cascade and Yang Energy Wreaking Havoc on YOUR Body?