DO YOU HAVE ESTROGEN DOMINANCE?
Estrogen dominance is one of the most common hormone imbalances I see. Simply put, it is too much relative estrogen in the body. This can cause unwanted symptoms such as PMS and a heavier flow.
To learn about the important of estrogen and it’s roles in the body check out the full run down of the menstrual cycle and female hormones.
WHAT DOES TOO MUCH ESTROGEN LOOK LIKE?
Estrogen dominance can show up as a number of signs, symptoms and cycle trends:
- PMS
- Painful periods
- Heavy or irregular periods
- Spotting between periods
- Breast tenderness
- Mood swings
- Bloating
- Fibroids
- Endometriosis
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Brain fog
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Weight gain
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Reduced sex drive
- Fatigue
WHERE DOES ESTROGEN DOMINANCE COME FROM?
Estrogen dominance can stem from one or more of these sources.
TOO MUCH ESTROGEN PRODUCTION
Estrogen is produced from the ovaries (which are influenced by the brain). If your ovaries are producing too much estrogen that can cause estrogen dominance.
LOW PROGESTERONE
You can have relative estrogen dominance due to low progesterone (your pro-sleep, anti-anxiety hormone). If your progesterone is low and your estrogen is normal you can still have estrogen dominant symptoms. It is important to get your hormones tested to know if estrogen or progesterone is the root cause of your symptoms.
POOR DETOX
Poor removal of estrogen via Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 liver detoxication can result in excess estrogen in the body. If your liver is not removing estrogen and estrogen products from your body they can re-circulate and cause estrogen dominant symptoms.
SLOW DIGESTION
After your liver has packaged up your estrogen and prepared it to be removed from the body it then goes to your bowels. If your bowels are not moving, then estrogen is not moving. Therefore estrogen can be re-absorbed and re-circulate through the body causing estrogen dominant symptoms. Also, if you have gut dysbiosis (your microbiome is not healthy) then enzymes such as beta-glucoronidase may be high. Beta-glucoronidase essentially unpacks the estrogen from its removal state so it can easily be reabsorbed into the body.
YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Have you heard of xenoestrogens? Xenoestrogens are also known as “endocrine disruptors”. They mimic your natural estrogen by binding to estrogen receptors, which can therefore create hormonal imbalances. Xenoestrogens are found in everything from cigarette smoke to water. Everyone is exposed. It is important to make changes where we can to reduce our overall exposure.
The easiest place to do this is your cleaning & cosmetic products. Look at what products you use. Can you pronounce all the ingredients?
Download the EWG Skin Deep App and the ThinkDirty App. Go through your products and determine if they are Low Hazard (1-2), Moderate Hazard (3-6) or High Hazard (7-10). The goal is switch all products to Low Hazard. Every small change helps! Mark your Moderate/High Hazard Products with a Sharpie, then when it comes time to buy a new bottle remember to choose a new Low Hazard brand instead!
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE ESTROGEN DOMINANCE?
TESTING IS KEY. Knowing your cause of estrogen dominance is important so we know which area(s) need to be targeted.
At bare minimum your estrogen and progesterone levels should be run (blood work) to see if their production is high or low.
The timing of this testing is also important. Both the time of the DAY and the time of the MONTH matter when it comes to accurately testing your hormones.
Progesterone needs to be tested 5-7 days after ovulating (day 19-21 of your cycle, if you have a 28-day cycle). Estrogen (and the pituitary hormone LH) needs to be tested on Day 3 of your cycle. If your doctor is not directing you on WHEN to get your hormones tested, switch to one with a focus on hormones, women’s health and/or fertility.
Depending on your unique case and goals a comprehensive test such as the DUTCH: Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones may be right for you. This gives us a breakdown of hormone production AND hormone removal by illustrating Phase 1 and Phase 2 liver detoxification. The functional results help create a targeted approach, so we can get to the root cause of the hormonal imbalance.
Here you can see the Progesterone and Estrogen sections of the DUTCH for an example patient. She has low progesterone, high estrone, estradiol and estriol (all three types of estrogen), and there is both poor phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification. We would address all of these areas to help manage her symptoms.
Chat with your functional healthcare provider to determine which type of testing is right for your unique case.
Curious to learn more about the cause of your estrogen dominance? Book your free 15-minute Meet & Greet Appointment and lets chat!
In the meantime get started on the basics: eliminating xenoestrogens from your life, eating 2 servings of cruciferous vegetables daily (to support liver detox) and getting your bowels moving!
Resources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3388472/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12456297
