''Estrogen Dominance''
A key culprit behind rising female health issues in today's world!
Struggling with Irregular or Heavy Periods, Or Dealing with Conditions Like PCOS, Fibroids, Or Endometriosis?
You are not alone.
Many Women Face These Challenges, Along with Other Frustrating Symptoms Such As:
- Breast tenderness or fibrocystic breasts
- Weight gain, particularly around the hips and abdomen
- Fatigue, or sleep disturbances
- Headaches or migraines
- Water retention or bloating
- Decreased libido
- Mood swings, irritability, anxiety or depression
- Increase risk of certain cancers, like breast cancer or endometrial cancer
Ever wondered, what’s truly behind these symptoms? it’s mainly ESTROGEN DOMINANCE!
let’s dive into what it is, why it happens and how it affects your body?
WHAT EXACTLY IS ESTROGEN DOMINANCE?
Estrogen dominance occurs where there is an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone hormones (sex-hormones) in the body, with estrogen levels being too high in comparison to progesterone.
LET’S BREAKDOWN THE COMMON CAUSES:
1. Obesity:
As body fat increases, especially those in abdomen and thighs, there is more estrogen production by those fat cells, leading to higher circulating level of estrogen.
2. Environmental estrogen disruptors:
There are chemicals called Xenoestrogens that mimic estrogen in the body and they can be found in a variety of everyday products, including:
- Plastics
- Pesticides
- Cosmetics
- Household cleaning products
- Processed food
Overtime, exposure to these products can lead to estrogen dominance.
3. CHRONIC STRESS:
stress leads to elevated levels of the stress hormone (cortisol), and high cortisol levels can interfere with the normal production of progesterone. As a result, progesterone levels drop, while estrogen levels may remain unchanged or continue to rise, leading to estrogen dominance.
4. DIETARY FACTORS:
A Low fiber- diet (fiber helps bind and eliminate excess estrogen), a High intake of animal products or processed foods (which may contain hormone residues) and Excessive alcohol consumption (which impair liver’s ability to metabolize estrogen) can all contribute to estrogen dominance.
5. PCOS:
Women’s with PCOS experience anovulation, which means there is no progesterone being produced after ovulation, thus lack of progesterone production, combined with normal or elevated estrogen levels, leads to condition of estrogen dominance.
6. HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL:
Many types of hormonal contraception, such as birth control pills, patches and IUD’S, contain synthetic form of estrogen and/or progesterone. Some form of hormonal contraception contain estrogen without balancing progesterone levels, which can contribute to estrogen dominance over time.
7. THYROID DYSFUNCTION:
Hypothyroidism (thyroid function is low) is associated with increase estrogen levels, as the body may have difficulty in processing estrogen effectively, leading to higher circulating estrogen levels.
8. LIVER DYSFUNCTION:
if liver is not functioning optimally, due to conditions like fatty liver, hepatitis or cirrhosis, it may struggle to eliminate and process estrogen efficiently, leading to estrogen build up in the body.
9. OVARIAN CANCER:
Granulose- cell tumors of the ovaries can result in excessive estrogen production.
10. PERIMENOPAUSE AND MENOPAUSE:
As women approach menopause, there is decline in progesterone levels, as ovulation becomes less frequent or stops altogether. Estrogen levels may still be present or fluctuate, leading to estrogen dominance
MANAGEMENT OF ESTROGEN DOMINANCE:
1. Dietary changes
- increase fiber intake
- avoid processed food and refined sugars
- eat organic food when possible to reduce exposure to environmental estrogens
- limit alcohol and caffeine consumption
2. Regular Exercise to maintain healthy weight
3. Stress management – Practice yoga or consider homeopathy, which addresses both the mind and body during the healing process.
In today’s fast-paced world, women are juggling multiple roles, often at the expense of their own health.
Amidst these challenges, one of the most significant yet overlooked disruptor to female health is estrogen dominance. Understanding the impact of estrogen dominance is a key to reclaiming better health and well -being in this modern age.
