Simply put, estrogen dominance is a disturbance of the ratio of estrogen to progesterone. This means that while it can certainly be caused by an excess of estrogen, it can also be caused by an insufficient amount of progesterone. In fact, in most cases the latter seems to be true! Estrogen dominance can become a problem at any age, but is most often found during the menopausal years.
During menopause, the progesterone levels drop very rapidly, while the estrogen levels decrease at a much slower pace, hence there is a lot more estrogen present than there is progesterone. To read more about menopause, you can follow this link.
There are some risk factors associated with estrogen dominance, which could increase the risk of getting it:
- Previous use of estrogen based contraceptives or hormone therapy
- Sedentary lifestyle
- High alcohol consumption and smoking
- High body fat percentage (estrogen is produced in fat cells)
- High gluten consumption
Causes of Estrogen Dominance
It can be difficult to determine the exact cause of estrogen dominance, and it may be a combination of causes. Some of the common causes include:
- Xenoestrogens (estrogens found in the environment that your body takes in, this includes estrogen in your food and pesticides)
- Perimenopause or menopause
- Excess weight (because fat cells produce estrogen)
- Adrenal fatigue (chronic stress, etc)
- A liver that doesn’t detoxify properly
- Poor diet
Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance
- Brain fog
- Fatigue
- Irregular periods
- Mood swings
- Anxiety and depression
- Breast tenderness
- Bloating
- Reduced libido
- Weigh gain
- Headaches
- Infertility
- Osteoporosis
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Hair loss
- Insomnia
- Vaginal dryness
You might notice that these symptoms overlap heavily with menopausal symptoms; estrogen dominance is the main cause of the symptoms we regard as menopausal symptoms.
Natural Treatments for Estrogen Dominance
Nutrition
It is important to eliminate bad fats, increase your intake of good fats, get an adequate intake of fiber, and eat plenty of phytonutrients. Finally, just eating in a way that is cohesive to hormone health, and balancing your blood sugar, is one of the best things you can do!
Foods to Combat Estrogen Dominance:
- Green tea – blocks estrogen receptors so estrogen cannot bind to them
- Reduce trans fats, as they accumulate in the body and produce estrogen
- Fiber – binds to estrogen molecules to allow for them to be eliminated through stool
- Soy – looks like an estrogen to the body, and binds to the receptors so the estrogen cant
- Lignans (specifically flax) – also competes with estrogen to bind to their receptors
- Cruciferous vegetables – decreases estrogen
- Tumeric – very anti-inflammatory and decreases estrogen
- Cholesterol is not the bad guy, triglycerides are. Cholesterol is necessary for hormone production
- Include fat, fiber and protein in every meal
Lifestyle Changes
- Make sure you are managing your stress and participating in mindfulness practices
- Get enough sleep
- Avoid those pesky xenoestrogens
- Do not overexercise, but participate in moderate levels of exercise
- Partake in detoxifying practices such as skin brushing, castor oil packs and Epsom salt baths
The good news is that since estrogen dominance is simply a disruption in your hormone levels, it is more than possible to treat it with lifestyle changes. That being said, it is always a good idea to work with a medical professional such as a health coach or a doctor to ensure you are doing this in a way that is safe and affective for you.
