Estrogen Dominance

It can happen anytime but it is prolific in peri menopause due to poor detox capacity, poor thyroid function and impaired gut health.  It is where there is an imbalance of estrogen to progesterone.  Either from progesterone deficiency or estrogen excess. Here are the most common symptoms of estrogen dominance. 

· Decreased sex drive

·  Irregular or abnormal menstrual periods, like shortened periods

· heavy periods. 

· Bloating, especially around the abdominal area,

· Constipation is a big one. If you’re dealing with any gut issues, but especially constipation.

· Breast swelling and tenderness, fibrous cystic breast.

· Headaches or migraines, especially before your period. 

· Mood swings, often irritability and depression, especially around PMS.

· Weight gain, around the thighs, the hips and the belly area. 

· Cold hands and feet, that could be a symptom of thyroid dysfunction, that can be connected to estrogen dominance. 

· Hair loss, sluggish metabolism, foggy thinking, feeling tired, whether it’s later in the day, afternoon, or maybe you’re waking up feeling tired

· Trouble sleeping at night, so having insomnia and mental chatter

· Severe PMS symptoms.

 So if you’re feeling like you’ve got three or more of these going on, it’s definitely worth digging deeper and seeing if this is happening to you. If you’re dealing with estrogen dominance, especially in your late 30s into your late 40s it's important to address it now.

Estrogen dominance can be reversed and managed well.

Support your liver - It's a busy organ, it filters blood, metabolizes hormones, manufactures hormones, stores vitamins and minerals, has a little insulin supply if needed, its working 24/7. For efficient estrogen metabolism we need the liver working well, other wise it recycles into our system. 

Support your gut - if the gut is not working properly it can mean estrogen is not going to exit your body.  If you have dysbiosis or you’re constipated or have leaky gut these can impact estrogen causing estrogen dominance.

Eat your fibre - Fibre is going to create greater diversity for your microbiome which is important for the estrobolome (the bacteria which metabolises estrogen).  It's also going to help with constipation, so estrogen does not recirculate. 

 Reduce xenoestrogens - Any plastics, chemicals, pesticides, synthetic hormones are 'like estrogens' and enter into our body contributing to estrogen dominance. 

Supplements for estrogen dominance...

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EVERYONE is individual and you need to be under the guidance of a practitioner that knows what they're doing because there can be hormonal consequences if not.  But some general supplements for estrogen dominance are;

ACTIVATED B VITAMINS - An adequate supply of certain B vitamins are necessary for a healthy methylation cycle to occur.

ESTROGEN CLEARING HERBS - The liver needs to be clearing, metabolising, detoxing estrogen through phase 1 and 2 to the gut for effective estrogen clearance, otherwise it recycles.

NAC - helps your body produce glutathione, the “master antioxidant,” and supports your liver. But even more importantly, research has shown that NAC supplementation “can help keep estrogen metabolism balanced and help rebalance it if it becomes out of balance.” 

MAGNESIUM - It supports phase 2 liver detox because it is needed for methylation.  You can also use a certain magnesium to help with constipation if this is a problem for. 

CALCIUM-D-GLUCARATE- helps package estrogen up in your gut for excretion

DIM - directs estrogen down the less cancerous pathway but be careful if estrogen is already low has it can have a lowering effect.

 SULFORAPHANE - helps with phase 2 liver detoxification in particular if its heading down the cancerous pathway.

 BIO-IDENTICAL PROGESTERONE – Needs to be prescribed by a GP such as Dr Caroline at Ministry of Skin.  Bio-identical progesterone is an estrogen modulator amongst many other actions. Not progestin like n The Pill it has to be bio-identical progesterone.

How do you know what you need?  TEST ! Invest in functional testing and find out.  I have The Hormone RESET program or book in for an initial consultation to work out a plan for you.