(Video) Estrogen Dominance: The Cause, Symptoms and Solution
Chances are quite high that at this very moment you or someone you love, are unknowingly suffering with the negative health effects caused by estrogen dominance. Although estrogen dominance is quite common and it compromises the health of both women and men, it is rarely discussed, diagnosed or treated. Fortunately, estrogen dominance can be reversed, and the biggest hurdle is simply discovering that you have it in the first place. Read on for a complete explanation of what estrogen dominance is, common symptoms associated with it, the cause of it, and how to reverse it naturally.
What It Is
Despite what it’s name would suggest, estrogen dominance isn’t simply a matter of too much estrogen in the body. It more commonly occurs when there is an imbalance between the hormones estrogen and progesterone, with estrogen exerting too much influence on the body, and progesterone not enough.
The Cause of Estrogen Dominance
Many different things can cause or contribute to estrogen dominance, including hormones in our water supply, a stressful lifestyle, an unhealthy diet, hormonal contraceptives, an overburdened liver and glandular dysfunction. However, the really important culprit that people need to be more aware of is endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors are things in our environment that disrupt the delicate hormonal balance that is required for optimal health. One of the biggest endocrine disruptor examples is something called BP-A (Bisphenol-A), which shows up in a variety of different places including plastic containers, certain cans and other food packaging materials, our water, receipts, and even children’s bottles and toys.
The problem with endocrine disruptors such as BP-A is that they bind to your estrogen receptors, turning on the estrogen receptor and never turning it off. To make matters worse, endocrine disruptors also prevent the body from properly metabolizing and breaking down excess estrogen. This eventually leads to estrogen dominance and all sorts of nasty health effects including PMS, weight gain, fibroids, thyroid disorders, male breast enlargement, endometriosis, and even breast, uterine and ovarian cancer. It also contributes to infertility, and woman with higher levels of BPA have been found to be less likely to become pregnant during infertility treatments.
Estrogen Dominance Diagnosis
Unfortunately, many doctors simply take blood or saliva tests when trying to diagnose their patience and this does now give them an accurate read on what is actually going on in the body. Ideally you want to use a combination of blood, saliva, stool and urine tests. One urine test that is particularly beneficial is the ‘24 hour Urine Test;’ it’s collect from morning to the next morning and provides a complete hormonal profile. It measures the three main estrogens as well as estrogen metabolites (the breakdown products of estrogen), testosterone, adrenal function, androgens, cortisol, and DHEA.
Lifestyle Tips for Reversing Estrogen Dominance
You should start by eating a whole-foods, plant-based diet with daily servings of raw cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts etc.). The more cruciferous veggies the better (unless you suffer with hypothyroidism) as they contain compounds that help your body breakdown and eliminate excess estrogen. Avoid dairy and reduce or eliminate meat, as they are both potent sources of hormones; and minimize you’re use of excess oils. Finally, make sure you are eating a high fiber diet (which shouldn’t be difficult if your diet is whole foods based). Fiber is important because it helps to bind to and eliminate excess hormones, and it also helps to promote regular bowel function which is essential during detoxification.
The addition of certain supplements is essential as well. Start taking supplements that are rich in DIM (dylmethane) and indol-3-carbinol (I3C). EstroBlock and EstroBlock Pro contain these two powerful ingredients plus added ingredients such as wasabi root powder and glucuronolactane for reducing excess estrogen. It is also important to make sure your body can properly methylate, metabolize and eliminate the estrogen and Liv-D-Tox can assist with that. Finally, reduce stress, exercise regularly and stick with the lifestyle modifications — reversing estrogen dominance is not something that will happen overnight, but the results are worth the effort!
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