What is estrogen dominance?
Estrogen dominance is a condition where a woman has too much estrogen and not enough progesterone to balance its effects in her body. It's an extremely common hormonal imbalance, especially among women in their 30s and 40s when progesterone levels start naturally declining.
Some key signs and symptoms of estrogen dominance include:
- Irregular, heavy, or painful periods - PMS symptoms like breast tenderness, bloating, and irritability - Weight gain, especially around the belly and hips - Fatigue and insomnia - Low libido - Mood swings, anxiety, or depression - Fibrocystic breasts - Headaches and migraines - Brain fog and memory loss
There are a few main causes of estrogen dominance:
- Perimenopause - As women approach menopause, progesterone production declines faster than estrogen causing an imbalance. Perimenopause starts for most women in their late 30s/early 40s.
- Birth control pills - The synthetic estrogen and progestin in birth control pills can suppress natural hormone production and lead to estrogen dominance symptoms.
- Obesity - Fat cells produce estrogen and aromatase enzymes that convert testosterone and other hormones into estrogen. The more fat you carry, the more estrogen circulating.
- Stress - Chronic stress and high cortisol deplete progesterone, but not estrogen. This shifts the ratio of progesterone to estrogen out of balance.
- Environmental estrogens - Xenoestrogens and chemicals that mimic estrogen from plastics, pesticides, growth hormones in food, etc. add to your overall estrogen load.
The good news is estrogen dominance is reversible through diet, lifestyle changes, and natural progesterone cream or supplements to help rebalance your hormones. At Balance Hormone Center, our experienced practitioners can provide personalized treatment plans with bioidentical hormones and supplements to relieve estrogen dominance symptoms and restore optimal hormonal health.
Here are some tips to naturally reduce estrogen dominance:
- Eat a clean, anti-inflammatory diet - Avoid processed foods, added sugar, unhealthy fats, and xenoestrogens. Load up on fiber, nutrient-dense fruits/veggies, healthy fats, lean proteins.
- Exercise regularly -Aim for 30-60 min of moderate activity daily to keep inflammation down, balance hormones, and maintain a healthy weight.
- Manage stress - Try yoga, meditation, deep breathing, and other relaxation techniques to lower cortisol. Get good sleep every night.
- Take targeted supplements - Progesterone cream, DIM, calcium d-glucarate, milk thistle, and Vitex can all help metabolize and eliminate excess estrogen.
- Avoid exposure to xenoestrogens - Use glass/stainless steel over plastic containers, natural cleaning/beauty products, filter your water, etc.
By making these changes and working with a practitioner, you can overcome estrogen dominance, reduce unpleasant symptoms, and restore hormonal balance naturally. Don't hesitate to contact Balance Hormone Center today to learn more about our personalized solutions. We're here to help you feel your best!