Estrogen Dominance and How to Combat It

Estrogen dominance is an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone that often accompanies the transition to perimenopause. It is at an all-time high in women age 35 and over, often resulting in fibroids, cancers, infertility, blood clotting, and an acceleration of the aging process.

• The risks associated with estrogen dominance include hormone dependent cancers (such as breast, uterine, and prostrate) and autoimmune conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, Hashimoto’s, psoriasis, etc.) It is important to become metabolically flexible before you hit menopause so that you can avoid estrogen dominance.

There are a number of varied symptoms of estrogen dominance. If you have 2-4 of the below symptoms, you could have too much estrogen relative to progesterone.

Possible Symptoms of Excess Estrogen:

• decreased sex drive;

• irregular menstrual periods, incl. heavy painful periods, shorter luteal phase (2nd part of your cycle);

• constipation, bloating;

• breast swelling/tenderness;

• headaches/migraines;

• mood swings/irritation/depression/anxiety;

• weight gain around hips and thighs, but then moves to belly fat;

• cold hands and feet;

• hair loss;

• cravings;

• memory loss;

• insomnia;

• severe PMS;

• allergies;

• sluggish metabolism.

Good News! We CAN naturally reverse estrogen dominance. It is important to support your hormone pathways (liver and the gut) because often the problem is that we are not clearing the estrogen out of our system after we have used it. If you have a sluggish liver, you also often have nutrient deficiencies so you need to feed your gut and protect your liver.

Causes for estrogen dominance:

• Progesterone naturally lessens as you age and drastically drops with menopause

• Excess exposure to xenoestrogens (fake estrogens that serve as endocrine disruptors, found in plastics and beauty products);

• Eating standard American diet (which is high in pesticides and other toxins);

• Excess body fat greater than 28%. (Estrogen is made in fat cells so the more body fat you have, the more estrogen you will have);

• Leaky gut, gut dysbiosis, constipation. (Having gut dysfunction disrupts our removal of estrogen leading to an excess);

• Chronic stress reduces progesterone;

• Trauma;

• Poor liver function;

• Alcohol;

• MTHFR/COMT gene;

• Excess Sugar

Solutions: Once you know or suspect you have estrogen dominance (DUTCH hormone test not always necessary since the adaptations will bring side benefits regardless), the main approach focuses on lifestyle, diet, and supplements. The primary goal is to minimize exposure through daily lifestyle prevention tactics.

Step 1: Eliminate Toxins

1. Eating hormone loving foods: eliminate all toxins in food; organic, grass-fed, no dairy. Eat a LOT of cruciferous veggies and greens which boost sulfur, such as broccoli and cauliflower, kale, broccoli sprouts.

2. Use filtered water: tap water has too much xenoestrogens

3. Up your supplementation: NAC (phase 2 liver detox), glutathione (phase 2 antioxidant), sulphoraphane, DIM, resveratrol, green tea extract, turmeric (intermediate phase between 1 and 2). Quercetin (antiestrogen, cuts inflammation in liver); methylated B vitamins, vitamin C (the duct tape of vitamins), magnesium oxide, choline, zinc, selenium. The liver needs a lot of these supplements.

4. Use non-toxic cookware and cleaning products (branch basics is a good brand)

5. Ditch plastic bottles/containers

6. Buy organic produce

7. Reduce perceived daily stress (messes up gut and liver). Stress often prompts you to eat and drink stuff that hurts the body.

Step 2: Detox the Liver and Nourish the Gut

1. Begin a Liver Detox program (Dr. Mariza runs them frequently, see DrMariza.com)

2. Follow a liver and gut loving protocol of supplements, including methylated B vitamins, and methylated foods to declog the pipes.

3. Suggested supplements include: DIM, Calcium Glucarate, broccoli seed extract; magnesium, methylated B (folate, B6, B12) , choline, black cohosh, antioxidants. At a minimum, take methylated b vitamins, which are important in the disposal of estrogen.

4. Focus specifically on foods to support your hormone balance, such as cruciferous veggies, organic produce, fermented foods, berries, green tea

5. Take Probiotics (just thrive is a good brand)

6. Progesterone serum can be prescribed to address mood swings and terrible periods.

**Content provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is derived from information from Dr. Mariza Snyder’s Essentially You podcast. It is not to be considered medical advice.**