Estrogen Dominance Common in Early Perimenopause

Everyone talks about how we lose estrogen in menopause but did you know that it is progesterone, our calming hormone, that drops first during our transition to menopause?

• This drop can happen as early as age 35, a full 15 years before most women go through menopause, setting us up for sleep issues, brain fog, irritability, and weight gain.

While estrogen is the most talked about female hormone, progesterone is critically important for mood, sleep and calm. It also helps balance estrogen.

• The ratio between estrogen and progesterone matters the most so once your progesterone drops it is easy to end up with estrogen dominance (too much estrogen as compared to progesterone).

When you have estrogen dominance, estrogen is calling ALL the shots and PMS symptoms are often out of control. You may feel weepy, irritable, stressed, exhausted, and bloated.

• Estrogen dominance is common in the early years of perimenopause.

If you have more than three of the following symptoms before menopause you may be suffering from too much estrogen or estrogen dominance.

• Decreased sex drive

• Abnormal menstrual cycles

• Bloating, abdominal pain

• Constipation

• Breast swelling

• Headaches/migraines

• Mood swings

• Weight gain

• Cold hands and feet

• Hair loss

• Sluggishness

• Tiredness

• Insomnia

• Severe PMS

Luckily there are a number of lifestyle tweaks that can help us rebalance our hormones during this timeframe.  

• See food as medicine: be mindful of hidden estrogens in foods such as processed foods and sweets; avoid conventional meats and dairy; choose grass-fed, pasture-raised meat; eat lots of leafy greens and cruciferous veggies; enjoy salads with 10-12 different veggies; eat from the rainbow, including green smoothies, colored bell peppers, and red/blue/blackberries.

• Supplement with vitamins and minerals: such as methylated B vitamins, vitamins C & D, magnesium, resveratrol, and quercetin.

• Lessen your toxic load: filter your water to avoid heavy metals and to decrease your toxic load; buy nontoxic cleaning and beauty products to lessen stress on the liver which not only detoxifies but metabolizes excess hormones.

• Support the liver and the gut:  both of which are involved in the metabolism of hormones by supplementing with essential amino acids and digestive enzymes, like probiotics.

• Reduce stress: practice meditation, follow calming morning and evening rituals, and supportive self-care practices; yoga, tai chi/qi gong, and stretching also help dissipate harmful stress (cortisol).  Stress produces oxidation in the body which damages our tissues/organs and ages us.

Top 5 Supplements for Perimenopause:

1. Magnesium: Magnesium is involved in over 300 critical functions in the body, including muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control and blood pressure regulation. Magnesium also helps remove the toxic forms of estrogen. Many of us are deficient in magnesium because of the poor-quality soil that our fruits, vegetables, and grains grow in. Supplementing with magnesium also will help with sleep and can even ease constipation.

2. Methylated B Vitamins: many people are unable to process B vitamins effectively so they need to choose methylated B vitamins. Both folate (B9) and vitamin B6 detoxify excess estrogen via the methylation pathway so they are important in that perimenopause stage when estrogen is too high.

3. Calcium: Calcium lowers estradiol (our primary form of estrogen in childbearing years) levels. It also helps breakdown estrogen in the liver and convert it to a less toxic form.

4. Vitamin D: Regulates synthesis of estradiol and estrone (two types of estrogen) and enhances estrogen’s protective effect on bones.

5. Choline: Your brain and nervous system need choline to regulate memory, mood, muscle control, and other functions. Choline detoxifies excess estrogen via the methylation pathway; those with low estrogen (postmenopausal women) require more choline.   

There is no reason to feel crummy in midlife when we can take charge of our health and feel great even through perimenopause by cleaning up our diet, supplementing with vitamins and minerals, and reducing stress. With attention to these issues, we can feel incredible and balance our hormones for a healthy, happy middle-age and beyond!

Content provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice.