Estrogen is a hormone crucial for puberty, secondary physical sex traits, regulation of the reproductive system and fertility. It is also essential for cognitive, cardiovascular, metabolic, and bone health.
“Estrogen dominance” can be attributed to either “progesterone deficiency,” when there is not enough progesterone to balance estrogen levels and/or “estrogen excess”, when the body is unable to metabolize and eliminate excess estrogen efficiently.
Symptoms of estrogen dominance include:
• Ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids
• Fibrocystic or dense breasts
• Menstrual irregularities
• PMS
• Heavy and/or irregular periods
• Mood swings, depression, and/or anxiety
• Weight gain
• Low libido
• Infertility
What can cause estrogen dominance?
• Skipped ovulation (anovulatory cycles), most commonly in PCOS
• Inadequate progesterone production
• Compromised liver function
• Excess body weight
• Poor diet or sedentary lifestyle
• High Stress
• Inadequate sleep
• Certain medications
• Exposure to xenoestrogens
Symptoms of estrogen dominance can occur at any phase of a woman’s life and are common throughout the early transition perimenopause, when hormonal levels tend to fluctuate.
How to Support Healthy Estrogen Levels
Fortunately, with the help of a healthcare professional and some lifestyle tips, the symptoms and effects of estrogen dominance can be addressed. Some habits to keep in mind include:
• Minimizing exposure to synthetic xenoestrogens in food, water, and body care products.
• Reducing or eliminating alcohol.
• Practicing healthy stress management and getting quality sleep.
• Maintaining a healthy weight.
• Establishing and supporting a healthy gut microbiome and focus on fiber-rich foods.
• Using herbs that support healthy estrogen levels.
Balance Estrogen with Chastetree
Chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus) is a great “hormone normalizer” and can help in cases of progesterone deficiency that is allowing a dominance of estrogen.
Chastetree works at the level of the hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain, signaling the ovaries to develop a follicle and to ovulate, which is important to maintaining and restoring normal hormonal fluctuations.
These balancing effects make it a helpful for regulating irregular cycles and easing the physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms of the transition from perimenopause into menopause.
Eliminate Excess Estrogen with Milk Thistle
When the body is not metabolizing hormones effectively, it can result in “estrogen excess.” A key organ for optimal hormone metabolism is the liver.
Your liver is the top “detoxer” in the body. It filters the blood and helps break down fat-soluble toxins so your body can eliminate them, but it can become overwhelmed by too many processed foods, medications, and environmental pollutants.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is an excellent liver support herb with both protective and health enhancing benefits to effectively support optimal liver function. The benefits of this herb are attributed to silymarin, milk thistle’s antioxidant, liver-protective group of compounds.
You can take Milk Thistle as a daily liver tonic in St. Francis Herb Farm’s potent Milk Thistle Capsules, or Milk Thistle Tincture – both made with certified organic milk thistle.
Milk thistle is also the main herbal ingredient in HepatoDR® and HepatoDR Capsules – liver-supportive formulas that blend the benefits of milk thistle PLUS 4 other complementary detoxifying herbs. This synergistic formula helps to support liver function and enhances its removal of the body’s accumulated waste products – including excess hormones – by aiding eliminatory functions!
Finding the underlying causes of hormonal imbalances like estrogen dominance, whether they are caused by lifestyle, environment, the phase of life you are in or just your body’s personal constitution, can be tricky to figure out.
If you feel that you may be experiencing symptoms of estrogen dominance, or that your general hormonal health could use some support, a Naturopathic Doctor can help to assess and treat your individual concerns.
