Estrogen Dominance:
In a healthy woman two vital hormones, progesterone and estrogen, are maintained in balance.
However, when this decline commences, progesterone production falls considerably faster than oestrogen. The result is a widened gap in the levels of these two hormones which does not right itself until hormone levels finally stabilise in the years following the menopause.
In menopausal women these effects can include:
When progesterone production is suppressed by the myriad of environmental estrogens, the effects of estrogen dominance become manifest. Many women experience otherwise unexplained weight gain from the lack of progesterone that is required for proper thyroid function.
In cultures where diets still largely comprise a variety of fresh vegetables progesterone deficiency remains rare. Plants produce substances that behave much like progesterone and as such when the body’s progesterone production winds down, these substances are able to counteract the effects of oestrogen. In western cultures, where processed foods form the bulk of diets, these nutrients are largely absent.
Estrogen dominance occurs mostly in industrialized countries and commonly occurs in the following situations.
Commonly prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) treatments are aimed at relieving oestrogen dominance by boosting progesterone levels, however in most cases these products employ artificial variants of progesterone, known as progestins. While in some ways these perform the role of natural progesterone, they are in fact alien to the body and believed to be responsible for the many reported side effects of HRT.
Supplementing progesterone levels is a proven method of counterbalancing the effects of oestrogen dominance and its symptoms. Natural progesterone is bioidentical to progesterone produced in the body and has been prescribed since the 1930s as a safe, effective treatment. During this time women have reported symptoms relieved and quality of life restored without the side effects associated with artificial hormone treatments.
Estrogen Detoxification This page will show you how important our Liver is in our overall health.
In a healthy woman two vital hormones, progesterone and estrogen, are maintained in balance.
- From the first day of a woman’s period until ovulation, estrogen should be the dominant hormones (days 1-14).
- Then, at ovulation, one of the ovaries releases an egg and progesterone.
- From the day of ovulation until the start of the next period (days 14-28), the single hormone, progesterone, should be the dominant hormone.
- If, however, a woman’s body fails to make enough progesterone during the “progesterone phase of the month” (days 14-28) and the estrogens dominate her biology, she will experience some combination of Estrogen Dominance.
However, when this decline commences, progesterone production falls considerably faster than oestrogen. The result is a widened gap in the levels of these two hormones which does not right itself until hormone levels finally stabilise in the years following the menopause.
In menopausal women these effects can include:
- Hot flushes
- Mood Swings & Depression
- Water retention
- Breast swelling and pain
- Heavy or irregular periods
- Uterine fibroids
- Weight gain, particularly around hips and thighs
When progesterone production is suppressed by the myriad of environmental estrogens, the effects of estrogen dominance become manifest. Many women experience otherwise unexplained weight gain from the lack of progesterone that is required for proper thyroid function.
In cultures where diets still largely comprise a variety of fresh vegetables progesterone deficiency remains rare. Plants produce substances that behave much like progesterone and as such when the body’s progesterone production winds down, these substances are able to counteract the effects of oestrogen. In western cultures, where processed foods form the bulk of diets, these nutrients are largely absent.
Estrogen dominance occurs mostly in industrialized countries and commonly occurs in the following situations.
- When women are on estrogen replacement therapy.
- Pre-menopause when early follicle depletion results in the lack of ovulation and thus a lack of progesterone well before the onset of menopause.
- Exposure to xen-oestrogens which is the cause of early follicle depletion. Xen-oestrogens are foreign substances found outside the body in the air and food that have an estrogen effect on the body.
- Birth control pills with an excessive estrogen component.
- Women who have had a hysterectomy (or tubal ligation) leading to dysfunction of the ovaries.
- Post menopause, especially in women who are overweight.
- Women experiencing on going stress,which may affect adrenal function
Commonly prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) treatments are aimed at relieving oestrogen dominance by boosting progesterone levels, however in most cases these products employ artificial variants of progesterone, known as progestins. While in some ways these perform the role of natural progesterone, they are in fact alien to the body and believed to be responsible for the many reported side effects of HRT.
Supplementing progesterone levels is a proven method of counterbalancing the effects of oestrogen dominance and its symptoms. Natural progesterone is bioidentical to progesterone produced in the body and has been prescribed since the 1930s as a safe, effective treatment. During this time women have reported symptoms relieved and quality of life restored without the side effects associated with artificial hormone treatments.
Estrogen Detoxification This page will show you how important our Liver is in our overall health.
Conditions which may be connected to Estrogen Dominance:
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References:
Natural Progesterone – The multiple roles of a remarkable hormone By Dr John R Lee MD
Natural Progesterone – The multiple roles of a remarkable hormone By Dr John R Lee MD
