Estrogen is the primary sex hormone in females. What happens if your estrogen gets too high and goes out of control? – Estrogen dominance and its associated symptoms/conditions. Let’s find out how to reverse estrogen dominance naturally in this article.
What is Estrogen Dominance?
Estrogen plays key roles within the female body. some of these include:
- it induces and regulates the menstrual cycle
- breast growth
- regulates moods and emotions
- supports and maintains strong bones
- balances cholesterol levels in the body
- and others
Estrogen dominance means having excess estrogen in your body. Instead of having a normal level of estrogen required for the well-functioning of the reproductive system and overall body, you have a higher level, which leads to an imbalance.
Progesterone is the other major female sex hormone. Estrogen works together with progesterone. Both estrogen and progesterone need to be at normal levels for things to work properly. If one of them becomes dominant, then the other one goes out of balance.
Below are some of the symptoms of estrogen dominance in females:
Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance
Below are some of the symptoms of estrogen dominance in women:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Irregular periods
- Low libido
- Ovarian cysts
- Severe PMS
- Uterine fibroids
- Weight gain mainly in the hips and waist
How to Reverse Estrogen Dominance Naturally
If you find out that you have estrogen dominance, then there are some lifestyle and dietary changes you should seriously consider making to regulate your hormones. The key aspects of reversing estrogen dominance involve clearing out excess estrogen in the body, while limiting estrogen exposure from the environment, food, etc. Here are 10 ways to reverse estrogen dominance naturally in females:
1. Foods to Eat
You should know that the number one way to reverse estrogen dominance is through rectifying your diet. There are certain foods you can eat that help balance hormones such as estrogen.
Eat foods that are rich in dietary fiber such as fresh fruit and green leafy vegetables. Fiber helps expel excess estrogen by regulating bowel movements.
Foods that help balance excess estrogen in the body include flaxseeds and also cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, kale, radish, etc. Cruciferous veggies contain a nutrient, indole-3-carbinol that is a powerful estrogen detoxifying agent. It helps prevent the development of estrogen dominant cancers including breast, endometrial and cervical cancers.
2. Foods to Avoid
In today’s world filled with fast foods, GMO foods, pre-packaged food, etc, it’s very easy to end up developing estrogen dominance. These foods are highly inflammatory. And remember, the more inflammation in your body, the more estrogen it produces.
Certain foods should be eliminated from your diet including factory-raised meats, eggs and milk because these contain added growth hormones including estrogen. Always opt for pasture-raised organically produced meats, eggs and milk.
Also, decrease your intake of refined sugar, refined cooking oil, fast foods and processed foods containing artificial flavor & color. By doing so, you can try to eliminate the amount of harmful hormone-disrupting and inflammatory substances you are putting in your body.
Another culinary culprit that injects excess estrogen into the body is soy and soy products such as soy milk, tofu and tempeh.
3. Detox your Liver
Did you know that the liver plays a very important role in our bodies when it comes to balancing hormones? Yes, it’s true. The liver helps process and get rid of excess hormones in the body including estrogen.
Detox your liver and help optimize its function by taking liver support supplements such as milk thistle, burdock root and dandelion. Working out regularly also helps the liver stay in shape and function properly.
An overburdened liver does not clear out excess hormones like it is supposed to. So ensure to show your liver some love and cut out bad habits such as drinking too much alcohol that weaken the liver.
4. Take Natural Supplements
Natural supplements help a lot when it comes to expelling excess estrogen from the body. Supplements that support the liver to help clear out excess estrogen in the body include:
Supplements that balance estrogen dominance include:
5. Reduce Stress
High stress levels can make your hormones go out of whack. If you’re stressed, your body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol, less of progesterone and more of estrogen. This leads to estrogen dominance and its symptoms.
Ensure to be as stress-free as possible by doing things that you love, spending time in nature, being positive, sleeping better, deep breathing, meditating and taking regular mental health breaks from the daily problems of life.
6. Try to Avoid Plastic
This study shows that chemical compounds that leached from the plastic packaging of mineral water bottles contaminated the water with xenoestrogens, which can create or mimic estrogen activity in the body.
Try as much as possible to avoid plastic by purchasing glass or stainless steel flasks water bottles. It is tough to eliminate plastic completely from your life, so the least you can do is buy plastic that says ‘BPA-free’ on the packaging. BPA is a raw material used in plastic making that is suspected to be a carcinogenic substance, meaning it may cause cancer.
7. Sleep Better
Getting a full night’s rest is crucial for all your hormones to be in balance and well-functioning. Estrogen can go out of control because of lack of sleep.
If you find it hard to fall asleep at night, try a relaxing bath, hot shower, sipping chamomile tea, diffusing 6 drops of lavender essential oil at bed time, reading a book and other ways that can make you calm and sleepy.
8. Workout Regularly
Excess weight gain or body fat increases estrogen activity. Overweight women have high levels of estrogen in the body which increases the risk of estrogen dominant conditions such as breast cancer, uterine fibroids, endometriosis and ovarian cysts.
Post-menopausal women who are overweight should especially take measures to reduce excess body fat. This is because after menopause, the ovaries are no longer active producers and synthesizers of estrogen. Instead the fat cells take upon the role of producing more estrogen, which can lead to excess estrogen production especially when you have too much body fat.
Walk daily, try jogging, yoga, treadmilling, swimming or other exercises that make you sweat and help keep your body in shape.
9. Drink Filtered Water
You’ve heard it before and I’ll say it again – drink an adequate amount of water throughout your day. Water helps flush out all kinds of nasties including harmful toxins and excess hormones from the body.
Another important point to note when it comes to drinking water is – avoid tap water. Tap water can actually be a source of excess estrogen, in the form of xenoestrogens (chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body), getting into your system. Get a water purifier and ensure to drink filtered water.
10. Try to Use Organic Beauty Products
Did you know that excess estrogen can also build up in the body through personal care, hygienic and beauty products?
Many of these products contain xenoestrogens which are chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body.
Try to use natural and organic beauty products such as shampoo & conditioner, body wash and makeup products.
Leave a Reply