If you’ve ever experienced symptoms of pms (cramping, bloating, moodiness, insomnia, headaches, etc.) then chances are you’ve dealt with low progesterone levels, high estrogen, or a combination of both.
Read below to investigate the signs and symptoms of estrogen dominance, as well as tips to balance this important hormone in order to feel and look your best.
Estrogen is a powerful sex hormone that plays a large role in maintaining and building proper tissue structure. It’s instrumental in orchestrating the female menstrual cycle and reproductive health, primarily by by stimulating egg follicle growth, promoting lubrication and sex drive, enhancing uterine lining and forming breast tissue.
There are three main types of estrogen:
+ Estrone (E1) – primarily made in fat cells and tissues, considered “medium strength”
+ Estradiol (E2) – the most powerful form of estrogen, made in the ovaries during reproductive years
+ Estriol (E3) – made during pregnancy by the placenta and fetus, often considered the “weakest strength”
WHAT IS ESTROGEN DOMINANCE?
Estrogen dominance, or excess estrogen, is a term used to describe a state of the body where estrogen levels are higher than they should be. This happens in one of two ways, either our body is making too much estrogen (frank estrogen dominance) or we have too much estrogen in the body in relation to progesterone (relative estrogen dominance).
When this hormonal imbalance occurs we tend to experience a variety of uncomfortable symptoms such as pms, heavy/painful periods, breakouts, weight gain, fatigue, breast tenderness, depression and more.
COMMON CAUSES OF ESTROGEN DOMINANCE
Unfortunately, our modern society is set up in a way that tends to inadvertently promote estrogen dominance. The key culprits tend to be:
+ OVEREXPOSURE TO TOXINS (ESPECIALLY BPA’S/XENOESTROGENS)
While you’ve now learned that estrogen dominance comes with a far stretching list of uncomfortable symptoms (and is often associated with other hormonal imbalances such as low progesterone) the good news is that when we take steps to balance estrogen levels within the body, we naturally reduce and even eliminate these symptoms.
Furthermore, when your estrogen levels are healthy, you’ll begin to experience a boost in energy, confidence and sex drive, especially during the first half of your cycle. You’ll feel lighter, digest food better, sleep more restfully and be able to maintain a healthy weight much more effortlessly. You’ll ovulate regularly, which supports a healthy and symptom-free period and menstrual cycle.
TIPS TO DETOX ESTROGEN NATURALLY
In order to support estrogen detoxification naturally, it’s vital to support liver, gut and thyroid health. For 9 simple and actionable tips to get you started (included foods, supplements, recipes and more) check out this post.
