High Estrogen: 6 Possible Root Causes You Need to Know About

YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF SOME BUZZ AROUND “ESTROGEN DOMINANCE” BUT IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT ESTROGEN DOMINANCE ISN’T JUST “LOTS OF ESTROGENS'' BUT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT IN RELATION TO PROGESTERONE LEVELS IN ONE’S BODY.

Estrogen dominance is a metabolic state in which the level of estrogen in the body exceeds the level of progesterone. This is thought to be caused by a decrease in progesterone without a decrease in estrogen.

This occurs when you have higher levels of estrogen to progesterone. The good news is, there are things we can do to fix this problem.

There are many factors that create this “estrogen dominance” such as our environment, food, stress, obesity and other lifestyle factors.

SOME OF THE MAIN SYMPTOMS OF ESTROGEN DOMINANCE INCLUDE:

• PMS

• Weight gain (particularly in hips, midsection and thighs)

• Fibrocystic breasts

• Fibroids

• Endometriosis

• Abnormal menstruation

• Fatigue

• Reduced sex drive

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Bloating

• Breast tenderness

• Mood swings

• Brain fog

• Insomnia

HERE ARE THE 6 POSSIBLE ROOT CAUSES OF THIS COMMON HORMONAL IMBALANCE.

1. GUT DYSBIOSIS (BACTERIAL IMBALANCE)

Believe it or not, your gut health and your hormones are 100% related. Glucuronidation is one of the major phases of detoxification in the liver that helps us eliminate hormones from the body.  An enzyme called beta-glucuronidase can block this detoxification process, which can cause your hormones (including estrogen) to get reabsorbed, reactivated, and put back into circulation.  Beta glucuronidase is produced by imbalanced intestinal bacteria.

To address this root cause, you’ll need to lower this enzyme by balancing your gut bacteria.  Sorry to say it but simply taking a probiotic is usually not enough to re-balance the gut. Get a good stool test, like the GI MAP, to address bacterial overgrowth.  The nice thing about the GI MAP is that it actually tests for the beta-glucuronidase enzyme.

2. POOR LIVER DETOXIFICATION (OVERALL, PHASE 1, OR PHASE 2?)

If your liver is sluggish, then it will be difficult to clear estrogen from your body, no matter what.  We live in a pretty toxic world, which makes our liver work harder than ever before.  The liver processes hormones to get them ready to be eliminated from the body.  If the liver is not functioning optimally, estrogen levels can be high because your body is not breaking it down and getting rid of it like it should.  It is important to know if there is a specific phase of liver detoxification where estrogen is getting backed up. This information can help figure out what you need to do to address the cause.

If phase 1 of estrogen metabolism is slowed down, a supplement like DIM can help but if that isn’t the problem, then you could be wasting your money on an unnecessary supplement or even cause your estrogen levels to drop too low.

Phase 2 of estrogen detoxification is a process called methylation. Genetically we might not be good at methylating properly, but we also depend on certain nutrients for this process to work correctly. Specifically, we need folate, B12, B6 and magnesium. If you are deficient, this could be a contributing factor to your estrogen dominance. These pathways can’t be tested using blood or saliva, but you can test them with urine, which is why I use theDUTCH Test by Precision Analytical with my clients. This test provides so much more information! Save yourself a lot of trouble and get tested instead of guessing.

3. CONSTIPATION

Interestingly enough, your bowel movements can tell you a lot about your health. When you are not having at least one bowel movement per day, when you are not eliminating fully, or when you are going and it looks like little pellets, then you are constipated. Estrogen that should have been eliminated from the body in your stool is reabsorbed in the gut and re-circulates in the body. It’s the gut’s responsibility to eliminate hormones and it is important to get to the root cause of your constipation. Is it your thyroid, gut pathogens, motility issues, dehydration, low fibre, stress, or something else? Start by increasing your water intake. You should be drinking at least half of your body weight in pounds in ounces of water per day (coffee and alcohol don’t count). Also, make sure you are eating enough fibre by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables. If that doesn’t help then you may need to investigate further. You can test your thyroid and gut with functional lab testing.

4.  LOW PROGESTERONE

Estrogen dominance does not always equal high estrogen.  Estrogen can be at a normal level, but if progesterone is too low then you can still have estrogen dominance symptoms.  So what is the cause of low progesterone? Not eating enough healthy fats, too low body weight, chronic stress, HPA axis dysfunction (AKA adrenal fatigue), gluten sensitivity, lack of ovulation, hypothyroidism, or high prolactin - these are just some of the causes of low progesterone.  It is all about getting to YOUR root cause.  A good practitioner should be able to guide you in this investigation and that is exactly what I do with my clients.

5.  COPPER TOXICITY AND OTHER HEAVY METALS

We can become copper toxic in a variety of ways. Hormonal Birth Control (pill, patch, ring), copper pipes, copper IUDs and hormone replacement therapy.  It can even be something that was passed to you in-utero from your mother.  Copper stimulates estrogen production and estrogen can increase copper in the body; they too are very connected.  When one goes up the other can follow.  In my practice, I use hair mineral analysis testing to look for copper issues.  If you have looked at all the other factors and still can’t seem to find out what is causing your high estrogen, then it might be time to consider copper.

6.  INFLAMMATION

Do you have a lot of inflammation in your body?  This may show up as aches, pains, skin problems, joint discomfort, gut issues, heart problems, excess weight, inflamed gums in your mouth?  Do you have a lot of food sensitivities?  Have you been exposed to a lot of toxins?  Inflammation anywhere in your body can be a problem because it can drive up your production of cortisol (your stress hormone that can also be anti-inflammatory).  High cortisol can equal higher DHEA, which can then be made into testosterone and – yes-even estrogen.

These are the top root causes of estrogen dominance that I see in my practice. It is also very possible to have more than one root cause. This can be an overwhelming and sometimes complicated issue to tackle. Working with someone that can help you navigate your root cause(s) and provide you with the best game plan to get your hormones back into balance can be very helpful. When your hormones are balanced it is easier to maintain a healthy weight, have clear skin, have healthier periods, and slow down the ageing process.

So now that you know what it feels like to be in a high estrogen state, here are some nutrients to help lower estrogen levels naturally you can add to your daily diet.

Avoid soy (tofu, soy milk, soy protein, etc). Soy is a potent phytoestrogen and goitrogen. Small condiment-sized servings of organic traditionally fermented soy products such as tempeh or miso are typically fine.

Be careful about over-consuming phytoestrogens (naturally occurring plant compounds that exert an estrogen-like action in the body). Although these weak estrogens can balance high or low estrogen levels (they can lower estrogen by binding to estrogen receptor sites that would otherwise be occupied by stronger, more toxic estrogens), they still have the potential to boost overall estrogen levels, especially if consumed in larger quantities and on a regular basis.

Cruciferous vegetables: These vegetables contain a phytonutrient called I3C (indole-3- carbinol) which the body converts to DIM (diindolylmethane). DIM supports healthy estrogen metabolism. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, kale, arugula.

ABC’s: Apples, beets, and carrots contain fibres that are especially great at detoxifying estrogen and should be eaten daily for the most benefit.

Regardless of the cause of your high estrogen levels, awareness is the key to regaining balance – both hormonal and physical, as well as mental and emotional. When we develop the right understanding, we can then take steps to correct the underlying imbalances, and create more harmony in our body and mind, as well as in our life.

Do you have signs of estrogen dominance?

If so, you can learn more about ways to support high estrogen levels in my do at your own pace program Mend Your Menstrual Cycle.

Ready to explore getting some support from a practitioner? Take a minute to review the options for working together here.

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM