Estrogen

Estrogen

When estrogen first comes to mind, the first and only thought of many is the “female sex hormone”. However, estrogen is so much more than JUST a female sex hormone. Not to mention, it is also part of male physiology! It is an essential signaling molecule that has roles in a multitude of bodily systems. Besides the actions in the female reproductive system of stimulating growth of egg follicles, maintaining tissues and lubrication of the vagina/uterus, and forming breast tissue it also affects lipoproteins, blood coagulation factors, blood pressure, and glucose tolerance. 

Estrogen can be found in three different forms: 

• Estradiol: the strongest form that is produced by both males and females and the form most commonly used in hormone replacement therapy.
• Estrone: a weaker form that reaches its highest levels during a female’s first and last menstrual cycles. If needed, the body can convert estrone to the other forms of estrogen.
• Estriol: the weakest form that is at its highest level just before giving birth.
• Estrogen Dominance

Estrogen Dominance

Levels of estrogen naturally fluctuate throughout a person’s lifetime. Even so, too low levels can lead to complications with digestion, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, etc. Too high levels can lead to what is called estrogen dominance. 

Progesterone is the body’s countermeasure to the effects of estrogen. Estrogen dominance occurs when the effects of estrogen are too much for the progesterone levels to counteract. This is most common in women over the age of 35, but it can also affect men. Having estrogen dominance can lead to illnesses such as infertility, PCOS, auto-immune disorders, gynecomastia, ED, acne, depression, loss of libido, and many others. 

Common signs and symptoms of estrogen dominance:

• Hair loss
• Low sex drive
• Poor sleep quality
• Fatigue
• Depression 
• Cold hands/feet
• Digestion issues
• Tender/swollen breasts

There are many endocrine disrupting chemicals that people encounter in their everyday lives that can affect the estrogen/progesterone balance.  They are in the air, water, personal care products, and food. These chemicals, including parabens, phthalates, nitro musks, benzophenones, bisphenol A, pesticides, and fire retardants, can be seen as stress to the body.  This causes inflammation, and then the body produces estrogen to combat that stress/inflammation. 

What You Can Do

Adjusting your lifestyle can delay or prevent the negative effects of estrogen dominance. Understanding your  body type, how age affects your estrogen levels, and implementing efforts to avoid external chemical stressors are the preferred routes of mitigating estrogen dominance. For stressors that are more difficult to remove from daily life, you can better manage stress by employing methods like yoga, meditation, and nature walks. There is also exercise. Since estrogen is stored in fat, maintaining a healthy weight and minimizing the amount of subcutaneous fat tissue will decrease areas the body is able to store estrogen.

Dietary adjustment can also be used to prevent estrogen dominance. Phytoestrogens are plant-based substances that resemble estrogen’s structure but have an anti-estrogen effect. When ingested they decrease the body’s levels by interacting with estrogen receptors and affecting estrogen secretion. Increasing intake of soy protein, nuts, berries, seeds, and cruciferous vegetables (i.e. arugula, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage) can be beneficial to the detox process. 

Estrogen dominance is a major issue that is not commonly thought of when these signs and symptoms are seen. Using a lifestyle-based approach and functional medicine to improve detox can circumnavigate the negative effects and bring the body back to balance. 

Written By: Cassandra M. Darling, PharmD

Edited by Lindsey Dalton, PharmD

References:

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