NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOR ESTROGEN DOMINANCE

Estrogen Dominance

What is Estrogen Dominance?

Estrogen, like every hormone that is produced in the body, is a much needed chemical messenger that transports a signal from one cell to another.  Xenoestrogens are man-made chemicals that have the ability to change the rate at which natural estrogen is broken down by the body and can mimic naturally produced estrogen and bind to its receptors. Both of these scenarios can result in an overabundance of estrogen and an increase in the overall effects that it has on the body and can lead to hormonal imbalance.

Xenoestrogens are very prevalent in our environment, some examples include: exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Bisphenol A from plastic water bottles and containers used to store and heat food, exposure to herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, nail polish, makeup, perfumes, birth control pills, certain sunscreen ingredients, parabens, gasoline and automobile exhaust, etc.

When this foreign estrogen combines with natural estrogen, this can create a situation known as “estrogen dominance.”   Some of the negative health effects can include heavy periods that include cramping and blood clots, sore breasts, cystic breasts, mood swings, early onset puberty, infertility issues including miscarriages, headaches, foggy thinking, fatigue, sleep disturbances, hot flashes, digestive issues, estrogen-fueled breast cancers, as well as gynecomastia (which is the development of breasts in males), decreased sperm counts, and prostate or testicular cancers.

How to balance your hormones naturally.

Begin by reducing your exposure to the xenoestrogens that are playing a large role in the development of hormone related cancers, endometriosis, and ovarian cysts.

  1. Eat a whole foods, mostly plant-based diet that eliminates all processed foods, flours, dairy products and red meats.
  2. Eating very limited amounts of animal proteins. These can include wild-caught salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, and pasture-raised eggs a couple of times per week as needed to maintain weight.
  3. Fresh vegetables– are some of the most nutrient dense foods that you can eat. Some cancer-fighters include bok choy, broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, beets, eggplant, green beans, kale, leeks, onion, peppers, radish, scallions, mustard greens, Swiss chard, leafy greens, tomatoes, summer squash, mushrooms, etc.
  4. Fruits- If you are excluding fruit from your diet, you are missing out on an abundance of antioxidants, flavonoids, and anthocyanins that can prevent and reverse cellular damage and reduce overall inflammation. Fruits have astringent-like qualities that can cleanse the lymph system and get it moving again. Some powerful fruits to include are: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranates, pineapple, granny smith apples, lemons, limes, and oranges.  Fruits are easily digested, therefore they should be eaten separately or about 1/2 hour before your main meals, or they can easily be blended into smoothies.
  5. Drink fresh vegetable juices.  Read more about juicing
  6. Drink super-food smoothies.  Read how to make smoothies.
  7. Complex carbs can include sweet potatoes and yams with the skins, adzuki beans, and lentils (red, green, yellow, black and brown).
  8. Grains can include amaranth, black rice, wild rice, millet, and triticale.  How to soak and cook grains.
  9. Add broccoli sprouts on your daily salad as they are packed with nutrients and can also help the body to eliminate excess estrogen.  You can buy broccoli seeds and a Seed Sprouter online and begin to sprout your own.
  10. Nuts can include raw almonds, Brazil, hazelnuts, pistachios, macadamia, pecans, cashews, walnuts, and their butters (except for peanuts and peanut butter), and a variety of seeds including hemp seeds, flax, chia, black sesame, pumpkin, sunflower. Read how to soak and sprout these.
  11. Acceptable fats can include unrefined coconut oil and red palm oil, while olive and avocado oils can be used for cold uses only such as making salad dressings.
  12. Supplement with unrefined flax oil.
  13. Use herbs such as oregano, basil, thyme, cilantro, sage, lemon grass, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, garlic, sage, lemon balm, parsley, turmeric, rosemary, ginger root, and cayenne pepper, just to to name a few.
  14. Eat organic whenever possible as pesticides and herbicides can also promote estrogen dominance.
  15. Stay hydrated by drinking a minimum 1/2 ounce of purified water for every pound of body weight in order to help the body to flush away the excess estrogens and toxins.

Supplements that can help to balance the hormones naturally

    1. Adequate iodine supplementation helps the body to produce the hormones that it needs in the proper ratios. Consider taking a quality iodine solution can help. Many things can interfere with iodine absorption, some of these include goitrogens, glutens, fluoride, bromide, pesticides, and viral infections.  Read more about iodine here.
    2. Raspberry leaf tea or tincture
    3. Black Raspberry Powder has been shown to mitigate estrogen fed tumors in animal models.  Link to study
    4. Make sure you are getting adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. These can be difficult to obtain from the diet alone, so supplementation can help to cover any nutritional shortfalls.
    5. DIM, or Diindolylmethane can help to support detoxification and healthy estrogen balance.
    6. Grapeseed Extract blocks estrogen synthesis by inhibiting the aromatase enzyme.   Other aromatase inhibitors include stinging nettles and quercetin. Read more about that here.
    7. Ashwagandha is an aptogenic herb that has the ability to improve various hormonal issues and reduce inflammation.
    8. Calcium D-Glucarate- the recommended dosage is 400–600 mg per day, taken in divided doses, but those with cancer can take 1000-2000 mg per day, taken in divided doses. Calcium Glucarate facilitates the removal of estrogen and other toxins from the body, and improves estrogen by-product formation so it may help with prostate conditions, PMS and other hormonal imbalances.  Women with estrogen-dependent tumors (and men with prostate cancer) may benefit from taking glucarate since it can reduce total estrogen load and improve estrogen metabolite ratios.  Animal studies suggest that calcium glucarate not only reduces cancer risk, but may also prevent tumor growth in the skin, breast, liver, colon and lung.
    9. Liquid Chlorophyll, which is a natural detoxifier of the blood and also helps to transport oxygen into the cells.
    10. Supplementing with a high CBD to a low THC ratio of cannabis oil is recommended for those with estrogen positive breast cancers as research has shown that THC can cause estrogen fueled cancers to spread. Patients with ER+ or triple-positive breast cancers have better outcomes when given lower ratios of THC to CBD, such 1:1 or 1:4 (THC:CBD).  This recommendation comes from United Patients group from feedback received from their doctors and patients.   You can read more cannabis oil with this post.
    11. Using essential oils such as myrrh, myrtle, sandalwood, geranium, clove, rosemary, and clary sage can also be helpful in balancing the hormones. Read more about essential oils here.

Support your liver-  why is it that two people who appear to be living similar lifestyles, eating the same foods and having similar exposure to xenoestrogens are not at the same risk of developing a hormone fueled cancer? The answer is not genetics, but has more to do with the health of that person’s liver and its ability to metabolize and eliminate excess estrogens from the body. You can support this process through diet, detoxing, and with the inclusion of herbs and supplements.

  1. Supplement with Magnesium as it is a crucial mineral involved in Phase II detoxification in the liver. During this process estrogen metabolites are made water-soluble so that they can be excreted from the body in the form of urine or stool. If you don’t have sufficient magnesium levels your liver may be less able to complete the Phase II detoxification and this may contribute to estrogen dominance.  Magnesium is best taken before bed on an empty stomach and as an added benefit it can help you relax and sleep better. Look for magnesium glycinate when supplementing.
  2. Liver Supporting Herbs can assist the body in detoxifying a wide range of hormones, drugs and toxins, including xenoestrogens.  Some herbs that are helpful for the liver include milk thistle, dandelion root, chanca peidra, licorice root, and burdock root.
  3. Bio-available curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory and also helps the liver to detoxify and eliminate cancer causing xenoestrogens.
  4. Psyllium husks can assist the liver by absorbing old toxic bile and eliminating it from the body. Bile is not excreted from the body as you might expect, it is repeatedly recaptured and recirculated to be used continuously for digestion. Because of this, it becomes more concentrated with toxins (including estrogen).  Psyllium husks can absorb this toxic bile and eliminate it from the body which forces the liver to produce fresh bile.
  5. Using castor oil packs to assist the liver. Read more about castor oil packs here.
  6. You can read more about how therapies that support the liver with this post
  7. Read about how to cleanse and flush the liver and gall bladder with this post
  8. Have long soaks in an Epson salt/sea salt/baking soda bath which can help those on a mostly vegetarian diet to mobilize toxins out through the skin. Add one cup of Epson salts, 1/2 cup baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and 1/2 cup of sea salt to a warm bath and soak for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse with plain water when finished soaking to prevent the salt from drying your skin.

Exercise and emotional well-being

  1. Get moderate exercise daily- walking, yoga, biking, hiking.  This also helps the body to remove excess estrogen
  2. Sweating by way of daily exercise or with the use of a sauna can also help the body to release excess toxins as well.
  3. Lose excess weight as fat cells have the ability to produce estrogen.
  4. Learn stress relieving techniques- such as Meditation or Emotional Freedom Technique

Additional Resources

Read more about curcumin for cancer

Read about Iodine and breast cancer

Read about sugar and cancer

Read more about detoxifying the liver

Read about meditation

How to naturally replenish the gut flora

Read an article about Emotional Freedom Technique for stress relief

 

Products from the article:

Lugol’s Iodine Solution

Black Raspberry Powder

 
Cancer is the result of an overly toxic body with an overwhelmed and collapsed immune system. The links below provide details on an anticancer diet and supplement plan, along with methods to detox the body and the emotions so you can begin to address a cancerous situation using a multifaceted approach.
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