How Hormones Work
Oestrogen Dominance
You may have heard of the term ‘oestrogen dominance’ and wondered what it is. Some doctors use this term, which describes the effect of a relative excess of oestrogen in the body compared to progesterone.
This can be caused by over-production of oestrogen in the body, or a deficiency of progesterone. During the pre-menopausal years, due to ageing of the ovaries and infrequent ovulation, it is common for women to produce adequate oestrogen but not enough progesterone. Oestrogen dominance can also be caused by the oestrogenic effects in the body of xenoestrogens, which are chemicals derived from petro-chemicals and oestrogens used in the mass production of some meats.
SYMPTOMS OF OESTROGEN DOMINANCE
weight gain around the buttocks, hips and thighs
fluid retention
abdominal bloating
lumpy, tender breasts
heavy and/or painful periods
irregular or infrequent periods
endometriosis
fibroids
endometrial hyperplasia and an increased risk of uterine cancer
The condition of oestrogen dominance can be confirmed by finding pre-menopausal levels of FSH (less than 20) combined with low levels of progesterone and normal-to-high levels of oestrogen in a blood test. This can also be confirmed with saliva tests.
WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT OESTROGEN DOMINANCE?
Use natural progesterone in doses of 25 to 100 mg daily for two weeks of every month, or for the last two weeks of the menstrual cycle.
Increase fibre in the diet, as this lowers oestrogen levels.
Improve the liver function, as the liver breaks down the excess oestrogen into the weak water-soluble oestrogen called oestriol, so that it can be excreted in the body via the urine.
Reduce your exposure to xenoestrogens – see page.
Eat only organic eggs and organic chicken.
Increase your consumption of foods containing phytoestrogens, such as beans, whole flaxseeds, alfalfa, peas, lentils and vegetables.
Summary of What You Can Do about Hormonal Imbalances
Balance your diet – Eat more plant-based foods, especially beans of all varieties, alfalfa sprouts, raw nuts and ground whole flaxseed.
Use herbal formulas containing phytoestrogens from mixtures of Black Cohosh, Hops, Liquorice root, Red Clover, Wild Yam, Kelp and Horsetail. These can be found available combined with vitamins and minerals in one capsule.
Maintain a healthy weight through a balanced diet and regular exercise programme.
Use more feminine oral contraceptives such as Marvelon, Femoden, Minulet and Trioden.
Use natural hormones instead of synthetic hormones – such as progesterone cream or progesterone lozenges for premenstrual syndrome or peri-menopausal hormonal imbalances. Use Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) that is more natural and does not overwork the liver. Creams containing mixtures of natural hormones, and hormone patches, do not overwork the liver.
Consider adrenal gland exhaustion, a common cause of chronic fatigue, which can be helped with antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, flaxseed oil and the minerals selenium and magnesium. In stubborn cases of adrenal gland exhaustion, the natural adrenal gland hormones such as DHEA and pregnenolone, can produce excellent results.
Reduce your exposure to alcohol, as women who drink more than two glasses of alcohol a day may be increasing their risk of breast cancer. Avoid smoking, as this reduces the production of hormones from the ovaries and adrenal glands.
Avoid over-exposure to toxic chemicals, which are foreign substances called xenobiotics. Xenobiotics are petrochemical compounds found in plastics, solvents, pesticides, herbicides, emollients and adhesives. Over the last 100 years they have become prevalent in household items, garden chemicals, insecticide sprays, plastic pipes and containers, various creams and shampoos, food and water supplies. These xenobiotics are toxic to humans and animals, and result in disruption of the hormonal system and an increased risk of cancer. In the excellent book titled Our Stolen Future by Theo Colborn, documentation is given about the effects of xenobiotic exposure in the early life of wildlife populations; it explains how these chemicals produce a large variety of congenital abnormalities. Petrochemicals are fat-soluble and accumulate in the fatty parts of the body, such as the endocrine glands, where they cause hormonal imbalances and dysfunction. The liver is the only organ in the body that can break down these petrochemical xenobiotics, so it is imperative to support your liver function in this toxic day and age. See www.liverdoctor.com.
How Are Hormones Made in Our Glands?
All of our steroid hormones, including the sex hormones, are made in the body from cholesterol. Cholesterol is a sterol that is found in foods of animal origin and is vital for health. If you did not have any cholesterol in your body, you would not make any steroid hormones, including the sexy ones! Thus it does not surprise me when patients on cholesterol-lowering medication, which stops the liver from making cholesterol, complain of a big reduction in their sex drive.
The liver and some parts of the intestine manufacture cholesterol, and if you do not eat any cholesterol-containing foods, your liver will make extra cholesterol to compensate for this.
As seen in the diagram above, cholesterol is first converted