Oestrogen Dominance

Have you heard of the term ‘oestrogen dominance’ but are not quite sure what it is referring to? 

Oestrogen dominance is related to long term stress, which causes “sympathetic dominance”.This refers to our “fight or flight” system being chronically activated. This leads to fatigue, often called “adrenal fatigue” or “chronic fatigue”. 

When our body is dealing with chronic stress, it downgrades the importance of the reproductive hormones, especially progesterone, because it thinks we are in survival mode- which is a higher priority than reproduction. 

Since progesterone and oestrogen are meant to be in balance in the body, when progesterone drops, oestrogen then dominates, causing problems. 

There are other reasons that oestrogen can dominate. Perimenopause and menopause are frequently associated with oestrogen dominance. Xeno-oestrogens are chemicals in our environment that mimic oestrogen and which contribute to our oestrogen levels. Xeno-oestrogens are in pesticides and herbicide residues on food, in many skin products such as creams and tanning lotions, and in foods or drinks stored in BPA containing plastics. 

Some of the symptoms of oestrogen dominance can include: 

• thyroid imbalances

• high blood pressure

• mood changes

• polycistic ovarian syndrome

• irregular periods

• painful or heavy periods

• uterine fibroids

• weight gain

• water retention

• headaches

• and there are many more. 

It generally stems from sympathetic dominance, which is when we are stuck in survival mode and not able to ‘switch off” and relax. 

This means that we can help oestrogen dominance with managing our stress, meditation, exercise, and all the different ways we can slow down and not be so rushed and stressed. 

The other way we can deal with this issue is to support our bodies with herbal medicine and nutrition. We need adequate magnesium, and zinc. For stress, we can support our adrenals with herbs such as withania, licorice or lemon balm. 

Then, if we have high oestrogen levels- or oestrogen that is out of proportion to progesterone- we can raise progesterone levels with a herb such as chaste tree, and we can increase and support the clearance of oestrogen from the body through the liver. We often use broccoli sprouts or rosemary for this. Foods that may be helpful are cruciferous vegetables, mushrooms, flaxseeds and wholegrains. Phyto-oestrogenic foods like flaxseeds and soy can help lower oestrogen levels by filling up the oestrogen receptors with weak oestrogens, although this is not agreed by everyone. 

I hope that has made it a little clearer for you. Oestrogen dominance is of course not separate from many other functions in the body, and we always need to look at the body and your whole being as a whole, to see what aspects might need support. The body is always trying to find  a dynamic balance (homeostasis), and our job is to support it in doing so.