Estrogen. You don’t want too much and you don’t want too little. It is usually referred to as the “female” hormone because females have more than men. More often than not, people want to lower their estrogen levels, not increase them. However, they aren’t always talking about the same type of estrogen.
Understanding Different Estrogens
Estrogen is a group of hormones that play essential roles in the female reproductive system and other physiological processes in both men and women.
There are several types of estrogen, each with distinct functions and sources.
The three primary types of estrogen are:
- Estradiol (E2): Estradiol is the most potent and predominant form of estrogen in women of reproductive age. It is produced primarily by the ovaries, but it is also synthesized in smaller amounts by the adrenal glands and fat tissues. Estradiol is responsible for the development and maintenance of female reproductive organs, regulation of the menstrual cycle, and the characteristic physical changes that occur during puberty. It also helps maintain bone density, supports healthy skin, and influences mood and cognitive functions.
- Estrone (E1): Estrone is another form of estrogen found in the body, but it is less potent than estradiol. It is mainly produced in fat tissues and is also present in smaller amounts in the ovaries. After menopause, when ovarian estrogen production decreases, estrone becomes the most abundant form of estrogen in women’s bodies. Estrone is involved in maintaining bone density, but its overall effects are weaker than estradiol.
- Estriol (E3): Estriol is the least potent form of estrogen. It is mainly produced during pregnancy by the placenta, and its levels rise significantly during this time. Estriol plays a crucial role in supporting a healthy pregnancy, maintaining the uterine lining, and preparing the breasts for lactation. After pregnancy, estriol levels rapidly decline.
In addition to these primary types of estrogen, there are also synthetic and plant-based estrogens used in hormone replacement therapies and contraceptives.
Some common examples include:
- Ethinyl estradiol: A synthetic estrogen commonly used in combination birth control pills.
- Conjugated equine estrogens: Derived from the urine of pregnant mares, used in certain hormone replacement therapies.
Reasons for Increasing Estrogen
Women may want to increase estrogen levels in certain situations for specific reasons:
- Hormone regulation. Sometimes, women might seek to balance their hormone levels, particularly during menopause. Estrogen levels naturally decline during menopause, leading to a variety of symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and mood changes.
- Fertility and pregnancy. Proper estrogen levels are essential for fertility and maintaining a healthy pregnancy.
- Bone health. Estrogen plays a vital role in maintaining bone density, and lower estrogen levels can contribute to an increased risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.
- Menstrual irregularities. Women with irregular menstrual cycles or hormonal imbalances might seek ways to regulate their periods and hormone levels, which may involve addressing estrogen levels.
Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy
Although many believe that taking HRT during menopause is advantageous, there are serious side effects.
With the amount of excess estrogens in our environment and food, adding more fuel to the fire could only compound the symptoms and risk of disease.
Most women are being prescribed Estradiol, which converts into 4-hydroxy estrogen, and is a cancer “fuel”. Typically, if a woman is already suffering from poor health and she adds in estradiol, inflammation exponentially increases.
Estrogen, aside from increasing intracellular calcium concentration, also slows down the metabolic rate and inhibits thyroid function; this is why estrogen is referred to as one of the “fat-storing” hormones. Estrogen, according to Dr. Mercola, is likely one of the top two factors to increase the risk of cancer.
The Risks of Estrogen Dominance
As some are focused on increasing estrogen in the body, others are trying to reduce it. When there is too much estrogen, referred to as Estrogen Dominance, it usually refers to the “wrong” estrogen.
Generally Estrogen Dominance isn’t from the body producing too much estrogen, but instead from the overabundance of toxins that mimic estrogen in the body and the body’s inability to detox fast enough from them. This has become a growing problem due to the toxicity in our food and environment.
Factors that Increase Estrogen Dominance
Dirty Liver
The liver is the main detoxification organ and has become overloaded with environmental and food toxins inhibiting its function. Furthermore, the liver is responsible for producing the ESTROGEN BINDING PROTEIN which helps “clean up” the bad estrogens. When the liver is “dirty” and not functioning properly, it has a difficult time doing this.
The liver is also where Phase 1, 2 and 3 estrogen detoxification occurs. If these detox pathways aren’t performing optimally, estrogen will build up in the system, causing hormonal imbalance.
Iodine Deficiency
Iodine is used by the endocrine system to regulate estrogen production in both women and men. Without enough iodine, estrogen dominance can occur. A study by Dr Brownstein shows 96% of test subjects in America were found to be extremely iodine deficient. Additionally, iodine is used to clean the blood so the liver can do its job in producing the Estrogen Binding Protein.
Furthermore, iodine also helps break up a fatty liver and without it, the risk of fatty liver will increase.
As iodine regulates estrogen production, the myriad types of estrogen are regulated. Furthermore, since estrogen and progesterone attach to the same receptor site, and progesterone like iodine induces healthy apoptosis (good estrogen does not), most women would look to increase progesterone instead of estrogen.
Iodine increases the available receptor sites for progesterone by regulating estrogen and also by getting rid of the “bad” estrogen.
Tap Water
Millions of women consume birth control and hormone replacement therapy, both of which contain estrogen, and that estrogen travels to the water treatment plants. As a result, the tap water has perpetually increasing amounts of estrogen that both men and women are consuming unintentionally.
Sugar
Eating refined sugar not only robs you of important minerals, but it also produces excess estrogen in the body. When white sugar is consumed, minerals are taken from the body in order to digest it such as sodium, calcium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, copper, zinc, and magnesium. This disrupts the mineral ratios in the body.
Conventional Meat, Poultry and Dairy
About 90% of the livestock animals in the U.S. have estrogen implants placed behind their ears by the “assembly-line factory farmers”; the purpose of these implants is to make the livestock fatter faster for increased profit. Eating estrogen-laden foods like these conventionally raised animals increases estrogen in the body.
Pesticides, Herbicides and Fungicides
Conventional produce is sprayed with pesticides, herbicides and fungicides that contain xeno-estrogens, molecular look-alikes to the estrogen hormone; they can steal human receptor sites designed to attach only to real estrogen or real progesterone, leading to estrogen dominance in men and women.
Improperly Combined Foods
When foods are improperly combined, the body is unable to digest the meal, and it goes into acute metabolic acidosis, leading to an increase in estrogen in the body. The rule on properly combining foods is: fruit always by itself; proteins with vegetables, or starches with vegetables are fine. However, never combine proteins with starches like steak with potatoes. This will lead to the foods not digesting and will actually result in increased estrogen.
Overeating
Too much food in the stomach strangulates the lining of the stomach preventing the enzymes like gastrin, hydrochloric acid and pepsin from being properly secreted, and hence, acute metabolic acidosis can occur, once again creating more estrogen.
Plastic
Plastic bottles, containers, bags, and other items contain phthalate and bisphenol A, or BPA, known as xeno-estrogens, which can leak, causing you to consume them. Unfortunately, many plastics claim to be BPA-free, but have switched BPA to other similar bisphenol xeno-estrogens, including BPS and BPF.
Parabens
Methylparabens, propylparabens, butyl parabens, and any other parabens are xeno-estrogens which lead to Estrogen Dominance. Parabens are typically found in hair care and skin care products.
Top 3 Supplements to Improve Estrogen Balance in the Body
Acceleradine® Iodine
Acceleradine® Iodine, unlike any other iodine, is 100% bioavailable for all 100 trillion cells in the body and is programmed with frequencies to detoxify the body from heavy metals, radiation, and xeno-estrogens.
Iodine also helps feed the thyroid the essential iodine for optimal metabolism and fat burning and helps alleviate brain fog and mood issues associated with hormonal imbalances. Additionally, it helps to increase ATP, the mitochondrial and cellular energy, by 18 times, enhancing the detoxification of excess estrogens, and helping minimize menopausal symptoms and risks of chronic disease.
Accelerated Fast®
Accelerated Fast® helps suppress appetite and aid in intermittent fasting, which helps the body detox the bad estrogens, reduce insulin resistance, and thus balance hormones overall.
The specific ingredients in the supplement help defat the liver and open up the detox pathways, which has a positive cascade effect improving fat burning, increasing autophagy, reducing inflammation, healing the gut, and alleviating hormonal symptoms.
Accelerated Thyroid®
The thyroid is the master endocrine gland, which means it not only controls the thyroid hormones, but also all of the sex hormones including estrogen. It also has an integral role in affecting the adrenals and their production of cortisol and sex hormones in women over 40.
Additional Supplements for Hormonal Balance
Menopause Health
This is an ayurvedic formula that balances hormones for all women over the age of 30, even prior to menopause.
It helps with both physical and emotional wellbeing and with symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings, and depression.
It also helps to shorten Menopause. The herbs in the formula are rich sources of phytoestrogen, also known as plant estrogens for hormones, which the body accepts more easily than synthetic hormones.
Great Yin
This helps treat hot flashes, menopausal “heat” symptoms, night sweats, afternoon fever, and sensations of heat with a red tongue and fast pulse. In Chinese medicine it is described as “nourishing kidney yin,” and “clearing heat”.
Choline and Inositol
Choline helps with liver detox and methylation of estrogen in addition to burning stored fat and preventing abnormal or excessive liver accumulation of cholesterol and triglycerides.
LifeStyle Changes to Help Balance Estrogen Levels
Don’t drink alcohol
Alcohol increases bad estrogens in 3 different ways:
- Alcohol increases SIBO in the gut, which leads to the recycling of bad estrogens in the body.
- Alcohol increases bad estrogens on its own.
- Alcohol increases the conversion of testosterone into estrogen.
Eat organic
By focusing on eating organic food, your consumption of GMO’s, glyphosate and toxins that increase the bad estrogens in the body will be minimal.
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting triggers a cascade of positive effects that reduce the excess estrogen in the body and help balance hormones in an optimal way.
Intermitent fasting helps:
- Trigger autophagy and clean up the bad cells in the body
- Reduce toxins and excess estrogens in the body
- Reduce blood sugar and belly fat
- Increases testosterone and growth hormone
- Reduce systemic inflammation
Prioritize eating wild animal protein
Wild animal protein provides more nutrient density than any other food source. It also provides the much needed amino acids to strengthen muscles and tissues throughout the body. Lastly, it helps suppress the appetite and curb sugar cravings.
Stop eating processed foods and sugar
These foods increase the bad estrogens, cause leaky gut, and increase the recycling of estrogens.
In conclusion
Understanding the intricacies of estrogen, both natural and synthetic, is crucial for making informed decisions about your health. While hormone replacement therapy can be beneficial for some, it’s essential to weigh the potential risks against the rewards. By being knowledgeable about your body’s hormonal balance, you can take proactive steps to support your overall well-being.
Sara Banta
Sara Banta is a Stanford University Graduate with a Degree in Economics and Psychology, and a certified Natural Supplement Expert & Graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Sara is the Founder of Accelerated Health Products and host of the health & wellness podcast, Accelerated Health Radio.
