Hormonal Imbalances Explained

You may have been told by your health care practitioner that you are showing signs of having too much oestrogen. Or perhaps your progesterone levels are lacking and therefore causing monthly havoc? This can be confusing for a lot of women. Here, I will break down what this actually means and how we can help to fix it.

What does ‘excess oestrogen’ mean?

Excess oestrogen (sometimes known as oestrogen dominance) can be common for women at different stages of their reproductive life. In general terms, it means that we may either have too much of the hormone oestrogen or we could have normal amounts, but too little progesterone, creating a hormonal imbalance. We need both oestrogen and progesterone to be at the right ratios in order to live in hormonal harmony. Without getting too technical, it is important to know that there are 4 types of oestrogen that we have to deal with. The first one is Estradiol. This is the ‘main’ oestrogen that is produced from our ovaries. Next we have Estrone. Estrone comes from our body fat. The more body fat we have, the more Estrone we may have floating in our system! Thirdly we have Estrogen. This is a bi-product or metabolite that is made from our intestinal bacteria. Lastly, we have Xenoestrogens. These are endo-disrupting chemicals/toxins (EDC’s) that mimic oestrogens, found in industrially-made compounds such as certain plastics (you may have heard of Bisphenol A – BPA?). These nasties are bad for our hormonal health and should be avoided where possible, especially for teens in their early reproductive years. Oestrogen chemicals used in birth control (ethinylestradiol) are also classified as xenoestrogens.

How do I know if I have too much Oestrogen?

In clinic, we can usually tell with thorough case-taking if a client is showing signs of having

excess oestrogen. We can also organise blood tests either in-clinic or through your GP, if

they feel it is necessary, to confirm what your hormones are doing. The following

symptoms are a Naturopath’s hormonal ‘red-flag’:

• Heavy and long periods

• PMS

• Clotting

• Ovarian cysts

• Breast pain (fibrocystic breasts)

• Fibroids

• Menstrual headaches or migraines

• A diagnosis of Endometriosis

• Fertility issues

Note: If you do suffer from extreme period pain or unusually heavy periods, be sure to check- in with your GP to rule out conditions such as infection, fibroids, ovarian cysts etc. Excess oestrogen can also impact your thyroid function and increase the risk of uterine or breast cancer. Getting your hormones sorted reduces these risks and improves your general health and wellness.

What causes this imbalance of our hormones?

• Environmental toxins and pesticides

• Hormonal birth control

• Histamine (having too much oestrogen in our system can stimulate our mast cells (immune cells) to produce more histamine and may down-regulate an enzyme we make called DAO – an enzyme needed to clear excess histamine. We have found that many of our client’s symptoms disappear when they are put on a specialised low-histamine diet protocol)

• Insulin Resistance

• Poor liver detoxification (our liver detoxification pathway’s eliminate oestrogen metabolites)

• Poor GUT health (we excrete the hormonal metabolites produced from our liver via our GUT. We need healthy gut bacteria to process the hormones to avoid them being re-activated and reabsorbed into our system)

• Stress

• Perimenopause

Low Progesterone/Short Luteal Phase:

Progesterone is very much dependent on the quality and health of the follicle that releases eggs each month. Once ovulation occurs, progesterone is produced and is needed to preserve the uterine lining in case of pregnancy. Progesterone is also the ‘calming hormone’, important throughout the pre-menstrual phase. It keeps your oestrogen levels in check, preventing ‘oestrogen dominance’ which can be blamed for those heavier-than- normal periods and shorter menstrual cycles and not to mention PMS! You will find that if you are chronically stressed, adrenally burnt out or lacking in certain nutrients, your progesterone levels may not be up to scratch. It is here that you may be starting to realise that our bodies need to be working in symphony in order to experience the rewards of true health and harmony.

What can a Naturopath or Nutritionist do to balance hormones?

Fortunately, in Natural Health, we have many tools in our ‘toolbox’ to help create hormonal harmony. As far as lifestyle goes, a few modifications will really benefit the average woman. Lowering and maintaining a healthy body weight, reducing exposure to environmental toxins and reducing stress are a great place to start.

Never underestimate the importance of a wholesome diet when it comes to hormone balance. Inflammatory foods such as A1 cow’s dairy or foods that are histamine-liberators as well as alcohol can be quite disruptive. Additionally, the need for increased fibre to help our liver and gastro-intestinal tract perform at their best is imperative. Gut and liver health are vital. We have access to some of the best herbal and nutritional supplements that really target liver detoxification, hormonal health and healing the gastrointestinal tract.

If you feel that when it comes to your hormones or your monthly cycle that things just aren’t ‘quite right’ or that you do display some or all of the symptoms listed, you may need some professional advice on how to fix these issues. We tend to use a 2-3 step process, looking at your individual symptoms to ascertain what level of help you may need, usually getting results fairly quickly (again, depending on your individual circumstances).

I am deeply passionate about supporting women to get their hormones back into balance. So if you can identify with some of the signs and symptoms above, I would love to support you to get your health and happiness back on track. Click here to book in for a consultation with me today.