Xenoestrogens & Hormone Imbalance
Are you struggling with infertility, PMS, mood swings, weight gain, or low libido? If so, you could be dealing with a hormone imbalance. Having too much estrogen–known as estrogen dominance–is not only linked to a set of frustrating and uncomfortable symptoms; it also puts you at risk for a whole host of chronic issues. From fatigue and irritability to autoimmune conditions, thyroid dysfunction, and cancer, estrogen can wreak havoc on your body if it’s not in proper balance with your other reproductive hormones, such as progesterone.
And here’s the hard truth – estrogen dominance is at an all-time high. We’re seeing the rates spike across the board, in both women and men, across age ranges. And the rates of cancers and chronic illnesses linked with estrogen dominance are on the rise right along with it.
That’s because we are being constantly bombarded by xenoestrogens (industrial chemicals that mimic the behaviour of estrogen) in our modern environment. They’re everywhere–in our food, personal care products, furniture and clothes. From the water we drink to the food we eat, you encounter a shocking number of these endocrine-disrupting xenoestrogens in the course of a day, without even knowing it.
Xenoestrogens are chemicals that provoke or mimic estrogen in the body. Examples of xenoestrogens include many insecticides and pesticides, certain chemicals used in the manufacturing of plastic, and even some food preservatives used to extend the shelf life of processed products. It is also found in your personal body care products like moisturizers, shampoo, toothpaste, etc...
Xenoestrogens Are Harmful to Hormonal Balance
Estrogen is crucial for day-to-day functioning. It regulates menstruation, hunger and satiety, insulin sensitivity, it helps you metabolize cholesterol, it contributes to bone density, and more. Without it, you end up with symptoms of menopause, like vaginal changes that lead to painful sex and urination, hot flashes, moodiness, wonky periods, brain fog, and more.
But, too much of a good thing causes biological chaos, in the case of high estrogen.
Symptoms of estrogen dominance:
WOMEN
PMS
Weight gain (particularly in hips, midsection, thighs)
Fibrocystic breasts
Endometriosis
Abnormal menstruation
Fatigue
Reduced sex drive
Depression
Anxiety
Bloating
Breast tenderness
Mood swings
Brain fog
Insomnia
MEN:
Enlarged breasts (gynecomastia or man boobs)
Sexual dysfunction
Infertility
Endocrine disruptors cause hormonal imbalance.
Some ingredients in body care products may cause estrogen dominance in the body. They do this by mimicking your natural hormones, known as endocrine disruption.
Many fertility problems in women are linked to an overabundance of estrogen in the body, including early onset of puberty and menstruation in young girls, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, PCOS, breast cancer, irregular menstrual cycles, endometrial hyperplasia, and low progesterone levels.
For men it can be hormonal imbalance with testosterone, low sperm count and poor sperm health.
How do xenoestrogens cause fertility problems?
Long-term use and exposure to xenoestrogens creates an overabundance of estrogens in the body. Xenoestrogens have the ability to bind to our estrogen receptor sites; disrupting the function of the endocrine system. Not only can they mimic our natural hormones, but they can block other hormones from binding to receptor sites. While the xenoestrogens are occupying the body, the body still is creating its own endogenous estrogen; this creates a situation in which too many estrogens are circulating in the body. Many of the excess estrogen is being stored in fat cells. This is confusing to the body, as it is not able to metabolize and excrete the overabundance of estrogen quick enough to the rate of exposure.
What to do about too much estrogen
Quit birth control. Talk to your functional medicine doctor about non-hormonal birth control options.
Swap out your personal care products. There are non-toxic versions of just about everything nowadays, and they perform just as well or better than the nasty stuff.
Choose organic. It might be tough to go all organic, all the time, but you can at least opt for organic meats and choose organic of the most high-residue foods.
Filter your water. Obviously, you can’t forgo water. A high-quality filter is an expense up-front but will pay for itself if you were buying bottled water, not to mention medical costs down the road.
Talk to your doc about stomach acid. Functional or integrative medicine doctors do stomach acid better. Conventional medicine doctors will prescribe you things that will make problems worse if your acid is too low.
Natural herbs and supplements support the liver and help get rid of excess estrogen and all the other day-to-day yuck we run into.
Lose weight. You know who you are. You can join a personalised consultation depending on your body type and symptoms to clean up your body from toxins build up and body fat reduction with diet while crushing cravings.
Meditation, yoga, gratitude. Start a de-stressing practice that will free up that pregnenolone for progesterone.
When people try to get help from a doctor or other practitioner, they are often told this is genetics, it’s just the way you are, that you have to deal with it. It’s simply not true. Just because there’s no magic pill (or there is a pill but it has awful side effects) doesn’t mean you’re at a loss. There are things you can do that not just alleviate symptoms, but get rid of the problem at its core.
For a personalized consultation, please go to www.longevitydietclinic to cleanse your body with a personalized diet therapy and vitalize the body with nutrients that help you balance your hormones and gives you a healthy holistic body by improving diet and digestive health, stress management, improved sleep and consistent physical activity, thereby true holistic health is attainable.
