Balancing Estrogen for Optimal Health

By Dr. Sacha Elliott • October 17th, 2012 • 6145 Views

Dysmenorrhea, the medical term which describes painful menstrual cramps, is extremely prevalent in North America.  It is almost unusual for a woman’s menstrual cycle to be perfectly healthy – free from menstrual cramps, PMS, clotted blood, a heavy flow, and arriving on time approximately every four weeks.

Certain underlying factors will predispose one to experience a less-than-ideal monthly flow, such as a diet high in sugar, carbohydrates and poor-quality oils, a lack of exercise, excessive stress, drinking caffeine and a history of pelvic inflammatory disease.

One of the most common causes of female menstrual complaints is an imbalance in estrogen and progesterone termed estrogen dominance.  Compared to progesterone, estrogen is relatively dominant, meaning that estrogen can be too high or too low, but progesterone is always too low in proportion to estrogen.  Menopausal complaints frequently arise from estrogen dominance as well.  The balance between these two hormones matters more than the amount of each.

I have listed some of the more common symptoms of estrogen dominance below:

• Breast tenderness, enlargement and/or fibrocystic breasts
• Anxiety, irritability, agitation and anger
• Mood swings, depression, emotional/weepy
• Acne, especially hormonal acne that worsens on a cyclical basis
• Cramps, heavy bleeding, prolonged bleeding and blood clots
• Water retention, bloating and weight gain
• Fat gain, especially in the abdominal, hip, and thigh areas
• Menstrual conditions: endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts, irregular periods, Pap smear abnormalities
• Libido issues: decreased, increased or fluctuating sex drive
• Infertility
• Insomnia
• Osteoporosis
• Cancers of the breast, uterus, cervix and ovaries
• Insulin resistance and blood sugar swings/crashes
• Cravings for carbohydrates like bread, pasta, sweet foods and chocolate
• Headaches and migraines

The relationship between estrogen and progesterone can be opposing or complimentary.  For example, while estrogen promotes insomnia and agitation, progesterone promotes a deep sleep and a sense of calm.  Another example is that estrogen can act on bone to decrease bone break down and progesterone compliments that action by helping to build up bone.

The adrenal glands are also involved in a proper estrogen-to-progesterone balance.  These hormonal glands, which sit upon your kidneys, produce cortisol and adrenaline among other hormones to allow your body to deal with stresses effectively.  These stresses can be mental or psychological in nature or can come from within the body: overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, yeast, or parasites, blood sugar swings, toxins, food allergies and sensitivities, alcohol, caffeine, medications, viruses, etc.  To put it bluntly, the adrenal glands endure a lot of ‘wear and tear’ over the course of a lifetime and will impact...

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Location:  North Vancouver, CA

Dr. Sacha Elliott, ND has a family practice in Lynn Valley, North Vancouver at Canopy Integrated Health (Canopyhealth.ca).  She focuses on motivating, educating and empowering her patients to create balance in their physical, mental and emotional...