Estrogen Dominance

Today’s topic is for my female friends. But I would encourage my fellow males to also read this, as you might be able to help the women in your lives. ESTROGEN DOMINANCE. You may have heard this phrase before, but I would wager that most women have no clue what this means. Well think about it like this, if you have ever had any of the issues listed below, you are probably estrogen dominant:

1) Fibrocystic breast disease
2) PMS
3) Uterine fibroids
4) Breast cancer
5) Endometriosis
6) Infertility problems
7) Endometrial polyps PCOS
9) Auto-immune disorders
10) Low blood sugar problems
11) Menstrual pain
12) Migraines during menstrual cycle
13) Uncontrollable weight gain
14) Sensitive breast and skin
15) Insomnia
16) Anxiety and depression
17) Gall bladder problem
18) Underactive Thyroid
19) Yeast infections
20) Osteoperosis
21) Alcohol dependence

So what exactly is estrogen and in excess, how can it cause the issues listed above? Estrogen is a sex hormone produced by both males and females. Women produced greater volume than males. In a perfect world, the female body produces large amounts of estrogen during the first 14 days of her 28 day cycle. This is used to create the endometrial lining of the uterus. After 14 days, the ovaries should release mature follicles (eggs). This period is called ovulation, and the support system left behind in the ovaries, is called the Corpus Luteum, which now helps with the production of the hormone progesterone (keeps egg fertilized when inseminated). During this time, estrogen levels should drop dramatically, and the whole world should feel right. Progesterone levels stays somewhat elevated, but slowly declines over the next 14 days, until the female has her period, which means unfertilized eggs, and the endometrial lining are excreted. At this point the process starts all over again.

When estrogen is allowed to run opposed, the 28 day cycle, is thrown off. This causes a drop of in progesterone production, eventually leading to estrogen dominance. The question I am sure you might be asking is, what can be causing an over production of estrogen. For starters, do note that even though a female may have a period, it doesn’t always means that she ovulated, which translates to no progesterone. What are some reasons for a lack of ovulation? Research points the finger to stress, nutrition (bottled water, mass produced meats. soy…), anovulatory cycles, birth control pills, birth control shots, tubal ligation (tubes tied), hysterectomies, obesity, and menopause. When estrogen production remains constantly high, the liver is unable to process and process and remove the excess causing a build up, which leads to a number of the issues I mentioned above.

How does one now if they are estrogen dominant, if they do not show some of the dramatic symptoms such as fibroids or if you live a fairly healthy life? My answer would be simply this, get to know your body. If you notice say your moods swings are happening more frequently, consult with your doctor. Perhaps your period cramps are more painful, consult with your doctor. If your budget will allow it, test your estrogen levels at the beginning of the 28 day cycle, at the half way mark, and towards the end. If the levels are elevated above reference ranges during the 28 days, then you are estrogen dominant. Also test your progesterone levels, and if they are indeed low consult with your doctor regarding progesterone replacement therapy. FYI studies indicate that progesterone creams applied vaginally appear to have a better absorption rate. Also if you believe you might be estrogen dominant, make lifestyle changes, such as coming off birth control pills and shots where possible, incorporate diet comprised of organic foods, exercise more consistently, and create a more stress free life.

I hope you found this information useful. Stay fit and well family.

Plastic the evil

Anyone who has ever spoken to me, inevitably will hear me say “stop drinking water and eating foods in a plastic container.” Now what is the big deal with plastic, and why should we avoid it? The answer can be found in one word, Bisphenol-A (BPA). What exactly is BPA and how is it related to plastic? Essentially BPA is an estrogenic plastic by-product, used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics, and can leach into food or drinks from the plastic containers holding them.

An often unknown fact is that BPA has been identified as an estrogen-mimicking compound since the 1930s, and is particularly dangerous to humans. Another unknown fact, is that in the early 1930s, BPA was used as an artificial estrogen to not only fatten poultry and cattle, but as a form of estrogen replacement therapy for women during that period. Bayer and General Electric in the 1940s first used BPA to harden polycarbonate plastics and make epoxy resin.

So what makes BPA dangerous? As I indicated earlier BPA mimics estrogen in the body. NO ONE, especially women, needs excess estrogen as this will put them at a greater risk for breast cancer, fibroids, endometriosis, Polycystic ovary syndrome, cyst, early puberty in girls, inability to drop bodyfat, and possibly disruption of the endocrine system (thyroid gland). In men excess estrogen can reduce testosterone levels.

Now bear mind because of our environment, we are exposed on a daily basis to other forms of man-made estrogens. However, BPA is most pervasive because of our reliance on plastics. Think about it, how much bottle water do you drink per week? How many times do you heat up foods in a microwave in a plastic container? As you can see we are flooding our bodies with BPA every week. To this date, Canada is the only country in September 2010, that declared BPA as a toxic substance. No other country has followed suit, although BPA has been banned in baby bottles in Europe and the US.

As a result of some public outcry, several companies have rolled out "BPA-free" plastic products. These range from bottles and sippy cups to reusable water bottles, meant to appeal to those health-conscious consumers looking to avoid toxins. But there is a possible catch. Some studies now show another bisphenol, bisphenol-S (BPS), in human urine concentrations at levels similar to those of BPA.i Some heath advocates are now speculating that manufacturers are simply swapping one bisphenol for another.

Now here is the messed up part. In the case of BPS, there's reason to believe it is just as dangerous to human health, and possibly more so, than BPA. Bear in mind there hasn’t been an abundant supply of studies. But writing in the journal Toxicology In Vitro, researchers stated:

"In 2011, the European Commission has restricted the use of Bisphenol A in plastic infant feeding bottles. In a response to this restriction, Bisphenol S is now often used as a component of plastic substitutes for the production of babybottles. One of the major concerns leading to the restriction of Bisphenol A was its weak estrogenic activity. By using two highly standardised transactivation assays, we could demonstrate that the estrogenic activity of Bisphenol A and Bisphenol S is of a comparable potency."

Loosely translated BPS seems to be similar to BPA and has the same effect on the human body. With all that being said I encourage you to not drink bottled water unless its in a glass container or stainless steel, and do not eat foods in a plastic container, especially one that has been warmed, since heat releases the chemicals.

I hope you found this information useful. Stay fit and well family.

Whats the big deal With Genetically Modified Foods

There has been much hoopla made about Genetically Modified (GM) foods and the hidden dangers they pose to humans. Ironically if you asked the average person what their thoughts were on the matter, they would probably shrug their shoulders and say they have no clue what GM foods are. With that being said, I would wager that over 50% of your diet is made up of GM foods. Essentially, unless foods products in the US say USDA Organic on the label, then that commodity probably has GM ingredients. This ranges from your basic corn flakes, tomatoes, strawberries……

Now what exactly are GM food? GM foods are produced from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), specifically, genetically modified crops. GMOs have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. These crops are able to grow in most environments and are for the most part are resistant to insects, and diseases. Sounds like a good thing right? Because of this mindset, leading GM crop creators such as Monsanto and Syngenta, have been able to commercialize their products with much success over the last 17 years.

So what is the problem with GM foods? So as not bore you with too much detail, I am going to focus primarily on the human dangers, and not environmental problem posed by GM crops. Well how about this for starters. If you recall I mention GM crops are for the most part insect resistant. Essentially, when an insect eats takes a bite of out of say GM corn and cotton plants engineered to produce Bt-toxins, their stomach splits open and they die. There have also been several documented cases where pig farmers toss GM corn to the animals, but they simply sniff it and walk away. However, when non-GM corn was tossed to the same animals, they devour it. No one quite knows why the animals react in this way, but perhaps their instinct to detect to danger is more developed than ours.

This instinct is for good reason. In a study done in 2009 by the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), it concluded that when lab animals do eat GM feed, the result was not pretty. "Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food," says the AAEM policy paper. Some of the issues the paper cited was “infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system, among the impacts of eating GMOs. There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects, there is causation..." The AAEM believes we should take a lesson from the animals and stay away from GM foods. Bear in mind the AAEM is a very reputable medical organization, “which first recognized such dangers as food allergies, chemical sensitivity, and Gulf War Syndrome.” The AAEM has even called on all physicians to prescribe non-GMO diets to all patients. They also called for a moratorium on GMOs, long-term independent studies, and labeling.

Now how does the human body react to GM foods? The answer to that is no one really knows, because we do not have enough independent long term studies. In fact, most of studies commissioned, have been too short, and get this, they are often paid for by the Biotech companies that produce GM crops like Monsanto. These studies of course conclude that GM foods are perfectly safe for human consumption. But here is an odd fact, soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50%. Ohio allergist Dr. John Boyles says "I used to test for soy allergies all the time, but now that soy is genetically engineered, it is so dangerous that I tell people never to eat it."

Biologist such as Dr. David Schubert of the Salk Institute have said, "If there are problems [with GMOs], we will probably never know because the cause will not be traceable and many diseases take a very long time to develop." In the 9 years after GM crops were introduced in 1996, Americans with three or more chronic diseases jumped from 7% to 13%. Allergies doubled in less time. The incidence of low birth weight babies, infertility, and infant mortality are all escalating. But without any human clinical trials or post marketing surveillance, we may never know if these or other disorders like autism, obesity, and diabetes, are triggered or made worse by GMOs.

I believe we should take a few lesson from the animals and avoid GM foods. To learn how to avoid GM foods, check out the Non-GMO Shopping Guide (www.NonGMOShoppingGuide.com). Stores such as Trader Joes do not carry GM foods. Other stores like Wholefoods, has stated that “by 2018, all products in its U.S. and Canadian stores must be labeled to indicate if they contain GMOs.” Also as I indicated earlier, if a label says USDA Organic, then it cannot contact GMO ingredients.

I hope you found this information useful. Stay fit and well family.