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.

Coffee and Estrogen

I have been asked on several occasions what my thoughts are on consuming coffee. My standard answer is, no more than two cups per day, especially if you are a female. Let us delve a little deeper into why I give this standard answer. Well let’s face it, we all love coffee. Plus there are several benefits of its consumption such as proper bowel movement, increase muscle strength, may lower risk of oral cancer, and possibly reduce the development of dementia and Alzheimer's later in life.

But again what is the deal with my two cups limit, especially for women? Well in a study done in 2001, concluded that drinking more than two cups of coffee daily, appeared to boost estrogen levels in women and could worsen conditions such as endometriosis and breast pain. According to the researchers, women who drank the most coffee had higher levels of estradiol, a naturally occurring form of estrogen, during days 1 to 5 of their menstrual cycle. In fact they found that estrogen levels were 70% more.

Higher estrogen levels is really not good for anyone, but more so for women, especially with family histories of breast or ovarian cancer.

Interestingly enough, the study also found that regardless of age, body mass index (BMI), caloric intake, smoking, and alcohol and cholesterol intake, the estrogen were still elevated. This was most evident in the females that consumed at least 500 milligrams of caffeine daily, the equivalent of four or five cups of coffee, compared to those that had no more than 100 mg of caffeine daily, or less than one cup of coffee.

Now please note that I am not saying to completely eliminate coffee if you enjoy it. But according to some health advocates such as Dr. Mercola, if you do drink coffee, keep it to no more than two cups per day and do the following:

• Use organic coffee - Coffee is a heavily sprayed crop, so drinking organic coffee might reduce or eliminate the exposure to toxic herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. Check sites such as www.thenibble.com for info on organic fair trade coffee.

• "Swiss Water Process" decaf - If you are going to drink decaffeinated coffee, be sure that it is one that uses a non-chemical based method of decaffeination. The "Swiss Water Process" is a patented method and is the best choice. Most of the major brands are chemically decaffeinated, even if it says "Naturally Decaffeinated" right on the container. If you are unsure of the methods, contact the manufacturer.

• Avoid sugar and/or milk - These are actually much worse for you than the coffee itself. Don't compound the detrimental health effects by adding milk or sugar to your coffee.

• Unbleached filters - If you use a "drip" coffee maker, be sure to use non-bleached filters. The bright white ones, which most people use, are chlorine bleached and some of this chlorine will be extracted from the filter during the brewing process.

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