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.

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.

Saw Palmetto, is it worth it?

I was recently asked by a male client if I thought him taking the supplement Saw Palmetto was good idea. My answer to him was yes, and that pretty much any male over the age of 30, should take saw palmetto.

You see as we age, testosterone levels decline. One reason why this occurs is because of the overactivity of an enzyme known as 5-alpha reductase. This enzyme binds with testosterone and converts it into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This process not only lowers the amount of testosterone in the body, it also contributes to both the benign (BPH) and malignant (cancer) growth of the prostate gland.

Pharmaceutical companies have already capitalized on this biological fact by producing a class of drugs which inhibit 5-alpha reductase activity, essentially blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Examples of these drugs are Proscar or Propecia, and Avodart. Unfortunately according to a number of health advocates, these drugs come with a significant set of risks, including get this, increasing your risk of developing prostate cancer.

Now how does saw palmetto factor into this equation? Unlike the pharmaceutical drugs mentioned above, saw palmetto is a natural source of blocking conversion of testosterone to DHT.

According to Dr. Rudi Moerck, drug industry insider and an expert in chemistry, the medical literature contains as many as 100 clinical studies on saw palmetto. (Incidentally one of the first prostate drugs on the US market was actually saw palmetto, released by Eli Lilly Company back in the early 1870s.)

He says:
"The mechanism of action of saw palmetto is not fully clear. We are certainly not making any drug claims, but the anecdotal evidence suggests that there is a reduction in the conversion of testosterone into the dihydrotestosterone, and therefore, men that take saw palmetto will have slightly higher levels of testosterone in their body…That's a good thing...

It turns out that if you don't have enough testosterone in your body it can cause all kinds of problems like gaining weight, breast enlargement in men, and problem with urinating. So saw palmetto alone, or with pumpkin seed or lycopene is an interesting proposition … It's something that you should definitely try."

Additionally, research done by The National Library of Medicine shows that saw palmetto may have therapeutic benefits over pharmaceutical 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, alleviating symptoms far beyond that of simply an enlarged prostate:

• Androgenic Alopecia (Hair Loss)
• Prostate Cancer
• Low Testosterone
• Chronic Prostatitis

Of course before you start taking any supplement, I encourage to check with your Doctor, and in this case be sure to have your testosterone levels tested to see if they are in fact below normal. I hope you found this information useful. Stay fit and well family.

Dangers of Parabens

Parabens. It sounds like the name of a garbage collection company doesn’t it? What you may not be aware is that parabens are more a part of your world than realize, and its unfortunately not a good thing. What exactly are parabens and where do you find them? Lets start with where do you find them. Parabens can be found in personal lubricants, shampoos, commercial moisturizers, cleansing gels, shaving gels, topical pharmaceuticals, toothpaste, and possibly used in food additives.

So with that being what exactly are parabens? Simply put parabens are chemicals used as preservative. They are used to fight bacteria and fungus, are widely available, and cost very little to manufacture and use. Nearly all of the parabens used as preservatives are man-made and not naturally occurring. Because so many products we use contain some form of parabens, it can be difficult to avoid them.

No why are parabens bad? Before I answer this question, please note that there have been studies on both sides of the argument about whether parabens are bad or safe. In my opinion, because of the number of studies done regarding its dangers, I tend to avoid products with parabens. Essentially, similar to Bisphenol A found in plastics, parabens appear to mimic the hormone estrogen in the body. For those who have read many of my past tips, you will note that I often say that no one needs excess estrogen as this leads to a host of health issues such as breast cancer, fibroids, cysts, infertility, low libido, depression, weight gain, irregular menstrual cycle, and the list goes on. Researchers have found parabens in breast tumors and believe there is a relationship between the two. In addition, in the July 2002 issue of the Archives of Toxicology, Dr. S. Oishi of the Department of Toxicology, Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health reported that exposure of newborn male mammals to butylparaben “adversely affects the secretion of testosterone and the function of the male reproductive system.” FYI Researchers are still not sure how and why parabens might affect development and growth of both babies and adults.

So how do we avoid parabens and other harsh chemicals? For starters I would suggest reading labels more carefully and try to avoid products with these 10 chemicals:

1) DEA (diethanolamine)
2) Parabens Of Any Kind
3) BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)
4) Propylene Glycol
5) Triclosan
6) Bisphenol A
7) Polyethylene
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
9) 1,4-dioxane
10) Butyl Cellosolve

There are also some great companies that have signed an agreement called The Compact For Safe Cosmetics, which is a coalition effort to protect the health of consumers and workers by securing the reforms necessary to eliminate dangerous chemicals from cosmetics and personal care products. Some of these companies are Suki’s Naturals, Avalon Organics, Weleda, Tom’s of Maine, Aubrey Organics, Dr. Bronner’s, Burts Bees, California Baby, Dr.Hauschka, Terressentials, Badger, Nature’s Gate, JASON, Kiss My Face, Pangea.

I hope you found this information useful. As always stay fit and well family.

Vitamin D The Great

I have written on this topic before. But because of its extreme importance, I think it’s a good idea to be reminded of it. Vitamin D is probably one of the most important minerals that our body needs each day. With that being a majority of the world’s population is vitamin D deficient. People of color, specifically those who are darker skin, tend to be even more at risk for vitamin D deficiency. What is considered a normal or optimal vitamin D level? Most experts believe that a minimum level of vitamin D should be 40ng/ml (40 nanograms per milliliter of blood), and some think it should approach levels of 70ng/ml.

With that being said, what are the benefits of vitamin D? This mineral is responsible for a number of important functions in the body such as:
• boosting our immune system to fight off things such as the
common flu
• aiding the body in absorbing calcium for bone health
• helping to prevent Type 2 Diabetes
• combine with strength training will help to reduce visceral fat,
• used in the production of important hormones such as
testosterone
• preventing breast cancer
• Linked to the prevention of certain autoimmune diseases such
as multiple sclerosis
• Improves mood and cognitive brain health
• Preventing heart diesease

As you can see this little vitamin is a powerhouse. So how do we get vitamin D? The best method is exposing our bodies directly to midday sun. If you are of a fairer complexion, then around 10 minutes should work, while if you are of a darker persuasion then 15-20 will suffice. But here is where the problem lies. If you live in the northern hemisphere (ie north of Atlanta), then during the winter months it is basically impossible to produce vitamin D from the sun. This is because the sun never gets high enough in the sky for its ultraviolet B rays to penetrate the atmosphere. Also because most people work in-doors, and with the growing popularity of sun blocks, even when we live in the southern hemisphere, our exposure to the right levels of sunlight is often lacking.

So how can we correct this problem? For starters during the summer months, be sure to allot time to expose yourself to midday sunlight. I often encourage clients to go for quick walk with as little clothes possible each day, without sun block. If your schedule doesn’t permit this, or if its winter, then if possible use a ‘safe tanning bed,’ which means they don’t use magnetic ballast to generate light. Also be sure to follow the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) guideline when using tanning beds by limiting exposure to "one erythemal dose. One erythemal dose equates to the amount of time it takes for a tanning device to produce erythema (slight pinkening of the average person's skin), and this erythema indicates you have achieved a safe dose of UV – which translates to an optimal dose of vitamin D.” Of course they time may vary depending on strength of the machine and your pigmentation.

One can also obtain vitamin D via supplementation. The D3 synthetic form appears to be the most bioavailable, and the quality tends to be better when made from cod liver oil, or olive oil. The FDA recommends when taking vitamin D supplements, you should consume between 400-600 IUs per day. However, there seems to be a growing movement within the medical industry that advocate for a higher dosage. For example, the European Food Safety Authority has raised the RDA for vitamin D supplementation way above the American guidelines. They recommend
• Adults 18 years or older = 4,000 IU/day
• Children 11-17 years of age = 4,000 IU/day
• Children 1-10 years of age = 2,000 IU/day
• Infants less than 1year of age = 1,000 IU/day

I tend to lean more towards the EU numbers, especially during winter months. However, before you start taking vitamin D supplements, be sure to determine what your serum vitamin D level (the level in your blood), by consulting with your doctor. Also be aware that if you take high doses of supplemental vitamin D, you also need to make sure you're getting enough vitamin K2, as these two nutrients work in tandem. FYI, Vitamin K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries. Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, author of Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life, suggests that for every 1,000 IU's of vitamin D you take, you may benefit from about 100 micrograms of K2, and perhaps as much as 150-200 micrograms (mcg). FYI, vitamin K2 can also be found in meats, other animal-based foods, such as cheese, eggs, and butter.

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