Hormone Imbalance, Hormonal Changes and Mood Swings

Do you know that your hormones may be the cause of your weight gain?

Over the years, hormone imbalance may be one of the least acknowledged health issues affecting women.  If you have experienced hot flashes, mood swings, PMS, breast tenderness, fatigue, depression or fluid retention, you may have a hormone imbalance or estrogen dominance.

What is estrogen dominance?

Estrogen dominance is a term coined by Dr John R. Lee, the pioneer in the field of progesterone therapy.  It describes what happens when the normal ratio or balance of estrogen to progesterone is changed by excess estrogen or inadequate progesterone.  Estrogen is a potent and potentially dangerous hormone when not balanced by adequate progesterone.

Even low estrogen levels can result in estrogen dominance if a woman's body fails to produce progesterone month to month.  Conversely, during menopause when a woman's hormone levels drop as a natural protective mechanism, estrogen dominance might yet be a concern if she is exposed to foreign estrogens (xenoestrogens) via her environment, her diet or HRT. Obesity also increases her exposure to estrogen. 

Apart from causing an increase in body fat and weight gain, estrogen and estrogen dominance has many other effects...

Effects of Estrogen
* Increases body fat
* Blood sugar irregularities (food cravings) 
* Increases salt and water retention
* Causes breast stimulation
* Causes depression and migraine headaches
* Interferes with thyroid function
* Excessive blood clotting
* Decreases sex drive
* Increases risk of breast cancer
* Increases risk of endometrial cancer 
* Increases risk of autoimmune disease
* Too much cortisone can lead to autoimmune disease (recurrent infections, etc.)

Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance
* Weight gain
* Bloating
* Sugar cravings
* Irregular menstrual cycles
* Irritability
* Mood swings
* Breast tenderness 
* Hot flashes 
* PMS
* Zinc deficiency

 

Potential Causes of Estrogen Dominance

Environmental Chemicals 
These mask as hormones and are carcinogens are of huge danger to us. Xenoestrogens are foreign substances from outside the body that have an estrogen-like effect in the body. Many of these xenoestrogens come from petroleum derived products such as pesticides, plastics, gas, oil, soaps, clothing and they’re even in meat, dairy products and canned foods. These chemicals are all around your house —- the formaldehyde in your kitchen cabinets, what you spray on your counters, and even in what you eat. In our toxic world today it’s practically impossible to avoid these foreign compounds. 

Stress 
We now know that PMS can occur despite normal progesterone levels when stress is present. Stress increases cortisol production; cortisol blockades (or competes for) progesterone receptors. Additional progesterone is required to overcome this blockade, and stress management is important.

Failed ovulation
Commonly seen by 35. Age and stress are the major factors. Exposure to xenoestrogen chemicals in food and water may also cause early follicle burnout. 

Birth control pills
Synthetic progestins commonly prescribed for HRT and birth control cause many symptoms similar to estrogen dominance, and too much estrogen in birth control pills may cause early follicle burnout. 

Hysterectomy
Even when ovaries are left intact, the change in blood flow in the area can cause ovary dysfunction or atrophy. 

Low progesterone production
A lack of vitamin A, an excess of carotene, uterine irritation, low thyroid are the known factors. Since progesterone can facilitate thyroid, progesterone supplementation or thyroid supplementation can break the vicious cycle of low thyroid and low progesterone. 

Failure to eliminate estrogen
The liver's ability to neutralize estrogen to eliminate it from the body can be impaired by various causes. Slow colon movement can also cause resorption of estrogen from the intestines. 

Excessive conversion of progesterone to other hormones
Stress-coping hormones such as cortisone are produced from progesterone. Thus, high stress can reduce the effects of progesterone and shift the hormone production in favor of other hormones.

Menopause
After menopause (natural or surgically induced), ovaries no longer produce estrogen or progesterone. 

Estrogen replacement therapy
This is routinely used after natural or surgically induced menopause, and is a major cause of estrogen dominance after menopause.

Overweight
Since fat cells produce estrogen, being overweight can lead to overproduction of estrogen.

 

How can you find out if you have estrogen dominance?

You can take a saliva test to determine your hormone levels to see if this is indeed the case.  Please ask with your local physician for help on this.

 

How can you control estrogen dominance?

Use a USP Natural Progesterone cream. Natural progesterone can assist in bringing a woman’s body back into balance. A natural approach to rebalancing a woman’s hormone levels is preferred to a synthetic approach and is better tolerated without the negative side effects of synthetic drugs. You may want to consider using a USP Natural Progesterone cream to increase the level of progesterone in your body. Learn more about how progesterone helps with weight loss...

Consume more Soy. Symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, vaginal dryness, loss of libido, headaches, anxiety and insomnia can be controlled safely with soy. Soy protein can also balance high estrogen levels, thus reducing PMS symptoms, menstrual difficulties, endometriosis, fibroid-related complaints and other conditions associated with high estrogen levels. Studies show that women who consume soy protein significantly lower their estrogen levels to much healthier levels. Learn more about how soy helps with weight loss...

 

Still got a question on hormone imbalance? Email us at and we'll do our best to answer any questions you have... We're here to help!

 

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Got a question on weight loss for women over 40? Email us at and we'll do our best to answer any questions you have... We're here to help!