Oestrogen (Estrogen) and oestrogen dominance affects women and men equally and is a product of lifestyle, environment and ageing; here we list 10 natural ways you can reduce levels of oestrogen in your body and reduce your risk of diseases from endometriosis to poor libido and from cancer to depression.
Oestrogen is not the female sex hormone as many people will tell you! Oestrogen is a family of compounds, some of which are powerful cancer-causing chemicals, and this guide shows you how you can help yourself cut the oestrogen load in your body.
There are three groups in the oestrogen family.
1. Human oestrogen
2. Chemical oestrogen, or xenoestrogens
3. Plant oestrogen, or phytoestrogens
Full explanations of each are given elsewhere on this website - and we even have a best-selling book ’Oestrogen - the killer in our midst’
'Estrogen Dominance' can affect your health in many ways
Men can have high oestrogen too!!! If I told you that oestrogen was linked to prostate cancer and to testicular cancer, you might be surprised. But what if I said it can be linked to brain cancer, or non-small cell lung cancer? You’d stop thinking of oestrogen as the female sex hormone.
In fact oestrogen dominance in men can occur naturally after the age of 50, when levels of testosterone start to decline. Testosterone makes men lean and mean. As it declines so fat stores appear and with them oestrogen levels rise. Oestrogen excesses in men are linked to lowered libido, depression, increased levels of fat, higher cholesterol and more.
Oestrogen excesses are also about lifestyle choices - lack of excersise, too much beer, too much saturated fat intake.
And women obviously suffer this too. Much is made of the period over and after the menopause; this is very complicated with progresterone and testosterone levels and feed-back loops.
But higher oestrogen levels can be harmful to a woman at other ages. Endometriosis, for example, occurs most in younger women of pregnancy age.
Some ’Truths about ’Oestrogen’ and cancer
Levels of oestrogen, or estrogen, have never been higher in the history of mankind. Cancer research estimated that oestrogen levels were currently growing in women’s bodies at about 7% per annum.
Human oestrogen has, as its main players, oestradiol which is 40 times stronger than oestrone, the female sex hormone (estrone) - made by the C-2 pathway in the ovaries. Oestrone keeps women female.
Women who develop breast cancer are tested immediately to see if they are ’Estrogen positive’ (ER+). That oestrogen to blame is most usually ’Oestradiol’ (Estradiol), made by the C-16 pathway and aromatase enzymes in your fat stores. Women in America with ovarian cancer are tested routinely too, but not in the UK.
Typically, women with high oestrogen levels are more at risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer. Men are more at risk of prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Both may develop colorectal cancer, lung or brain cancer where there can be an oestrogen link.
Most usually the danger comes from either oestradiol (estradiol) or chemical oestrogens from environmental toxins in everyday products, our homes and the work place.
So if you really want ant to reduce your oestrogen levels, man or woman, you should read our book ’Oestrogen - the killer in our midst’.
Meanwhile, here are
10 ways how to cut your estrogen naturally:-
1: Don’t be overweight - the dangerous human oestrogen, oestradiol, is made by aromatase enzymes in your fat stores, in both men and women! Increased fat levels in the body raise your oestrogen levels. So the first rule is minimise your fat stores, and circulating fat levels. Get your cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked too.
2: Avoid herbicides, pesticides and fungicides - in Israel, chemicals like DDT and Lindane were linked with a 4-fold increase in breast cancer. The chemicals in many herbicides, fungicides and pesticides can act like oestrogen when in the body. In Noosa, Australia, pesticides sprayed on Macadamia nut trees got into the local fish farm water and all the baby fish had two heads. Fish off the coast of California have been found to be hermaphrodite. Sperm counts in human males are in serious decline. This is an area of serious risk to human biochemistry. Go organic wherever possible.
3: Go toxin-free at home - the average UK woman comes into contact with 680 chemicals per month IN HER OWN HOME. Two thirds are toxic and one third probably carcinogenic according to a UK Government White Paper! Men are not immune.
i. Do not put perfume or perfumed products on your skin (and that includes aftershaves and body lotions).
ii. Beware drinking liquids from plastic bottles/cups especially if hot, because of phthalate levels.
iii. Beware eating tinned food from cans with white linings because of BPA levels.
iv. Avoid parabens where possible in toiletries.
v. Beware volatile carbons from ceiling and floor tile glues, or chipboard.
vi. Beware gases from common bleaches and cleaners.
GO TO: Switch to products that are free of ’Chemicals of concern’
4: Eat a Rainbow Diet. There are many ways the colourful Mediterranean diet can protect and correct you. It is a 'low empty calorie' diet but high in immune boosting soluble fibre and 'anti-oestrogen' foods like pulses, beans and greens. It also contains high levels of good fat, and low saturated fat; plus copious colourful fruits and vegetables. One 15-year study showed that women who adhered most closely to the Rainbow Diet were free of 11 chronic illnesses at the end of the study and 40% more likely to live past 70.
Phytoestrogens were dubbed 'anti-oestrogens' by Professor Trevor Powles of the Royal Marsden. In his research he showed compounds like genistein could block receptor sites from far more powerful and dangerous human oestrogens like estradiol. Phytoestrogens are considerably less potent and unfortunately wash through the body more easily and bind less tightly to the receptors, so you need to maintain your daily consumption. Legumes (pulses) are the best sources; so as well as making green juices, eat lentils, red kidney beans, chickpeas etc. Red clover is also an option.
Carotenoids, in vibrant foods like red and yellow peppers, sweet potatoes and greens, have been shown to be crucial to women with oestrogen-driven breast cancer and high levels reduce the risk of return. Also, research from the City of Hope Medical Center in California shows button mushrooms can inhibit aromatase enzymes and generally mushrooms reduce oestrogen levels, as can flaxseed on your breakfast! There's far more!
5: Consider taking Indole 3 Carbinol/DIM. Eat more greens like kale and broccoli - they contain I3C and its substrate DIM. But you simply cannot eat enough - you will have to supplement. A powerful anticancer agent, DIM has been shown to convert the aggressive form of oestrogen (oestradiol, estradiol) to its safer sisters, limit metastases, and even correct non-estrogenic cancers.
6: Consider taking Melatonin. Melatonin regulates oestrogen levels in your body. Sleep in a fully darkened room with regular sleeping times. Melatonin is produced about 45 minutes after you fall asleep. It is produced by your pineal gland, and your gut bacteria. It is an antioxidant and powerful anti-inflammatory compound, which has importantly been shown to regulate oestrogen and growth hormone excesses in the body as well as having very real epigenetic (anti-cancer) benefits. People who have disturbed sleep patters (night shift workers, air hostesses) get more breast or prostate cancer. There is research on how 20 mg supplements help fight cancer and make drugs work better.
Go To : A Review on melatonin and oestrogen-driven cancer.
7: Cut alcohol consumption. So you are trying to reduce your weight and cut fat stores. Why drink lots of beer or gin and tonic? Research has shown that a little red wine is definitely good for your health. But too much alcohol is detrimental and will increase fat and estrogen levels.
8. Take light to moderate daily exercise - 40 - 60 minutes a day is linked to lowered oestrogen levels, lowered cancer risk and less cancer return. You need to ’get puffed’. A 2011 study in ’Applied Physiology’, showed that 5 hours exercise a week significantly reduced estrogen levels. Exercise oxygenates you (sensitising cancer cells) and produces endorphins, which neutralise stress hormones. A 2002 NCI study showed it reduced oestrogen too. Keep moving during the day. Sitting for long periods is bad.
9. Reduce exposure to EMFs - Governments are now taking EMFs seriously after the EU issued a warning. EMFs reduce your melatonin levels. Beware living near power cables; having TVs or electrical equipment round your bed; and have your home tested for fault lines.
10. Keep your gut healthy. Your ’good’ gut bacteria play an important role in oestrogen control. They have circadian rhythms - they go to sleep. And when they do, they produce 400 times the oestrogen-regulating melatonin you do! They also bind to natural compounds like lignans and can help clear both excess human oestrogen and chemical oestrogen from the body. People who have taken drugs, antibiotics and PPIs; people who eat too much sugar and not enough soluble fibre foods like pulses, nuts and seeds and vegetables; people who smoke, binge-drink or get stressed; all reduce the levels of good gut bateria - and these make important compounds that keep you healthy, control your cholesterol levels and make compounds that prevent depression.
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