Estrogen is a steroid hormone categorized as a sex hormone. It is present in both females and males, but females have higher levels compared to males. Estrogen has many functions in the body, such as maintaining bone density, appetite control, balancing body temperature, and influencing our mood and cognition. It plays a critical role in reproductive functions such as sex drive, supporting the uterine lining, regulating women’s menstrual cycles, and supporting pregnancy.
Estrogen can become imbalanced due to a variety of factors that hinder the production, metabolism, or elimination of estrogen within the body. Our environment can contribute to an increase in estrogen through exogenous estrogens. This estrogen originates outside of the body and can be found through several sources.
Environmental exposure sources include:
- Pollutants and substances that have an estrogenic-like effect on the body, such as:
- Bisphenol A (BPA): Found in plastics and epoxy resins commonly used to cook and store food.
- Phthalates: Found in personal care products and cosmetics.
- Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs): Found in industrial chemicals.
- Dioxins: Formed as byproducts of various industrial processes and combustion.
- Pesticides and herbicides: Used in agriculture and found in water supplies.
- Oral contraceptive use.
- Consuming animal or plant products that have been given hormones to increase their growth.
- Increased metal exposure to cadmium and lead interacts with estrogen receptors, impacting the body's ability to metabolize estrogen and stimulating estrogen activity.
If estrogen levels increase, symptoms can often manifest as:
- Endometriosis
- Poor digestion
- Insomnia
- Weight gain
- Mood swings
- Headaches
- Breast tenderness and swelling
- Changes in the menstrual cycle
- Water retention and bloating
Considerations to support the body in removing excess estrogen include:
Supporting organs that help excrete hormones, such as the liver, bowels, and kidneys.
- The liver metabolizes hormones, altering their chemical structure to make them more water-soluble and excreting them into bile.
- The large intestine plays a role in hormone elimination through fecal elimination.
- The kidneys remove substances such as hormones and their metabolites through urine excretion.
Dietary nutrients from whole food forms, including:
- Sulforaphane and Indole-3-carbinol (found in cruciferous vegetables like cabbage)
- Fiber (found in legumes, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains)
- Omega-3 fatty acids (found in walnuts, fatty fish, chia seeds, and flax seeds)
- B vitamins (found in whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds)
- Vitamin D (found in fatty fish, sunlight, egg yolks, beef liver, mushrooms, and dairy products)
- Antioxidants (found in dark berries, citrus fruits, and pigmented vegetables)
- Minerals (found in meat, sea salt, leafy greens, seafood, nuts, seeds, and whole grains)
Supplementation support: Molecular Provisions Hormone Harmony+ is formulated with specific herbs and nutrients to aid in eliminating excess estrogen.
Decreasing exposure to endocrine disruptors found in the environment.
Managing stress that impacts hormonal activity.
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice but for educational purposes only.