Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy :
For my women who have more severe symptoms supplements to balance hormones may not be enough and in this case Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy can be a great option. With proper labs, follow-up, and customized dosing, this can be a safe step up in a patients therapy from more natural treatments. Remember, its all about safety first, so using the lowest level of therapy to provide adequate symptom relief is ideal!
There is no one herb, nutritional plan, product, or therapy that is good for everything hormones related. It is vital to determine what type of hormone imbalance you have and why. Finding the root cause to your health issues can bring you back to long-lasting optimal health herbals, nutrition, and medications can help you there. A qualified health care professional can offer testing, interpretation, diagnosis, and treatment for your unique needs and goals!
Menopause And Menopause Symptoms
Alleviating menopause symptoms is the reason most people use black cohosh, and its one of the uses that has the most compelling evidence to support it.
In one study in 80 menopausal women who were experiencing hot flashes, those who supplemented with 20 mg of black cohosh daily for 8 weeks reported significantly fewer and less severe hot flashes than before they started the supplement .
Whats more, other human studies have confirmed similar findings. Though larger studies are needed, black cohosh appears to be beneficial for alleviating menopause symptoms .
How Does Menopause Occur
Menopause is the cessation of ovarian function, explains Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., a clinical professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. In women who have a uterus and have periods, it is defined as a year of no periods, she says, noting that blood tests are needed to confirm menopause in women who have had hysterectomies.
Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, with the average starting age being 51 in the U.S., adds Kellyann Petrucci, N.D., a functional medicine doctor and certified nutrition consultant in New York City.
While we often associate menopause with the end of the menstrual cycle, theres also the perimenopause and postmenopause stages.
As you age, your reproductive cycle slows down and prepares to stop, says Dr. Petrucci. As menopause nears, the ovaries make less estrogen and stop releasing eggs into the fallopian tube, resulting in changes to the menstrual cycle. may become irregular and unpredictable and, eventually, completely stop.
The most effective therapy for menopausal hot flashes is estrogen therapy, per Dr. Minkin. However, some women cannot take hormonal therapy or simply choose not to do so. And thats, in general, where the talk of supplements, which are aimed primarily at hot flashes, comes in, she explains. Prescription non-hormonal medications are also available, which can help with hot flashes, too.
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Digestive Support For Clearing Hormones
Once your liver has done its duty of metabolizing and neutralizing the estrogen in your body, its up to your gut to get it out before it can recirculate in your body, but there are a few hang-ups here that can make your estrogen dominance worse:
- Gut inflammation: If your gut is inflamed, its likely that some of these particles could be re-entering your bloodstream thanks to leaky gut . Removing inflammatory foods and taking digestive enzymes can help heal your gut and keep the waste where it belongs.
- Slow elimination: Thats right, if you dont poop every day, the waste has more of a chance of re-entering your body. One of the best ways to support healthy bathroom habits is with Magnesium supplements .
- Imbalanced bacteria: Your microbiome is essential for keeping things moving in your gut. Quality probiotics and fermented foods can help support your intestinal bacteria to make sure the estrogen gets OUT.
Best Vitamins To Increase Estrogen And Progesterone Levels
Estrogen and progesterone are two major hormones essential for womens health, but your levels can fluctuate over time.
Low levels of estrogen and progesterone can negatively affect your mood, reproductive health, bone health, and more.
However, many hormone medications are prescription-only or run the risk of causing long-term side effects, so can you use vitamins to increase estrogen instead?
Estrogen is the main female sex hormone responsible for womens physical development and reproductive capabilities, while progesterone supports healthy menstrual cycles and pregnancy. Low levels of natural estrogen and progesterone can affect your mood, bone health, and much more, so regulating your hormonal levels is key to staying healthier for longer.
Although certain hormonal changes such as plunging estrogen levels during menopause are largely unavoidable, many people can tackle low estrogen symptoms with the right vitamins. In this article, well discuss how to increase your estrogen and progesterone levels naturally and how to tell if youre suffering from a hormonal imbalance.
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High Blood Levels Of Vitamin D Linked To Reduced Estrogen And Potentially Lower Breast Cancer Risk
Can taking daily vitamin D supplements decrease sex-hormone levels and thereby potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer in older women?
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
These findings, by lead author and postdoctoral research fellow Dr. Caitlin Mason, and senior and corresponding author Dr. Anne McTiernan, both investigators in the Epidemiology Program of the Public Health Sciences Division at Fred Hutch, were published earlier this month in the journal Menopause ahead of the June 2016 print issue.
The randomized, controlled, clinical trial involved 218 women with insufficient vitamin D levels at the beginning of the study. Half of the women were randomly selected to a weight loss program plus daily vitamin D, and half received a weight loss regimen plus a dummy pill, or placebo.
Scientists believe that obese and overweight people have lower levels of vitamin D because the nutrient is stored in fat deposits. A prevailing theory is that during weight loss, the vitamin D trapped in fat tissue is released into the blood and becomes available throughout the body.
Other Ways Men Can Naturally Reduce Their Estrogen Levels
We mentioned that estrogen detox programs to reduce your estrogen levels include supplements and lifestyle modifications.
These lifestyle modifications are also essential for estrogen detox. Nowadays, we have a strong environmental influence and dont even realize it. But we can make at least four changes to correct the problem:
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A Practical Alternative To Estrogen
This study suggests that vitamin D supplementation may be a practical alternative to estrogen-lowering drugs for overweight and obese women to reduce their breast cancer risk, McTiernan said.
âMedications to lower blood estrogens, such as aromatase inhibitors, reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in women at increased risk, but those medications are expensive and can have adverse effects,â she said. âSo itâs important to identify other ways to safely lower blood estrogens for all women.
âWeâve shown in the past that weight loss significantly lowers blood estrogens. Now we know that vitamin D can add to that, but only if a woman takes enough of it to increase her vitamin D blood levels to a normal range,â she continued.
The optimal circulating range of vitamin D is thought to be between 20 and 50 ng/ml. Blood levels lower than that may be inadequate for bone health and levels higher than that are associated with potential adverse effects, such as an increased risk of kidney stones.
There is no consensus, however, regarding the optimal blood level of vitamin D necessary for lowering sex hormones, Mason said. âWe saw benefit for the women whose levels increased the most, but we donât know whether we might have seen even more benefit had the women taken more vitamin D or had increased their blood levels to a higher threshold.â
What Are Menopause Supplements
Menopause supplements are typically a combination of botanicals and/or vitamins and minerals administered to alleviate one or more of the symptoms women experience during menopause, says Dr. Petrucci. Black cohosh, red clover, chasteberry, dong quai and evening primrose are popular botanicals you often see in menopause supplements, she says.
While theres a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest these botanicals can provide some reliefparticularly with hot flashesresearchers say many botanicals found in menopause supplements offer limited scientific evidence showing their effectiveness and long-term safetyGeller S.E., Studee L. Botanical and Dietary Supplements for Menopausal Symptoms: What Works, What Does Not. J. Womens Health. 2005 14:634649. .
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Soy And Other Legumes
Soybeans and soy products are a rich source of isoflavones, one of the most important groups of phytoestrogens. You can add soy to your diet with:
Other legumes, such as chickpeas, peanuts, and beans, are also a good source of isoflavones.
Theres some debate about the benefits of soy isoflavones. Many studies suggest that they can and breast cancer, as well as reduce symptoms of menopause.
However, a lot of the evidence is preliminary, and many of the studies were performed on animals.
How Does Aging Affect Your Estrogen Levels
The ovaries produce less estrogen as we age, which typically begins as you approach your 40s. “Women may notice their menstrual cycles become longer or shorter and more or less frequent due to changes in hormone levels,” explained Dr. Pavey.
Eventually, these changes usher in perimenopause and then menopause. Skipping periods or irregular periods are common perimenopause markers. And menopause happens when there hasn’t been a period for 12 months. During these transitions, women may experience other discomforts like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and night sweats.
This hormonal transition leaves post-menopausal women with low estrogen, which can also impact bone health, weight, mood, cognition and cardiovascular health. That’s why it’s crucial to learn about your body and find ways you can complement your diet with vitamins and nutrients that support optimal well-being at any age.
Pro tip: If you’re concerned about vitamin D deficiency associated with low estrogen, speak with your doctor about adding vitamin D to your supplement regimen. It can help support your bones, cognition, immune health and more. Healthy vitamin D levels are especially important for menopausal and post-menopausal women.
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Vitamin And Mineral Supplements:
To boost estrogen levels you can also take vitamin and mineral supplements with advice from your healthcare provider and improve overall health. Some of the essential supplements that may help women improve estrogen levels include:
B Vitamins
B complex vitamins play a key role in the making and activation of the hormone estrogen in the body. Low levels of these vitamins can lead to reduced levels of estrogen and can increase the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women. Studies disclose that higher levels of vitamins B-2 and B-6 were linked with a lower risk of breast cancer and promote estrogen metabolism.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D function as a hormone in the body, where estrogen and vitamin D work together to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Thus taking vitamin D supplements can benefit women with low estrogen levels.
Boron
It is a trace mineral that holds several key roles in the body. Boron is vital for the metabolism of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen and also lowers the risk of certain cancer. Moreover, scientists believe that boron supplements may positively influence estrogen receptors by allowing the body to more readily use the available estrogen.
A Healthy Diet Is Key
When it comes to getting all the essential macronutrients and micronutrients necessary to balance hormones, we should always turn to food first. Supplements are great, but theres no substitute for good, whole foods the ones that come directly from the Earth, just as nature intended. Your endocrine system needs certain foods, which contain specific nutrients, to do its job. Lets see which ones those are!
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What Supplements Can Lower Estrogen Levels In Men
Do you have the estrogen dominance symptoms mentioned above? If so, talk to your doctor and measure your testosterone and estrogen levels.
Discuss the best treatment course with your doctor if estradiol or estriol levels are causing these symptoms. In some cases, natural supplements to lower estrogen levels in males are enough to solve the problem.
For instance, we have these estrogen blockers:
Supplements To Increase Estrogen Levels
There are several different reasons why a womans estrogen levels can drop such as stress or certain medications. Other health conditions like menopause or polycystic ovarian syndrome can also cause severe drops in estrogen levels. When these levels drop, serious symptoms can develop such as mood swings and hot flashes. Its also possible for a woman to lose her sex drive when estrogen levels drop. It is for this reason that it is important to supplement the estrogen levels to keep these bothersome symptoms at bay.
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Eases Symptoms Of Premenstrual Syndrome
One of the most popular and well-researched attributes of Vitex agnus-castus is its ability to reduce symptoms of PMS.
These include:
- breast pain and tenderness
Researchers believe that vitex works by decreasing levels of the hormone prolactin. This helps rebalance other hormones, including estrogen and progesterone thus reducing PMS symptoms .
In one study, women with PMS took Vitex agnus-castus during three consecutive menstrual cycles. In total, 93 percent of those given vitex reported a decrease in PMS symptoms, including:
5 ).
In two smaller studies, women with PMS were given 20 mg of Vitex agnus-castus per day or a placebo for three menstrual cycles.
Twice as many women in the vitex group reported a decrease in symptoms including irritability, mood swings, headaches and breast fullness, compared to those given the placebo .
Vitex agnus-castus also appears to help reduce cyclic mastalgia, a type of breast pain linked to menstruation. Research suggests that it may be as effective as common drug treatment but with far fewer side effects .
However, two recent reviews report that although vitex appears helpful in reducing PMS symptoms, its benefits may be overestimated 31878-3/abstract” rel=”nofollow”> 11,
Better-designed studies may be needed before strong conclusions can be made.
Foods That Increase Estrogen Levels Naturally
The transition into menopause has been attributed to the decrease of hormonal estrogen in the body, which is responsible for womens sex characteristics. The following are some of the physiological changes that are attributed to estrogen:
- Responsible for female puberty
- Control growth of the uterine lining during the menstruation cycle and at the beginning of pregnancy
- Involved in breast development and breast changes seen during pregnancy
- Play a role in bone and cholesterol metabolism
- Helps to regulate food intake, body weight, glucose metabolism, and insulin sensitivity
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Tips On Using Supplements To Increase Estrogen Levels
If you, for any reason, are looking for information on how to increase estrogen levels with supplements, we warmly welcome you to this discussion.
More…
We surmise that you are a woman of a certain age or physical condition. It is possible that you have been sporadically experiencing hot flashes, irritability, and irregular or absent menstrual periods lately.
Or perhaps, youve been noticing that your skin is getting drier and looser, your stamina and vitality is diminishing, and you are getting more prone to ailments such as UTI and migraine. All of which are classic symptoms of falling estrogen level.
Although waning estrogen production typically happens to menopausal women and those who had a hysterectomy, it could likewise afflict younger ladies with medical conditions. Among the most common causes are premature ovarian failures, hypoactive pituitary glands, anemia, eating disorders, and lingering kidney disorders.
Over-exercising can also cause estrogen level to drop for both male and female, albeit it is usually advantageous to the masculine gender.
Why You Need Estrogen
Estrogens main function is to control reproductive changes in women, but it serves other roles in both male and female bodies, including:
Each of these phytoestrogens has antioxidant properties. This means that in addition to the nutrients potential health benefits, they fight cell damage in our bodies linked to a wide range of chronic diseases.
The best dietary sources of phytoestrogens include:
1. Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are the richest dietary source of lignans . Researchers believe they lower breast cancer risk. You can sprinkle flaxseeds on many dishes, bake them into bread and cookies, or blend them into smoothies and spreads.
2. Soy
Soy contains high levels of isoflavones, phytoestrogens that may mimic estrogens effects and reduce the risk of both breast and prostate cancer. Soy is also rich in a range of essential vitamins and minerals. It can support heart health as an alternative to red and processed meats. Its also extremely versatile you can include soy in your diet with foods like tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soymilk.
3. Peaches
Because of their high lignan content, studies show that eating two servings of peaches or nectarines a week reduces a womans breast cancer risk. Researchers find similar effects from consuming blueberries and strawberries.
4. Garlic
6. Sesame Seeds
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Who Does Low Estrogen Impact Most
Estrogen affects people assigned female at birth most. But everyones bodies make estrogen.
Youre most likely to be impacted by low estrogen if:
- Youre experiencing menopause or postmenopause. Your ovaries make the majority of your estrogen in your reproductive years. During menopause and postmenopause, your menstrual cycle stops and your ovaries no longer make estrogen. Instead, fat cells start making the majority of your bodys estrogen. Menopause officially begins when you havent had a period for twelve consecutive months. Postmenopause is the period that follows.
- Your ovaries were removed or injured during treatment. Your body will only produce small amounts of estrogen if your ovaries were removed as part of treatment for a condition . Similarly, radiation therapy can injure your ovaries so that they produce small amounts of estrogen.
