What is Estrogen Dominance?

As a woman enters her early to mid-30’s the balance of hormones within her body begins to shift. Progesterone is the first hormone whose production declines. In fact, progesterone production declines 120 times more rapidly than does estrogen production. It is this downward shift in progesterone production that causes the body to become estrogen dominant. production. Estrogen dominance occurs when the natural ratio of estrogen to progesterone is upset. In other words, the body’s internal estrogen-to-progesterone seesaw becomes tilted.

How Estrogen Dominance Causes Weight Gain
When the body is not producing sufficient progesterone and is consequently estrogen dominant, a host of metabolic disturbances ensue. First, the body is unable to effectively use fat stores for energy. Second, without enough progesterone, the body is compromised in its ability to metabolize calories or to distribute weight evenly. Finally, water retention and fat deposits on the abdomen, hips and thighs are external signs that the body’s internal hormonal ratio of progesterone to estrogen is disturbed.

The thyroid gland is best known for its metabolic function affecting weight. Estrogen dominance causes an increase in thyroid binding globulin resulting in a condition of hypothyroidism. When this occurs, the thyroid hormones are bound in such a way that they become dysfunctional. Because a primary function of the thyroid is to run the body’s metabolism, hypothyroidism causes the body’s metabolism to slow down.

Too much estrogen also causes tissues around the abdominal area to retain water, or bloat . In younger women, this bloating is most noticeable around their menstrual cycle when their progesterone levels naturally drop to precipitate menstruation. As women age and their progesterone levels do not cycle back up during the month, then the resulting estrogen dominance causes the bloating to be a constant issue.

Changes in the blood sugar levels that occur with age and as a result of hormone imbalance are also linked to weight gain. As the body's production of progesterone decreases and the circulating estrogen becomes dominant, insulin is released more rapidly and more often. When fluctuating hormones unnaturally stimulate insulin release, the body craves sugar. Food cravings can sometimes be uncontrollable. Persons who are estrogen dominant tend to consume more sweets even when they are not truly hungry. As a result, they ingest more calories than their bodies require and pack on even more pounds.

Estrogen Dominance Can Make You Feel Bad
Weight gain is only one indicator of estrogen dominance. Because hormone receptors are located throughout the body and in the brain, estrogen dominance can manifest in a host of physical, emotional and mental concerns. In addition to causing your waistline to expand, symptoms of estrogen dominance can include anxiety, breast tenderness, headaches or migraines, depression, digestive disorders, fuzzy thinking and/or memory loss, fatigue, and low libido.

It has been my experience that most doctors remain uneducated regarding the diagnosis and treatment of estrogen dominance. From conversations with pharmaceutical representatives, it is my understanding that gynecologists write more prescriptions for anti-depressants than any other physician specialists. It saddens me to think how many women and men who present with depression, moodiness and lack of sex drive, all symptoms of estrogen dominance, are continuing to suffer because their underlying condition of estrogen dominance remains unrecognized and untreated.

Estrogen Dominance Is a Health Risk
The relationship between estrogen dominance and weight gain is a very real concern but there are others. Clinical studies conducted both in the U.S. and Europe link estrogen dominance with many other health risks. For instance, in both men and women, estrogen dominance related belly fat is also a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease. According to the Federal Drug Administration, women with waist measurements over thirty five inches and men with a waist measurement over forty inches are very likely to be at risk.

Also, estrogen fuels cell growth. Unchecked cell growth, or proliferation, is a precursor for cancer. In women, elevated estrogen levels have been linked to an increased risk for endometriosis and fibroids as well as breast and uterine hormone-dependent cancers. In men, estrogen dominance has been linked to an increased risk of hormone-dependent prostate cancer. In layman’s terms a hormone dependent cancerous tumor is a tumor that needs hormones, specifically estrogen, in order to grow and progress. The medical term for these types of tumors is estrogen receptor-positive.

Contrary to popular belief that estrogen is a “female” hormone, men can also be estrogen dominant. In men, progesterone is produced in the adrenal and testicular tissue. According to the late John R. Lee, M.D., author of Hormone Balance for Men, “A man’s progesterone production will decline with age. Falling progesterone levels lead to a fall in testosterone levels. As both the progesterone and testosterone levels decline, the male body becomes estrogen dominant.”

It is important to understand that a condition of estrogen dominance does not imply that the body is producing too much estrogen; rather it means that the body’s estrogen production is not balanced by progesterone.

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