What is Estrogen?

Most people think estrogen is a female hormone and, in part, that’s true. Estrogen is responsible for promoting the physical changes that women experience during puberty; breast growth, maturation of the uterine lining, and regulation of the menstrual cycle. However, estrogen affects bodily functions for all genders; it increases good cholesterol, promotes bone formation, and improves the collagen content in your skin. In men, estrogen helps develop sperm and maintain a healthy libido. When you experience estrogen dominance or have high estrogen levels, whether that be due to lifestyle habits or exposure to xenoestrogens, all these processes and more are affected.

What is A Xenoestrogen?

Functional medicine believes that the rise in estrogen dominance is due largely to our exposure to xenoestrogens. Xenoestrogens are individual chemicals that mimic the behavior of estrogens. They’re everywhere in our modern environment; they’re in our food, personal care products, furniture, and clothes. From the water we drink to the food we eat, we encounter a shocking number of these endocrine-disrupting xenoestrogens in the course of a day.

When Estrogen Becomes a Problem?

We all naturally produce the hormone estrogen in our adrenal glands and stored fat tissue. Additionally, women produce it in their ovaries and men produce it in their testes. Estrogen is necessary for many important functions such as childbearing, keeping cholesterol in check, and protecting bone health.

However, when your estrogen levels get out of balance with your other hormones — leading to estrogen dominance — you can experience a number of issues. Both men and women may be affected.

Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance

There are a number of factors, in addition to environmental xenoestrogens, that contribute to high estrogen levels and estrogen dominance, which I’ll discuss in a bit. First, it’s important to recognize what high estrogen levels look like in both men and women.

Women:

• Weight gain, mainly in hips, waist, and thighs
• Menstrual problems such as light or heavy bleeding
• PMS
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Uterine fibroids
• Fatigue
• Loss of sex drive
• Depression or anxiety

Men:

• Enlarged breasts
• Sexual dysfunction
• Infertility

Health Risks Associated with Estrogen Dominance

When the symptoms associated with high estrogen are not addressed, and your estrogen dominance goes unregulated, you become increasingly more at risk for a host of serious conditions.

If you are interested in optimizing your hormonal health and estrogen levels, I would love to help you reach your health goals. Feel free to reach out and check out available appointments here!

 

​