Hormonal imbalance can pose a huge threat to our health, both with excessive or impaired production of hormones. This is especially true with the female sex hormones, such as estrogen. There are many factors that contribute to hormonal balance, and being familiar with the causes and symptoms that specific hormone increase or decrease can present will make it a ton easier to deal with the situation.
Estrogen is a hormone class produced in the ovaries in females (a smaller amount is present in males). This class of hormones is vital to keeping a woman’s body working properly. It drives the developmental process and reproductive abilities of all women, and it also has a strong impact on mood. Basically, it is a more powerful version of testosterone. Estrogen levels fluctuate based on age and menstrual cycle phase, but levels that are too high or too low can cause problems or changes in the body.
While it hasn’t been frequently mentioned as a major health concern among women, estrogen overproduction is actually very common in women, especially in North America, with estrogen oversaturation affecting as much as 50% of women over the age 35 in the US.
Warning signs of too much estrogen
Common warning signs of excess estrogen in your organism are often misinterpreted as menstrual or menopausal issues, depending on age. They can get quite severe, and some of the symptoms include:
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Decreased sex drive
- Headaches
- Hair loss
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Slower metabolism
- Fatigue
- Mood swings
- Cold hands and feet
- Trouble sleeping
Getting rid of excess estrogen
Once you’ve noticed that you frequently exhibit most of the symptoms listed above, and confirmed with your doctor that estrogen overproduction is what’s causing them, it is time to lower the estrogen level back to normal.
Estrogen detox can be done easily and painlessly with a healthy diet aimed at your liver, as this organ will be responsible of processing and clearing out the excess estrogen. For this to work, you will need to eat foods that are capable of forcing the excess estrogen out of your body, while keeping your liver healthy and at an optimum level, as it can get overworked during the process.
You should consume:
- Cruciferous vegetables
Vegetables from the cabbage family, such as cabbage itself, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, bok choy, spinach, collard greens and other leafy greens are all essential parts of the diet you need to keep in order to expel excess estrogen. Consume a minimum of 3 servings of this type of vegetables per week.
- Flax seeds
Consuming defatted flaxseed meal can have an anti-estrogen effect, causing the body to produce less active forms of estrogen. This can protect women from estrogen-receptive cancers such as breast, uterine and ovarian. Mix a tablespoon of defatted flaxseed meal into oatmeal or cereal, or sprinkle it onto some yogurt.
- Rosemary
Rosemary is known as a very powerful antioxidant, which comes in handy in this instance. You can use it as a seasoning for all sorts of meats, or you can use the rosemary essential oil. Using rosemary in the form of an essential oil can help manage estrogen levels by stimulating blood flow in the brain, strengthening the immune system and encouraging thyroid function.
With these simple additions to your daily diet you can get your estrogen levels back on track in no time. Just remember that you’ll also need to include some light exercise or walking into the regiment, and avoid alcohol and tobacco for a while.
Source: www.theorganicremedies.com