How Estrogen Dominance Leads To Belly Fat And Weight Gain
Do you suffer from weight gain (especially around the abdomen), weight loss resistance, water retention, extreme PMS, and moodiness? If those symptoms sound familiar, I recommend you keep reading! Learn about my favorite supplements and strategies to get relief! Working with a functional medicine practitioner can provide personalized strategies to address these issues comprehensively.
Estrogen – is it good or is it bad?
There are three forms of estrogen that are naturally produced in the body:
Estrone (E1) is the weakest form. It is mainly produced by the fat cells and is the reason why overweight women experience fewer symptoms during menopause. Estrone can be converted into estradiol and vice versa. Estrone becomes the dominant circulating estrogen post-menopause.
Estradiol (E2) is produced in the ovarian follicles, the adrenals, and the placenta. It is the most dominant and strongest form of estrogen, as well as the primary form produced in the body during the reproductive years.
Estriol (E3) becomes dominant during pregnancy since it is manufactured in high quantities by the placenta. It promotes the growth of milk ducts within the breasts and enhances the effect of prolactin, the hormone responsible for lactation.
Estrogen receptors are found throughout the body, in the bones, brain, and even in the immune system. Estrogen has gotten a bad reputation. But proper levels of estrogen play an important role in several essential body functions, such as:
Healthy blood sugar levels
Bone health
Balanced stress response
Cognitive health and memory
Neurotransmitter production (such as the “feel-good” hormone serotonin)
Production of melatonin, our sleep hormone
Cardiovascular health
Ovulation
Sex drive
And many more
Hormonal health is all about balance. Unbalanced levels of estrogen – either too high or too low levels – can create problematic conditions affecting the entire body since estrogen receptors are located throughout the body. Hormonal imbalances are not root cause. Hormones are chemical communicators. Their delicate ecosystem is easily thrown off by pathogens, toxicities, lifestyle factors, etc. Hormonal imbalances stem from either liver stagnation, improper processing, or improper reabsorption of hormones.
Estrogen dominance is becoming much more prevalent in the modern world with the increase of mental, emotional, or physical stressors (such as pathogens and toxicities). Additionally, in the increasingly toxic world, besides the female body producing its own estrogen, it is bombarded with exogenous estrogen.
Any type of chronic infection or prolonged exposure to toxicity is a huge burden on hormonal health and regulation, due to its effect on our stress response. Hormones are produced in response to the needs of the body. If there is an invader such as a pathogen or a toxin, the body creates a defense by raising our natural anti-inflammatory hormone cortisol. Cortisol is very potent, and chronically raised cortisol can lead to different hormone dysregulation problems, such as impaired thyroid function, the stimulation of progesterone and estrogen, and blood sugar dysregulation. Whenever cortisol increases, the body prioritizes making cortisol over the other hormones, because it is cortisol’s job to help us survive, while sex hormones do not need to be at optimal levels to function.
In most cases, a combination of several of the following factors triggers estrogen dominance.
Root Causes for Estrogen Dominance
Impaired hormone detoxification
Estrogen-mimicking chemicals
Stealth infections (driving up cortisol and inflammation)
Liver stagnation
Poor liver detoxification
Menopause or perimenopause
Mental stress
Emotional Stress
Physical Stress
Copper toxicity (e.g. via IUD)
Birth control pills
Hormone replacement therapy
Obesity (since estrogen is produced in adipose tissue)
Mold (certain species of mold, such as Zearlonone and Orchatoxin A have estrogenic features)
Plastics (BPA alternatives are often even more potent than BPA itself in activating the estrogen receptor)
Reheating plastic (microwave / take-out food)
Gut dysbiosis
Constipation
Mitochondrial dysfunction leading to cortisol abnormalities
Alcohol
Low fiber
Herbicides / pesticides
Conventional cosmetics
Conventional household products
Food storage containers
Conventional tampons (are sprayed with pesticides)
Sedentary lifestyle
Processed red meat consumption
Nutrient deficiencies
Conventional dairy consumption
Excess soy consumption
Estrogen Dominance or Progesterone Deficiency?
Progesterone is typically the first hormone that gets depleted in the presence of chronically elevated cortisol. Progesterone and estrogen are antagonists. Antagonistic hormones oppose the actions of one another. For instance, estrogen increases body fat, but progesterone turns that same fat into energy.
Root Causes of Progesterone Deficiency
Thyroid Problems
Premature Ovarian Failure (POF)
Stress
Mitochondrial Dysfunction leading to cortisol abnormalities
Low vitamin B6
High prolactin
Stealth infections
Environmental toxicities
Low (saturated) fat diet
High carbohydrate diet
High sugar diet
Whenever progesterone gets depleted, symptoms of estrogen dominance arise. An estrogenic environment increases parasitic reproduction, as parasites synthesize estrogens and androgens on their own. The downstream effects of this can be detrimental. Both conditions - chronically high estrogen and chronically low progesterone - are a predisposition to various diseases like thyroid disease, heart disease, stroke, and breast or ovarian cancer.
Symptoms for Estrogen Dominance
Unexplained weight gain
Weight loss resistance
Water retention
Insulin resistance
Mood swings
Painful lumpy breasts
Insomnia
- (Pre)menstrual headaches/migraines
Puffiness
Anxiety
Infertility
Recurring miscarriage
Certain cancers (such as breast or ovarian cancer)
Abdominal fat
Inflammation
Blood sugar dysregulation
Breast tenderness
Gynecomastia (abnormal non-cancerous enlargement of one or both breasts in males)
Heavy periods
Hot flashes
Endometriosis
Hormonal imbalances
Depression
Short menstrual cycles
Different forms of cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease, stroke, and clotting problems
Hypothyroidism
Low back pain
Excessive PMS
Erectile dysfunction
Extreme irritability
Night sweats
The Gut-Estrogen-Obesity-Connection
There are several ways, how an unhealthy gut can result in estrogen dominance, thus unwanted weight gain:
1. Gut inflammation - caused by a leaky gut, parasites & co. – decreases the ability to absorb and utilize raw materials for making hormones considerably. If necessary co-factors - such as magnesium and B12 - are not being absorbed due to inflammation and malabsorption in the gut, estrogen cannot exit the body and get reabsorbed in the bloodstream.
2. Pathogens like fungus, parasites, and yeast thrive on excess estrogen. They feed on this toxic level of estrogen and then, in turn, release their own toxins. It is a vicious cycle!
3. Estrogen is produced in the ovaries, then it circulates in your bloodstream and throughout the body. It is broken down in the liver in order to be eliminated through the GI tract. In the GI tract, estrogen interacts with a special subset of your microbiome: the estrobolome. The estrobolome is a unique microbiome within your gut microbiome. It is made up of a collection of bacteria with special genes that help metabolize estrogen, therefore it is essential to keep your estrogen levels at the correct level. Similar to the remaining microbiome, the estrobolome is easily negatively influenced by factors such as Glyphosate, the Standard American diet, lifestyle, antibiotic use, alcohol use, etc. If the estrobolome is imbalanced, estrogen can get reabsorbed causing an estrogen-dominant state.
4. The estrobolome produces an enzyme known as beta-glucuronidase. Beta-glucuronidase is an enzyme that is used to digest carbohydrates and is a product of E. coli and anaerobic bacteria (bacteroides and clostridia). It is a key component of phase II detoxification (glucuronidation pathway) that helps clear pharmaceuticals, carcinogens, and bile acids. Beta-glucuronidase also breaks down estrogen into its active forms, which are either excreted or reabsorbed into your circulation to do their work in your body. A proper balance of beta-glucuronidase is essential for good health. This enzyme activity increases when the gut and microbiome are unhealthy. Chronically activated beta-glucuronidase becomes problematic, as it inhibits the process of deactivation, detoxification, and excretion of estrogens while promoting recirculation.
The Estrogen-Histamine Connection
Mast cells are immune system cells that are traditionally known to respond to allergies. Mast cells are the major producers of histamine and other inflammatory chemicals. The proper release of histamine in response to injury or infection supports the body in healing. Histamine becomes a problem when it stays elevated for extended periods of time. Since estrogen and histamine bind to the same receptors, estrogen will cause the release of histamine from the mast cells present in the reproductive organs. Excess estrogen will aggravate histamine intolerance, and vice versa, excess histamine will aggravate estrogen dominance. It is a vicious cycle. Unwanted microbes lead to an appropriate release of histamine, and therefore elevated estrogen levels in the body. Plus, estrogen lowers DAO enzyme, an important enzyme that plays a role in breaking down and maintaining healthy levels of histamine within the body. The combination of excess histamine, and impaired breakdown leads to large amounts of overactive histamine, also known as histamine intolerance.
Unwanted and unexplainable weight gain from estrogen?
As revealed in this article, estrogen dominance is directly linked to inflammation, blood sugar dysregulation, insulin resistance, an unhealthy gut microbiome, and histamine intolerance, - which all are contributors to weight gain and weight loss resistance. Moreover, our fat cells release an enzyme that helps to create more estrogen in the body. The more body fat a person has, the more estrogen levels are going to be elevated, further triggering unwanted conditions in the body and leading to weight gain that is unresponsive to diet and exercise.
To reverse estrogen dominance, it is necessary to remove the causal factor causing chronically elevated estrogen in the first place. Incorporating holistic counseling can also help identify lifestyle and emotional stressors contributing to hormonal imbalances. Find out how in the PDF - you’ll get the exact supplements and dosages I use with my clients!
Do you want relief from Estrogen Dominance? Learn about my favorite supplements and lifestyle strategies to overcome it! After purchase you will receive an email with a link to download the PDF. Please note the link will expire within 24 hours.
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