Estrogen Dominance & Breast Cancer

Estrogen is a type of hormone that promotes female development and characteristics in the body, but too much of this hormone can cause nasty side effects as well as increased risk of breast cancer.

Estrogen is produced mainly in the ovaries as well as in fat cells. It helps to regulate the menstrual cycle and reproductive system as well as promoting healthy bones.

Too much estrogen or ‘estrogen dominance’ is when levels of this hormone are higher than they should be and when this happens there can be a number of potential side effects such as;

– Headaches/migraines
– Decreased sex drive
– Depression / anxiety /mood swings
– Bloating or water retention and weight gain
– Hair loss
– Sleep problems
– PMT
– Ovarian Cysts
– Endometriosis
– Breast cancer
– Painful breasts
– Lumpy breasts

There are many reasons for high estrogen levels such as:

• Impaired liver function
• Misuse of drugs or alcohol
• Low fibre diet (estrogen is excreted in the bowel and constipation can cause it to be reabsorbed into the body)
• A hormonal imbalance such as low testosterone or progesterone levels
• Certain medications such as HRT and birth control pills
• Overexposure to man-made chemicals in the environment, that mimic estrogen in the body and disrupt hormonal balance.

These are known as Xenoestrogens. We are exposed to these Xenoestrogens on a daily basis. From skin care to antibiotic feed beef and dairy to plastics and canned foods.

How to Detox from high estrogen levels:

Avoid plastics
Plastic is everywhere in our environment. In things such as water bottles, food containers and bags. Plastic contains chemicals such as BPA and BPS which mimic estrogen in the body.

Store food in glass or ceramic containers. Avoid heating or microwaving as the extreme in temperature can cause these chemical estrogens to leach into your food.

Choose safe skin care products
A number of ingredients in skin care products such as parabens, phthalates, petroleum chemicals, chemical sunscreens all contain xenoestrogens. Choose brands that are more conscious of the ingredients that they use. For example Dr.Hauschka is one of the leading brands in this respect and we stock a wide range of their products in-store.

Choose your meat carefully
Avoid beef and dairy that is produced and fattened using antibiotics. Grass-fed and organic where possible is best. Some farms feed livestock estrogenic drugs to fatten them up and improve milk production.

Eat enough Fibre
The body gets rid of excess estrogen through digestion. However, you need to keep things moving along nicely in that department! Otherwise, you will reabsorb the chemical estrogens and that leads to all sorts of nasty toxic build up. Eat more leafy greens, fruit, nuts, seeds and beans.

Take 2 teaspoons of Psyllium husks daily in water. This is an excellent source of soluble and insoluble fibre. These nasty Xenoestrogens will bind with the psyllium and excreted through the stools.

Avoid canned foods
Most cans contain high levels of BPA. Choose cartons or fresh. Limit processed foods as they contain dyes and additives which are high in these chemical compounds.

Buy organic where possible
Always wash your fruit and vegetables. Avoid soy unless it’s fermented.