5 Supplements for Estrogen Dominance
As we continue through Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this is the last in my four-part series of posts on ESTROGEN DOMINANCE, so be sure to go back and check out any prior blogs you missed!
Bringing hormones into balance requires a commitment to healthy habits, but we can support the process with targeted nutritional supplements.
When considering nutritional supplements for estrogen dominance, there are 3 categories I like to consider:
💊 Gut Support - for proper estrogen elimination
💊 Liver Support - for healthy estrogen metabolism
💊 Hormone Support - for estrogen-progesterone balance
FIVE SUPPLEMENTS FOR ESTROGEN DOMINANCE
B Vitamins - in particular, vitamin B6, folate and vitamin B12 - are important cofactors in the detoxification pathways of your liver used to properly metabolize hormones and prepare them for elimination. B vitamins are also essential in your body’s production of energy and the creation of neurotransmitters that balance mood. Vitamin B6 supports the production of progesterone, which is needed to balance estrogen, and research has shown vitamin B6 to be helpful in reducing the symptoms of PMS.
DIM (di-indolyl-methane) is a compound your body makes from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. The estrogen in your body is metabolized through pathways in your liver to form estrogen metabolites, some of which are healthy, and others more dangerous (and associated with increased breast cancer risk). DIM has been shown to promote healthy estrogen balance by favoring the production of healthier estrogen metabolites and reducing levels of more dangerous estrogen metabolites.
Vitex, also known as chaste tree or chaste berry, comes from a tree that grows in the Mediterranean. Vitex works through the pituitary gland to increase the production of luteinizing hormone (LH), stimulating ovulation and increasing progesterone to balance estrogen dominance.
Calcium-d-glucarate slows down the activity of beta-glucuronidase, an enzyme in the gut that directs estrogen back into your body - further worsening estrogen dominance. By slowing this enzyme down, calcium-d-glucarate makes it less likely that estrogen will recirculate into the body and more likely that estrogen will exit via the stool. 💩Pro-tip: beta-glucuronidase levels can be easily measured using functional stool testing.
Prebiotics and Probiotics support a healthy gut microbiome. Our gut health and our hormones are highly interconnected. Research has shown that women with certain disorders of estrogen dominance are more likely to have gut inflammation, reduced microbiome diversity, and gut dysbiosis (bacteria and yeast overgrowth. Prebiotics and probiotics enhance gut health, which serves to reduce the recirculation of estrogen back into the body (see above) and promote the elimination of estrogen through regular bowel movements. Prebiotics and probiotics also reduce gut inflammation, which can reduce the absorption of other nutrients needed for healthy estrogen balance.
My HORMONE SUPPORT FORMULA combines B vitamins, DIM, vitex, calcium-d-glucarate and more for comprehensive support of estrogen dominance and symptoms associated with PMS and perimenopause. You can save 10% off Hormone Support Formula during the month of October using code HORMONE.
Treating estrogen dominance is not a one-size-fits-all approach. I personalize treatment plans for each patient after evaluating which factors are most at play in their hormone imbalance. Are you interested in learning more about your hormonal health? Subscribe to my email list and schedule an appointment!