Reversing Oestrogen Dominance And Achieving Hormonal Healing

Reversing Oestrogen Dominance

Oestrogen dominance, also known as hyper-oestrogenism, is direct evidence that what we do to our natural environment we do to ourselves. Humanity and ecology are indivisible and, like some sort of real-time instant karma, what we inflict on our habitat comes back to us and takes up residence in our glands, organs and fat stores.

• Nothing better exemplifies this, to our misfortune, than oestrogen dominance. Oestrogens are female hormones, so this condition affects mainly women, but men too are susceptible to the negative consequences of oestrogen overload.

Read And Learn More: Health Problems And Dietary Solutions

• They may not be aware of it, but their reproductive functioning is being slowly eroded by an excess of female hormones, or chemical interlopers masquerading as female hormones.
• This is a foreboding subject, and to my mind the most alarming of all the subjects covered in this book, not least because it is partly out of our control.
• It is not, however, beyond our control: with some dietary and lifestyle adjustments and some botanical assistance, we can all mount a strong defence against, and reduce our vulnerability to, oestrogen dominance.

What Is Oestrogen Dominance

Not, as the term might imply, a state of female primacy, oestrogen dominance is a term used to describe a hormonal irregularity. It is usually applied to menopausal or premenopausal women, though it is increasingly used to describe the disproportionate level of oestrogen (in relation to other hormones) in women of all ages, and even in men.

• In women, excess levels of oestrogen are known to be a major cause of hormone-related disorders including endometrial cancer, breast cancer, uterine fibroids, fibrocystic breasts and cervical dysplasia. In men, it is linked to testicular and prostate cancer and reduced fertility.
• The source of excess oestrogen is both internal (endogenous) and external (exogenous). External oestrogen enters the body in the form of pharmaceutical hormones and man-made chemicals which mimic natural hormones but are much harsher in their effect.

Symptoms of Oestrogen Dominance

• Women of all ages, even when free of hormone-related diseases, can still experience the low-level effects of oestrogen dominance.
• In menopausal women, oestrogen dominance arises when, during the run-up to the cessation of the menstrual cycle, progesterone levels fall dramatically.
• Oestrogen levels also fall but to a much lesser degree. Such hormonal disparity can lead to the unpleasant symptoms typically associated with menopause, such as hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings.
• Women who are still of menstruating age may experience premenstrual syndrome, the symptoms of which often overlap with those of menopause and include

1. Irritability
2. Mood swings
3. Depression
4. Poor concentration and memory
5. Fatigue
6. Bloating (oedema, or water retention) especially of the abdomen, ankles, fingers
7. Headache
8. Cravings (usually for sweet foods, such as chocolate)
9. Breast tenderness
10. Decreased sex drive
11. Thyroid dysfunction
12. Weight gain
13. Acne.

Female Hormones And The Menstrual Cycle

Oestrogen and progesterone are sex (steroid) hormones. Their starting point is cholesterol, the precursor of all sex hormones. Cholesterol is used to make pregnenolone, which is then made into either progesterone or the adrenal hormone DHEA. DHEA is converted to testosterone, whereas progesterone is converted to oestrogen and other sex hormones.

• Oestrogen is the collective name for a group of hormones, namely oestrone, oestradiol and oestriol. Each has a different function. The main role of oestrogen is the development of female characteristics in puberty and the regulation of the menstrual cycle.
• It initiates the growth of breasts and gives girls their characteristic female form. Most oestrogen is made in the ovaries from progesterone, but after the menopause it – or, rather, oestrone – continues to be produced in fat cells, muscles, adrenal glands and skin.
• Oestrogens also have non-reproductive functions and are involved in bone formation, cardiovascular health and mood regulation. Progesterone is made in the ovaries from pregnenolone small amounts are also produced by the adrenal glands of both sexes and by the testes in men.
• Oestrogen and progesterone are antagonistic to each other but also work together to create balance. For example, whereas oestrogen increases body fat, progesterone helps the body burn fat for energy. Oestrogen decreases and progesterone increases sex drive.
• A baby girl is born with two ovaries, and these contain millions of follicles from which eggs will mature.
• By puberty, it is thought that the number of follicles will have reduced to around 300,000. Hundreds of eggs disappear with each ovulation. By the time there are around 10,000 eggs left, ovulation is a rare occurrence.
• A normal menstrual cycle lasts about 28 days. Day 1 is the first day of menstruation. During the first half of the menstrual cycle, oestrogen is the dominant hormone.
• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), made in the anterior pituitary gland, stimulates the ovary to make oestrogen. Oestrogen in turn stimulates the build-up of blood and tissue in the uterus, in order to nourish the potential embryo.
• At the same time, the ovarian follicles of both ovaries are developing eggs.
• Around day 12, oestrogen levels (primarily oestradiol) peak and gradually decline just as the follicle matures. Ovulation – triggered by the rise of a hormone called luteinizing hormone – occurs around day 14 when an egg is released from one of the ovaries and moves to the outer surface of the ovary.
• During ovulation, oestrogen brings about changes in vaginal mucus, making it more hospitable to sperm. The follicle bursts and the egg is released into the fallopian tube, down which it travels to the uterus.
• The empty follicle becomes the corpus luteum, which is the site of progesterone production. Progesterone is the dominant hormone during the second half of the menstrual cycle. The surge of progesterone inhibits ovulation in the other ovary.
• It prepares the uterine lining for fertilization and prevents it from being shed. If fertilization does occur, progesterone production increases in order to maintain the lining of the uterus and preserve the embryo. As the pregnancy progresses, the job of producing progesterone is taken over by the placenta.
• If fertilization does not occur, after 10 to 12 days following ovulation both oestrogen and progesterone levels fall abruptly, triggering menstruation and the start of a new cycle. Blood and uterine tissue are shed.

Glitches In The System

Premenstrual Syndrome

• As we have seen, progesterone is the dominant hormone following ovulation and preceding menstruation. Or it should be; if oestrogen levels are excessive at this stage, the action of progesterone may be blocked. This gives rise to symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome.
• For such a commonplace condition (the NHS website claims that PMS affects almost all women of childbearing age) it is remarkable that its cause remains a mystery.
• According to the NHS, although the cause of PMS is unknown, it is thought to be linked to changes in hormonal status during the menstrual cycle. However, that view is contrary to that of many experts, who do not believe the cause of the problem to be hormonal but cannot agree on an alternative hypothesis.
• In 1983, Dr Guy Abraham, professor of gynaecology and obstetrics, published a paper in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine categorizing what he believed to be the different types of PMS type A (aggression), type C (carbohydrate craving), type D (depression) and type H (hydration).
• Types A and H are attributed to oestrogen excess, type D to low oestrogen, and type C to blood-sugar imbalance. On what evidence, if any, he created these categories is not elucidated and his theory has never been proven or disproven.
• But, having seen countless women with symptoms of PMS, I have never known a case where symptoms did not improve enormously, or disappear altogether, just by balancing blood-sugar levels or following the dietary advice below, which is designed to help regulate oestrogen levels.

Perimenopause and the Menopause

• Whether or not you manage to escape the symptoms of PMS, menopause still looms large as the years advance.
• Symptoms of oestrogen dominance can be severe at this time of life.
• Around the age of 45 to 50, oestrogen levels start to decline and periods may become irregular. They often become heavier (though in some cases lighter) than usual.
• During the ten years preceding menopause – a time known as perimenopause – a woman will experience anovulatory cycles, meaning she does not ovulate.
• Without ovulation, there is no progesterone production. So, even though oestrogen output is declining, it is frequently the dominant hormone. Oestrogen production can be quite erratic, with dips and surges.
• It is these surges, alongside diminished progesterone, which are responsible for many of the symptoms associated with menopause: tender breasts, mood swings, disturbed sleep, weight gain, water retention, and headaches. Uterine fibroids and fibrocystic breasts are not uncommon.
• Eight out of ten women are estimated to experience symptoms of some kind, and the most cited symptoms are hot flashes and night sweats. Women may also experience symptoms associated with hypothyroidism and unstable blood sugar.
• A woman is said to have arrived at menopause when she has not had a period for 12 months. The average age for this to occur is 52.

Causes Of Oestrogen Dominance

Like the menstrual cycle itself, menopause is a completely natural event. Despite the negative associations carried by menopause, many women do not experience hot flushes or other symptoms. Like PMS, symptoms identified with menopause suggest that all is not well. Oestrogen drops to 40 to 60 per cent of normal levels, whilst progesterone levels can drop to nearly zero at menopause.

• Oestrogen production is sufficient for other bodily functions but insufficient for fertility. This is all perfectly natural, even though doctors have been and still frequently are too keen to ‘manage’ menopause with hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
• Opponents of oestrogen therapy have suggested that a dose of natural progesterone is all that is needed to balance things out.
• The original champion of natural progesterone was the late Dr John Lee, who proposed that it is progesterone deficiency which causes menopausal symptoms, rather than oestrogen deficiency as is assumed by orthodox medicine.
• According to John Lee, no studies have ever proven a relationship between oestrogen deficiency and menopausal symptoms.
• He claims to have successfully treated many women suffering from menopausal and PMS symptoms with ‘natural’ progesterone cream made from the Mexican yam plant.
• This is all well and good, except that such an approach is still predicated on the assumption that changes in hormonal status are an aberration rather than a natural part of a woman’s life.
• After menopause, oestrogens continue to be synthesized in various sites including the ovaries, adrenal glands, fat cells, skin and the brain.
• In these tissues, especially body fat, oestrogen is created by the enzyme aromatase, which converts male hormones to oestrone.
• Another enzyme converts oestrone to oestradiol. The ovaries continue to produce testosterone, which is converted to oestradiol, the most dominant form of oestrogen.
• Women who have had a partial hysterectomy – removal of the womb only – still produce oestrogen in their ovaries. A complete hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. In this case, oestrogen is still produced by fat cells.

The menopause, therefore, is a natural event, and changes in hormonal status are not in themselves cause for concern. But consider these facts:

• The incidence of breast cancer, the most common cancer in the UK, is rising exponentially. Between 1982 and 2006, incidence increased by a phenomenal 51 per cent.
• Today, one in nine women is expected to develop breast cancer at some time in her life. Risk is age-associated: 81 per cent of cases occur in women aged 50 years or over. The highest rates are in the developed world and the lowest in Africa and Asia. However, ethnicity offers no safeguard women from low-risk countries who migrate to high-risk countries, for example, those who move from Japan to the US, acquire the risk level of their host country within two generations.
• Uterine cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women in the UK. Like breast cancer, it is primarily a cancer of the developed world, with incidence rates over four times greater than those of developing countries. The highest rates are in North America.
• Although the number of cases remained stable between 1975 and 1993, it increased by 29.3 per cent between 1993 and 2005. Like breast cancer, the risk is age-associated 93 per cent of uterine cancer cases are diagnosed in women aged 50 years or over.
• Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. One in ten men is expected to be diagnosed with the disease. Risk is age-related: three-quarters of cases occur in men over 65. The highest rates occur in North America and the lowest rates in Asian countries.
• Having said that, screening rates are higher in North America, and screening is a fairly new tool. Even so, UK rates increased by almost 40 per cent between 1997 and 2006.
• Testicular cancer is relatively rare, being responsible for 1-2 per cent of all male cancers. Unlike other hormone-related cancers, it occurs most commonly in young and middle-aged men. However, the incidence is rising and those most at risk are white Caucasians in industrialized countries.
• Over the last 40 years, there have been large increases in testicular cancer, with average increases of 1-6 per cent per year. In Great Britain, the annual number of new cases more than doubled between 1975 and 2006.

What do these cancers have in common?

1. They are rapidly increasing in incidence.
2. They mostly affect industrialized, Western countries.
3. They are all oestrogen-dependent. Hormone-related cancers are the most extreme expression of oestrogen dominance.

• These three basic facts are incredibly revealing. Most specifically they tell us that the cause of these cancers is not predominantly genetic.
• Although women who carry faulty genes have a higher chance of developing hormone-related cancer, genetic predisposition is low.
• For example, fewer than 5 per cent of all breast cancer cases are due to genetic defects. These cancers are oestrogen-related, but if oestrogen is a natural hormone, what’s going wrong?
• There are several answers to this question, and they relate to three issues: natural oestrogen secretion and excretion, synthetic oestrogen, and environmental oestrogens.
• These are discussed below under three headings: lifestyle factors, pharmaceuticals and environmental factors.

Oestrogen Dominance Lifestyle Factors

• Obesity
  • It is well documented that excessive oestrogen levels are linked to obesity, and obesity is linked to hormone-related cancers.
  • The oestrogen-obesity link arises because the more body fat – adipose tissue – you have, the more oestrogen (oestrone) you make, through the activity of the enzyme aromatase. Excessive aromatase is therefore associated with oestrogen-related conditions.
  • Whereas body fat was once regarded as merely a repository of surplus calories, we know now that it is much more active than that – indeed, body fat is now recognized as the largest endocrine organ in the body.
  • After menopause, fat cells are the main site of oestrogen production.
• Diet
  • The liver is the organ which processes oestrogen, toxins and other redundant substances in order that they may be expelled from the body.
  • Because most toxins are fat-soluble and hard to excrete, one of the liver’s functions is to make them more water-soluble. It does this in two phases.
  • Phase 1 is carried out by a group of enzymes known as cytochrome P450 – enzymes whose job it is to biotransform toxins in preparation for phase 2.
  • In phase 2, fat-soluble substances are converted to water-soluble forms so they may be eliminated from the body.
  • Therefore, efficient excretion of oestrogen – and therefore adequate liver function – is essential in order to avoid the detrimental effects of oestrogen overload. If the P450 detox system is overburdened, it becomes less efficient.
  • One sure way to overburden the liver is through alcohol consumption. Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with higher circulating oestrogen levels, and for this reason, is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
  • This has been the finding of a number of studies, of which probably the best known was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2007.
  • Interestingly, this association was found with various types of alcoholic beverages, but not red wine.
  • Daily consumption of 10g of alcohol, which is the equivalent of about three-quarters to one alcoholic drink, was associated with a 9 per cent increase in the risk of invasive breast cancer The more alcohol, the greater the risk: 30g/day was associated with a 43 per cent increase in risk.
  • A combination of high alcohol consumption with certain dietary habits is likely to increase that risk Oestrogen is known to be excreted by dietary fibre, and without sufficient fibre, there is the risk of reabsorption of old oestrogen from the intestines.
  • When researchers evaluated the relationship of alcohol and dietary fibre intake with circulating sex hormone levels among premenopausal women, it was found that alcohol increased, and fibre-rich foods decreased, the levels of circulating sex hormones.
  • There are other dietary offenders. Sugar and refined carbohydrates are prime suspects when it comes to hormone-altering activities.
  • They are implicated in so many diseases, largely because they cause a sudden rise in blood-insulin levels. Insulin is a growth factor, and high insulin is known to increase the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.
  • Excess circulating insulin stimulates the ovaries to produce male hormones, and this can inhibit ovulation. Lack of ovulation means lack of progesterone, which in turn means unopposed oestrogen High insulin levels also promote greater abdominal fat, which means more oestrogen production in fat cells.
  • Body fat and dietary fat are not the same thing. As we have seen, high levels of body fat are known to increase circulating oestrogen, but it is not clear to what extent, if any, eating fatty foods increases oestrogen levels.
  • A review of the research on the subject found that there is limited evidence available to evaluate whether dietary fat alters circulating oestrogen levels.
  • Having said that, sources of dietary fat are more likely to have significant levels of xenoestrogens – chemicals which mimic oestrogen and are much more pernicious than natural oestrogen.
  • This suggests that it may be what is added to dietary fat, rather than the fat per se, that affects oestrogen levels.
• Exercise
  • Exercise has been found to reduce circulating oestrogen levels in postmenopausal women, but it is not clear whether this effect is due to exercise itself or accompanying reductions in body fat.
  • Oestrogen, in one study of premenopausal women who were not obese, was not found to be significantly altered by exercise.
  • This suggests that it is quite possible that body fat reduction is indeed the key to lowered oestrogen, though this area clearly still needs to be researched further.

Oestrogen Dominance Pharmaceuticals

• The birth control pill (oral contraceptives) and HRT are both major sources of exogenous (external) oestrogens.
• In order to make synthetic hormones, the molecular structure of natural oestrogen is altered so that it may be patented by its manufacturer. This makes it more potent than natural oestrogen.
• Hormones produced naturally by the body follow metabolic pathways governed by enzymes. Synthetic hormones, such as those which make up HRT and the contraceptive pill, do not have the same molecular structure as natural hormones and do not respond to enzymes in the same way.
• Natural hormones ebb and flow harmoniously to maintain homeostasis, whereas chemical hormones are not easily eliminated by the body. They also connect more readily to what are termed ‘oestrogen-receptor sites’ – docking stations – on cells, competing with and usurping natural hormones.
• The history of the use of synthetic hormones to deal with ‘women’s problems’ is a cautionary tale. Between 1948 and 1971 a drug called diethylstilbestrol (DES) was given to women in the US to regulate menstruation.

It was also given to pregnant women to prevent premature labour and miscarriage, and incorporated into the contraceptive pill.

• DES was hailed as a wonder drug and was even used extensively in beef cattle feed to fatten them up more quickly, as it stimulated fat accumulation.
• It was later found to be linked to the development of cancer in the children of women who had taken DES during pregnancy – specifically vaginal, cervical and testicular cancer.
• DES was part of the wave of techno-enthusiasm that swept the developed world after the Second World War. Advertisements in publications such as the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology boasted that DES was suitable for ‘ALL pregnancies’ and that it produced ‘bigger and stronger babies.
• It was also regarded as a panacea for every kind of conceivable menopausal symptom. Its legacy was devastating but took years to be uncovered – symptoms were not immediately obvious and children born to mothers who had taken DES during pregnancy showed no outward sign of malformation.
• It is usually the case that the longer the time lapse between cause and effect, the longer it takes to identify that cause. To add irony to the tragedy, it turned out that the drug did nothing to prevent miscarriages, premature births or stillbirths, and was later found to significantly increase the incidence of those outcomes.
• Birth Control Pill
  • The combined oral contraceptive pill contains synthetic oestrogens and progesterone (progestogen). It prevents conception by inhibiting ovulation, thickening the mucus in the neck of the womb (making it more hostile to sperm) and thinning the lining of the womb to reduce the chance of a fertilized egg implanting itself.
  • Apart from the rather alarming, albeit small, increased risk of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolus (clot in the lung), stroke, heart attack and breast cancer, many of the side effects associated with the Pill are similar to those associated with HRT and include:
    • Breast tenderness and breast enlargement
    • Depression
    • Fluid retention
    • Headache
    • Migraine
    • Reduced libido
    • Weight gain.
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  • This was first introduced to women in the 1950s as oestrogen replacement therapy (ERT) and sold to women on the premise that it would save them from becoming old hags by keeping them ‘feminine forever’.
  • That was the title of a book by Dr Robert A Wilson, a highly influential proponent of ERT His book was a huge hit with the press.
  • Before you knew it, menopause was a disease rather than a stage of life. This marketing triumph met no resistance even though, on reflection, it was on par with regarding puberty and all its traumas as an abnormality which needed to be managed pharmaceutically.
  • Very little research had been carried out into the safety of ERT, but even so, any suggestions of serious side effects were dismissed outright. But all sorts of problems were beginning to emerge, not least of all uterine cancer. It was thought that ‘unopposed’ oestrogen was the cause of uterine cancer, so synthetic progesterone was added to ERT, which then became HR.
  • HRT is undoubtedly effective at controlling the symptoms commonly associated with menopause. However, it still comes with risks. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory
  • Agency (MHRA) is the UK Government agency responsible for ensuring the safety of medicines. In their September 2007 Hormone-replacement therapy: safety update, the MHRA advises that HRT is associated not only with cardiovascular disease but also increased risk of stroke, thrombosis, breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
  • Risks aside, there are also unpleasant side effects associated with HRT, including
    • Fluid retention
    • Bloating
    • Breast tenderness or swelling
    • Nausea
    • Leg cramps
    • Headaches.

Oestrogen Dominance Environmental Factors

• In the US, beef cattle are still routinely injected with synthetic oestrogen to fatten them up. Luckily for us in the UK, the use of oestrogen as a growth enhancer for cattle is prohibited by the EU, as is, for the time being, the import of American beef (much to the annoyance of the Americans).
• But there are other ways for synthetic oestrogens to insinuate themselves into our bodies. It has been proposed that sewage-treatment water is a potential medium for the mass distribution of synthetic oestrogens, not to mention environmental oestrogens.
• Whether or not oestrogens from the contraceptive pill and HRT end up in our drinking water has been much debated but not clearly established.
• The water supply in England and Wales is regulated by the Drinking Water Inspectorate, which claims that it is ‘confident that ordinary water treatment is effective at removing these substances’.20We can only hope that they are correct in their assessment.
• In the meantime, we should perhaps concern ourselves more urgently with the risks posed by other sources of chemical hormones – xenoestrogens.

Oestrogen Dominance Xenoestrogens (Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals)

• Undoubtedly, the most egregious of all the oestrogens are the xenoestrogens. These are not actually oestrogens at all these are toxic chemicals which make their way into the environment and which have oestrogen-like activity.
• Like pharmaceutical hormones, they are much more potent than the natural original. These aggressive interlopers compete with natural oestrogen and are able to lock onto the hormone receptor of a cell, switching on hormonal activity.
• They are found specifically in petrochemical derivatives such as plastics, pesticides, herbicides and dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), refrigerants, industrial solvents, detergents and toiletries – soaps, make-up, perfume and other cosmetics.
• These chemical counterfeits disrupt delicate hormone systems not just in humans but also in wildlife. PCBs – found in the sea and water supplies – accumulate up the food chain, so the larger the fish, the greater the concentration.
• They make their way to the fatty tissue of the fish and act on the endocrine system, where they create defective sexual organs and impair fertility as well as giving rise to behavioural abnormalities. They are considered to be ‘persistent’ products in that they resist the natural processes of recycling and excretion that would ordinarily render them harmless.
• Although this chapter addresses the symptoms of oestrogen dominance common to women, it is worth mentioning that, in men, falling sperm count is increasingly believed to be due to environmental xenoestrogens.
• In 1992, the British Medical Journal published a Danish paper which systematically reviewed studies involving almost 15,000 men from 20 countries across the world, from North America to Africa.
• The researchers found that the average male sperm count had dropped 45 per cent, from an average of 113 million per millilitre of semen in 1940 to just 66 million per millilitre in 1990. Numerous studies since then have found similar results, citing environmental toxins as a likely culprit.
• These xenoestrogens are inescapable because we live in a world dependent upon petrochemical derivatives. We may only be exposed to minute amounts of xenoestrogens from any one source, but we are exposed to myriad sources, every day of our lives. Their omnipresence means that we are susceptible to the effects of oestrogen from conception.
• Xenoestrogens Plastics
  • Plastics are probably the most ubiquitous source of hormone disrupters. This is the age of plastic; plastic is to the consumer society of the modern age what stone was to the hunter-gatherer of the Stone Age.
  • We have become, in less than 100 years, totally in thrall to this material.
  • Plastics do not degrade readily in the environment, where they tend to linger almost indefinitely. Ditto their presence in the human body. They are a significant source of xenoestrogens commonly used to make food containers, packaging and drink bottles.
  • This includes mineral-water bottles. When scientists analysed the contents of commercial, bottled mineral water, they found widespread contamination with xenoestrogens from the plastic.
  • The researchers concluded, in their report, that ‘a broader range of foodstuff may be contaminated with endocrine disruptors when packed with plastic’.
  • Another oestrogen mimic, bisphenol-A, leaches from a different kind of plastic, polycarbonate. Bisphenol-A is an oestrogenic compound found in a wide range of products, including dental materials and food containers.
  • Heating plastics, for example in a microwave oven, release these xenoestrogens into the food and drink they contain. Bisphenol-A has been detected in canned food and human saliva. Somewhat disturbingly, it is similar in structure and behaviour to DES.
• Xenoestrogens Nonylphenols
  • Another source of xenoestrogens are nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). NPEs are a group of man-made chemicals, primarily used in the manufacture of cleaning products such as detergents. Because of their versatility they are used in a variety of materials, including plastics, rubber (including condoms), pesticides, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and paints.
  • NPEs and their primary degradation products, nonylphenols, can be highly toxic to wildlife, especially to certain water-dwelling organisms. Like other chemical hormone mimics, they are persistent and cumulative in living organisms.
  • They easily enter the body, either through inhalation, ingestion of contaminated food or water, or through the skin, They are not effectively broken down in sewage-treatment plants.
• Xenoestrogens Parabens
  • These chemicals are found in many deodorants, cosmetic products (including moisturizers) and toothpaste, where they function as a preservative. Evidence published in 2004 in the Journal of Applied Toxicology indicates that these chemicals can be detected in human breast tumours.
  • Four years later, the same authors published an update of reviews which confirmed the presence of parabens in human body tissues as detected in urine samples. In their report, they called for a detailed evaluation of the ability of parabens and other oestrogenic chemicals to increase female breast cancer incidence and interfere with male reproductive functions.
• Xenoestrogens Pesticides
  • Xenostrogens are fat-soluble and, consequently, a major source of these chemicals is dietary – fat, to be precise. Animal fats do not by their nature contain these chemicals, but much of what an animal eats has been treated with pesticides.
  • Therefore, when we ingest animal fats in the form of dairy foods and meat, we accumulate these non-biodegradable chemicals and store them in our own fat. The same goes for the pesticide residues found on the fruits and vegetables that we consume.
  • In 1939 the first main pesticide came into use – the organochlorine DDT Although DDT is now banned, its invention was at the time on a par with the wheel. Its creation sat well with the post-war optimism which defined the 1950s and regarded science and intensive farming as the gateway to the future.
  • Crops were sprayed in a prophylactic manner the more, the merrier. The safety of these chemicals was never seriously questioned, and the role of insects and bacteria in maintaining delicate ecosystems was relatively unknown.
  • We know now how devastating the oestrogenic effects of pesticides can be on wildlife. A large body of evidence has accumulated linking specific conditions to endocrine-disrupting pesticides in wildlife and humans, and around 127 endocrine-disrupting pesticides have been identified.
  • Food produce is regularly monitored for traces of pesticide residues by the Pesticide Residues Committee. Maximum permitted residue levels (MRLs) have been established and, although the majority of crops are found to have less than the MRL, it is common for residues above the permitted level to be detected on some crops.
  • These excesses may v ell be safe, as a one-off. But what we cannot be so sure about is the ‘cocktail effect’ of regular ingestion of pesticides from food sources, however minimal the level may be. There are 311 licensed pesticides in use in the UK, and around 31,000 tonnes of pesticide are applied to UK crops every year, which is quite a cocktail.

Oestrogen Dominance Plant Protection

• This section will, I hope, restore to you the will to live, which I fear has now evaporated. There are many dietary tactics for the despondent.
• We know that cases and death rates of breast cancer – one of the most extreme expressions of oestrogen dominance – are markedly lower in southern as opposed to northern Europe.
• This suggests that oestrogen dominance is less pervasive in the South, so the question is, why? When researchers assessed the effect of a ‘Mediterranean’ diet on oestrogen levels of healthy postmenopausal women, it was found that after six months of adopting a high plant-based diet, women who took part in the intervention were found to have a significant – over 40 per cent – decrease in total oestrogen levels.
• This dietary intervention involved 115 women (106 completed the study) who followed a traditional Sicilian diet based on:
  • Pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds
  • Almonds, pistachios
  • Garlic, onions, fennel, carrot
  • Beans: chickpeas, lupins, broad beans, peas, lentils
  • Cauliflower and broccoli
  • Tomato
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Olives
  • Red grapes, figs, pomegranates, berries
  • Orange juice
  • Red chilli pepper
  • Red wine
  • Sardines, mackerel, tuna, swordfish and anchovy
  • Wholegrains.
• A control group of women, who for the same period of time made no modifications to their usual diet, showed no significant change in oestrogen levels.
• What is it about such a diet that it is able to modulate hormone expression? The Mediterranean diet’s USP is that it is rich in plant foods which help reduce the body’s overall load of excess oestrogens.
• They do this by either promoting the excretion of old oestrogen (oestrogen excretion) or preventing dangerous oestrogens from latching onto oestrogen-receptor sites (oestrogen inhibitors). These two types of plant activity are described below.

Oestrogen Excreters

• lndole-3-carbinol
  • lndole-3-carbinol is a natural chemical which actively promotes the metabolism and breakdown of oestrogen in the liver via enzymes involved in the two phases of detoxification. The cruciferous (cabbage) family of vegetables contains this magic ingredient.
  • These vegetables include broccoli, spring greens, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and cabbage. Other members of the cruciferous family include asparagus, spinach, celery, beetroot, cress, watercress, mustard, radish and turnip.
  • They also contain another magic ingredient glucosinolates. These are sulphur-containing glycosides which are metabolized by bacteria in the gut into isothiocyanates, believed to be powerful anti-carcinogens.
• Limonene: This is a chemical found in the oils of citrus fruits which promotes the detoxification of excessive oestrogen by the liver by inducing phase 1 and phase 2 enzymes. Limonene is found in lemons, oranges, grapefruit, tangerine, satsumas, kumquats and clementines.
• Fibre
  • A high intake of dietary fibre has been found to be significantly associated with low circulating levels of oestradiol.
  • Old oestrogen is disposed of via the liver bile and finally the bowel. Fibre in the digestive tract binds to oestrogen and holds onto it for elimination.
  • Without sufficient fibre in the diet, the oestrogen may be reabsorbed from the gut and back into the bloodstream. The Mediterranean diet contains a veritable glut of quality fibre: fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds.

Oestrogen Inhibitors

• These are plant compounds with oestrogen-like activity, usually known as phytoestrogens. They are weaker than ‘real’ oestrogens but compete with them for attachment to receptor sites throughout the body.
• There are four main types of phytoestrogens:
  1. Isoflavones (including genistein and daidzein) – legumes (peas, beans and lentils), especially soya beans, are a rich source of isoflavones
  2. Coumestrol – the best sources of coumestrol are legumes, and in particular soybean sprouts
  3. Lignans – the main source of lignans are flaxseed (also known as linseeds), wholegrain bread, vegetables (especially squash) and tea
  4. Stilbenes- the main source of stilbenes are peanuts and resveratrol, a substance found in red wine. The longer the fermentation period of wine-making, the greater the level of resveratrol.
     • Legumes
       • Peas – all types, including snap, snow, black-eyed
       • Beans – string, french, runner, broad, soya, fava, kidney, pinto, butter, haricot, cannellini, borlotti, adzuki beans, chickpeas
       • Lentils – green, brown, red, black, puy
• There has been much debate over whether plant oestrogens are healthful or harmful to human health. If man-made, chemical oestrogens are so noxious, how do we know that plant oestrogens are beneficial? Chemical mimics are hazardous because they can persist in the body for years.
• They are extremely difficult to shift, being fat-soluble, cumulative and non-biodegradable. Plant oestrogens, on the other hand, closely resemble natural human oestrogen and are quickly metabolized and easily eliminated.
• After ingestion through diet, they are metabolized by intestinal bacteria, absorbed, conjugated by the liver, circulated in the blood and then excreted in the urine.30 Phytoestrogens have both oestrogenic and anti-oestrogenic properties, helping to block stronger, more toxic oestrogens from latching onto oestrogen- receptors.
• In large amounts, they actually displace oestradiol from receptor sites. As well as occupying oestrogen receptors, phytoestrogens, especially isoflavones, inhibit the action of the enzyme aromatase, which, as already mentioned, promotes the synthesis of oestrogen.
• It is their dual capacity to exert both oestrogenic and anti-oestrogenic activity which has led to confusion over whether or not phytoestrogens are benign.
• In the 1940s it was first observed that sheep grazing on pastures rich in red clover, which has high amounts of isoflavones, developed fertility problems and frequent miscarriages. However, in humans, a regular intake of phytoestrogens appears to be protective.
• This is evidenced by Japan, for example, where the incidence of breast cancer is approximately one-third that of Western countries. The Japanese have a high intake of dietary phytoestrogens, and soya is a staple of the Japanese diet.
• There is a plethora of research on the effects of regular soya intake on the endocrine system, and there is no doubt that it appears to be beneficial.
• The real cause for concern may be the effect of feeding babies exclusively on soya milk – rather than cattle feeding exclusively on clover.
• Perhaps if adult humans grazed all day on clover or even tofu, they too might develop fertility problems – we just don’t know, but such a diet is intuitively wrong. Yet, as a regular part of a mixed and varied human diet, soya, in the form of tofu or miso, for example, appears to be only beneficial.
• I am no fan of soya from a culinary perspective (to me it is the epitome of bland) but, given the choice between soya oestrogens and xenoestrogens, I know which I would rather have latching onto my receptors.

Oestrogen Gut Bacteria

• There is evidence that, in order to be of any use, phytoestrogens need to be metabolized by gut bacteria in order to be absorbed.
• These gut bacteria are essential for health overall, and you can read all about them.

Oestrogen Dominance Herbals

• If you have more advanced symptoms of oestrogen dominance, such as fibroids or polycystic ovaries, I recommend you consider seeing a medical herbalist as there are many fantastic herbal extracts which are known to help balance sex hormones.
• But for ordinary, run-of-the-mill symptoms associated with PMS and menopause, I can’t recommend the herbal extract Agnus castus enough.
• Also known as chaste berry, this plant has been shown to exhibit ‘significant competitive binding’ to oestrogen receptors.
• In a study of over 200 women with moderate to severe PMS, Agnus castus was found to be a safe, well-tolerated and effective treatment.

A Brief Guide To Stabilizing Your Oestrogen Levels

Oestrogen Dominance Case History

• Caitlin was 30 when she first came to see me. She had three main health problems she wanted to address: irregular periods, mood swings, and being overweight.
• On questioning, it turned out she had a fair few other symptoms. These included low energy, poor concentration, premenstrual syndrome, headaches, insomnia, anxiety and night sweats. Her diet wasn’t too bad, in that she ate lots of fruit, but she also ate lots of sugary foods and drank fizzy drinks.
• She had previously been on the Pill for four years and, although had not taken it for two years, her periods had never normalized since stopping. Her diet was also extraordinarily high in wheat – endless bread and pasta. My first thought was oestrogen dominance.
• To start with, I asked Caidin to remove the sugar component of her diet and to increase phytoestrogens, including tofu and lots of green leafy cruciferous vegetables.
• I asked her to focus especially on eating lots more beans and lentils, live yoghurt (for the friendly bacteria), onions and garlic (believed to help with the detoxification pathways of the liver) and citrus fruits. I asked her to cut down on her wheat intake, mainly in order to make room for beans and lentils.
• She hardly drank any alcohol so there was no need to advise on this. In the way of supplements, I gave her a good basic multivitamin and -mineral supplement, with all the main B vitamins, and some fish oil, as fish oil helps regulate hormone production.
• The second time I saw Caitlin, about five weeks later, she reported that a number of her symptoms had improved — energy levels were up considerably and she was sleeping well right through the night.
• She still had some PMS symptoms, namely irritability and headaches, but these were much reduced. She had also lost about 7 lb in weight. This time I added Agnus castus to her programme.
• By the time I saw her a third time, about six weeks after her second appointment, she reported that all PMS symptoms had completely vanished and she had lost 14 lb in total.

Oestrogen Dominance Other Therapies

Herbal medicine is excellent if your symptoms are particularly severe, or if you have fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, etc.

Oestrogen Dominance Further Investigations

• If you suspect you have oestrogen dominance you should definitely have a look at gut bacteria, as we have seen, play a major role in the metabolism of phytoestrogens. A leaky gut can overburden the liver, making it all the harder to excrete excessive oestrogen.
• Rebalancing Blood Sugar. Blood-sugar imbalance can severely aggravate the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, and high insulin levels can result in raised oestrogen levels.