Collin County Living Well Magazine Winter 2014 | Page 22

ESTROGEN DOMINANCE

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By Emigene Brown, PharmD Candidate

rowing up as the youngest of four girls,
there was no shortage of emotional ups
and downs in our household. As a child,
I grew accustom to the jokes and even
sympathy my dad would receive when
others learned he lived in a house with five females.
Most of the banter related to “all the hormones” he
would have to endure or the “lack of testosterone”
in our home. Consequently, when I first heard the
term “Estrogen Dominance”, my mind was filled with
thoughts of childhood and all the dramatic flair my
sisters and I accomplished during this time. While Estrogen may be better known as a hormone that impacts mood and emotions, the truth is it has hundreds
of functions in the body, affecting both physical and
emotional health. Some of the important benefits from
Estrogen include cardiovascular health, dermatological benefits, increased energy, enhanced memory,
body temperature regulation and much more; however, if the body is producing excess Estrogen or too
little Estrogen in relation to the other hormones in the
body, many unpleasant symptoms can occur. One
specific example of this disparity is Estrogen Dominance.

“Estrogen Dominance” can be a bit misleading. This is
in part due to the fact that there are multiple forms of
Estrogen working in the body. The three types of natural Estrogens are

Estrone,
Estradiol,
& Estriol.

An imbalance between these natural hormones and/
or an imbalance between these hormones and Progesterone can lead to the symptoms associated with
Estrogen Dominance.
To further understand the definition of Estrogen Dominance, think of the hormones in the body working together much like a symphony would. Each section of
a symphony has a unique part to play and all the sections have to work together with precise timing and
balance. Like the many different sections of a symphony coming together to create a masterpiece, the
different hormones produced naturally in the body
must work together to create a balance and harmony that promote optimal health. Now, imagine a symphony with just one violin and fifteen cellos or twenty
flutes. Changing the number of instrumentalists in any
one section can affect the equilibrium required to
perform the musical piece at its finest. The hormones
in the body also require a particular balance or ratio
for the most favorable results.

WHAT CAUSES
ESTROGEN DOMINANCE?

Estrogen is a hormone naturally produced by the
body… but what are hormones? According to the
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the actual word “hormone” has a Greek origin and literally means “to stir
up” or “impulse”. Hormones, therefore, are chemical
messengers that work to stimulate a variety of physical and emotional activities. They can impact heart
health, bone health, neurological health, emotional
health and much more. Two hormones of particular
interest when discussing Estrogen Dominance are Estradiol and Progesterone. Since the word dominance
tends to make us think of excess or more, the term
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COLLIN COUNTY Living Well Magazine | WINTER 2014

Higher Estrogen levels are typically found during adolescence and at the onset of menopause. Other
factors that can lead to a hormonal imbalance may
include stress, diet, exercise, and the intake of phytoestrogens or xenoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are found in
foods such as soy, rice, potatoes, garlic, parsley, coffee, and much more. Xenoestrogens can be found in
items like birth control pills, caffeine, pesticides, some
high fat foods, alcohol, certain microwaved plastics
and even some cosmetics. Xenoestrogens look similar
to Estradiol and can bind to the locations in the body
where Estradiol is needed to function. Xenoestrogens
bind to these locations but are unable to perform
the same tasks as Estradiol. Consequently, Estradiol
is blocked from its receptor and unable to work effectively. This makes an imbalance between Estradiol
and Progesterone more likely. The excess free Estradiol
in the body can also convert to Estrone which is a natural type of Estrogen typically produced by fat cells
following menopause. This can further complicate the
hormonal imbalance and lead to even more symptoms.