Promote Estrogen Elimination Through The Gut
After your liver has broken down estrogen, it is sent to the gut to be packaged up with your stool and eliminated. In a healthy gut, the estrogen and other hormones are efficiently removed in your stool.
An unhealthy microbiome can cause estrogen to be uncoupled and reabsorbed into circulation instead of being eliminated. This reabsorption contributes to high estrogen levels in the body.
If you are suffering from sluggish bowels, constipation or incomplete emptying, metabolised estrogen has more time to be reabsorbed into the body, rather than quickly being eliminated.
Addressing gut elimination of estrogen requires a healthy microbiome and regular, daily stools. To promote a healthy microbiome, enjoy probiotic-rich foods daily and avoid unnecessary antibiotic use.
To promote daily stools, ensure you are eating plenty of fibre. Fibre is essential to feed the good bacteria in your gut and keep you regular. If you struggle to go to the toilet daily, try 1 teaspoon of psyllium husk in a large glass of water after dinner or add 1-2 Tbsp of ground flax seeds or chia seeds to your breakfast or smoothies.
Other Sources Of Xenoestrogens Include:
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Bisphenol-A
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Synthetic fragrances
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Conventionally-raised meat and dairy
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Non-organic fruits and vegetables
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Regular personal care products
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The birth control pill
Tip: found this list overwhelming? Dont worry! Ive got you covered with simple tips to avoid xenoestrogens in the Natural Solutions section below.
Eat Dishes With Rosemary
Rosemary is one of the most recognized herbs around the world, and it has decades of therapeutic and medicinal use. This fragrant herb is popular in many Mediterranean dishes, and it’s easy to incorporate into your daily diet.
One study took participants and had them incorporate rosemary into their diet while monitoring their estrogen levels. At the end of the study, they found that using an extract from rosemary leaves was effective at enhancing the liver’s estrogen detoxification capabilities.
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Foods That Can Help In Estrogen Dominance
One of the gentlest ways you can start to support hormone balance is by considering the foods you eat.
- choose whole, fresh, organic, and non-GMO foods
- emphasize foods that are nutrient-dense
- avoid conventional dairy and meat
Eat low-histamine, cruciferous vegetables to get DIM. DIM is a compound that has been shown to help balance E2 levels and reduce the bad 4OHE1 estrogen metabolite.
Here are some cruciferous veggies to consider adding to your meals:
- broccoli
- rutabaga
- daikon
An anti-inflammatory diet can also help support you. A low histamine diet is an anti-inflammatory diet. So, if you are doing a low histamine diet, you are already on the right path.
Next, you might want to consider some of these gentle tinctures and teas that can indirectly support hormonal balance in estrogen dominance.
Remember, though test, dont guess!! You can test your progesterone, 3 types of estrogen, and estrogen metabolites at home with this Dutch Hormone Test.
Whats The Link Between Diet And Estrogen Dominance

Nutrition has a significant influence on every aspect of our health and wellbeing. The food you eat can also influence hormones and support or disturb their balance. Some dietary patterns promote estrogen dominance and increase the risk of health problems in relation to this hormonal imbalance.
A growing body of evidence confirms that the Western diet is linked to consistently high estrogen levels. The term Western diet or Standard American Diet describes a modern dietary pattern indicated by a high intake of heavily processed and prepackaged foods, red meat, refined grains, sugar, saturated and trans fats, and other unhealthy ingredients.
Its also important to mention that the Western diet is associated with obesity. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, and many others.
Excess weight also affects your hormone profile. For example, overweight and obesity reduce testosterone levels in men.
At the same time, a study from the Hormone and Metabolic Research confirmed obesity is linked to decreased progesterone in males. Since progesterone levels are low, the affected men are more susceptible to estrogen dominance. Plus, estradiol levels are typically higher in obese or overweight men.
In other words, diet and estrogen dominance are linked more than most people believe. An unhealthy diet may cause a chain of events that results in estrogen dominance in men and thereby impairs their quality of life.
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How Your Gut Health Can Cause Estrogen Dominance
Oh and you know those rockstar gut bugs that your body depends on to function? If they are out of balance and making too much beta-glucuronidase, you can also find yourself with estrogen excess.
Calcium d-glucarate can help with this, which is why you’ll find it in Balance Women’s Hormone Supplement. This supplement also contains B vitamins, DIM, and broccoli seed extract to support the liver’s role in breaking down estrogen.
Do you notice constipation around period time? How does your skin look? How is your mood? Are your breasts more tender? Have you had hot flashes or difficulty sleeping?
In my naturopathic medical practice, these are the kinds of things I ask my patients to monitor. Many of my patients are able to begin making the connection between their gut health and how their gut functions with how this impacts their hormones. I’d encourage you to do the same.
The Best Diet For Estrogen Dominance
The right diet can do wonders when it comes to balancing hormones and healing from estrogen dominance. In fact, the right diet can actually hit on all of the four keys for healing that we just talked about.
The best diet for estrogen dominance and for overall health incorporates a variety of fresh, whole foods. But there are a few kinds of whole foods in particular that can be especially helpful. Here are some tips for putting together your ideal estrogen dominance healing diet.
What to include:
- Vegetables from the brassicae family. Vegetables from this family are natural sources of the compound indole-3-carbinol , or DIM which helps to regulate estrogen production. Great choices include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, and turnips. Cruciferous vegetables from this family also help to support detoxification.
- Healthy fats. Omega 3-rich foods like wild caught fish, nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil help to balance and support hormonal health.
- High fiber foods. Were not eating nearly enough fiber in this country! We need fiber for healthy elimination of estrogen, and overall well-being. Some great sources include oatmeal, oat bran, pears, broccoli, lentils, and flax seeds.
- Probiotic-rich foods. Fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha are naturally rich in probiotics , which can help to sort out any microbiome imbalances that may be contributing to estrogen dominance.
What to avoid:
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What Is Estrogen Dominance
Estrogen dominance is a hormonal imbalance in which a womans estrogen levels are too high. This can manifest in one of two ways: frank estrogen dominance or relative estrogen dominance.
Frank estrogen dominance is when there is an excess amount of estrogen on its own and relative estrogen dominance is when the excess of estrogen is relative to other sex hormones, especially progesterone.
Eat Other Brassica Family Vegetables
Brassica family vegetables include deep leafy greens. The most widely eaten ones are broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, kale, collard greens, and rutabagas. They contain several protective vitamins and minerals that can help with estrogen dominance.
The vegetables in the Brassica family contain high levels of phytochemicals. Research shows that these phytochemicals work to disrupt estrogen receptors and block your body’s natural production of estrogen. They also contain Indole-3-carbinol, and this helps to convert estrogen to a protective layer called 2-OH-estrogens.
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Curb Stress In Your Life
Stress contributes to estrogen dominance through its association with another hormone called pregnenolone.
This hormone is an antecedent to the stress hormone, cortisol or to sex hormone, estrogen.
Since pregnenolone has dual roles, it tends to concentrate on the function with the highest demand.
If you are chronically stressed, chances are that the pregnenolone which would have been used to produce progesterone now goes to make cortisol for your stress.
If there is low progesterone, estrogen tends to spike.
Try relaxation techniques like yoga. Consider not spending time with people who cause you stress. Do not have an all or nothing mentality.
Accept the things you can change, change those that you can and compromise when you can.
Estrogen Dominance Causes And Solutions
Science Based Amy Myers, MD
Amy Myers, M.D. is a functional medicine physician, trained and certified by The Institute of Functional Medicine. Dr. Myers earned her Doctor of Medicine at the LSU Health Science Center, and completed her Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Dr. Myers retired from her functional medicine clinic, Austin UltraHealth, where she served thousands of patients, to empower those who were failed by conventional medicine. Shes a 2x New York Times bestselling author, and the founder and CEO of the health & lifestyle e-commerce brand, Amy Myers MD®.
Are you struggling with infertility, PMS, mood swings, weight gain instead of losing weight, or low libido? If so, you could be dealing with a hormone imbalance such as estrogen dominance. Having high estrogen levels known as estrogen dominance is not only linked to a set of frustrating and uncomfortable symptoms, it also puts you at risk for a whole host of chronic womens health issues.
From fatigue and irritability to autoimmune conditions, thyroid dysfunction, and cancer, estrogen can wreak havoc on your body if its not in proper balance with your other reproductive hormones, such as progesterone.
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Reverse Estrogen Dominance Naturally With Dim
Laura had her last period at age 50. She started experiencing signs of menopause several years before her periods completely stoppedhot flashes, moodiness, night sweats and daytime tiredness. In addition, she noticed her clothes fitting her less comfortably. She bought a weigh scale and started weighing herself every week. Even though she had not changed her eating habits, she was gaining one or two pounds every month. Although Laura had always been about 10 to 15 pounds overweight, she never had difficulty maintaining a certain weight. She tried dieting and exercising but the steady weight gain continued.
Whats Going on With Laura?
A womans body maintains a healthy ratio of progesterone, estrogen and testosterone throughout her life. Puberty, onset of menstruation and pregnancy cause natural fluctuations among levels of these hormones. For the most part, however, female hormones return to their normal levels following temporary disruptions. Its when levels of one or more of these hormones fluctuate dramatically and dont return to normal levels that symptoms such as Lauras inexplicable weight gain happens.
Estrogen powerfully influences the way women function, think and feel. Even small changes in how much or how little estrogen your body produces may cause a wide variety of health issues. In addition, a specific amount of progesterone is necessary to counterbalance estrogen.1
Estrogen Isnt Just A Female Hormone

We often equate estrogen with women, but its equally as important men have just the right levels of estrogen. Your body actually produces three different types of estrogen.
- Estrone Estrone is the second most common estrogen and a weaker type.
- Estradiol Estradiol is a more potent version of estrogen known for supporting bone growth, serotonin levels, memory, and heart health.
- Estriol Estriol is the weakest and known for being the predominant estrogen during pregnancy. It is thought to be protective against breast cancer.
Estrogen is essential to maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, bone density, a balanced mood, and more. Both men and women need their estrogen to be balanced by other hormones and properly broken down. But when it isnt broken down well or there is simply too much, it can lead to estrogen dominance.
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What Should Be Your Next Steps In Regards To Estrogen Dominance
Managing your Estrogen Dominance with herbs, vegetables and seeds could be a good solution in order to only temporarily reduce the symptoms. Its important to confirm your suspicion of experiencing Estrogen Dominance. You can get your doctor to test it for you at your next appointment or you can start by taking a Free Estrogen Quiz. Ive designed it to help women discover Estrogen Dominance. The truth is Estrogen Dominance symptoms occur to 75% of women, but a whopping 90% of them dont even realize they have it. So I recommend taking this Quiz to check yourself.
Reduce Your Body Fat & Exercise
Having a high percentage of fatty tissue is known to have a negative health impact. Studies show that increased body weight can promote breast cancer development. This is especially concerning for postmenopausal women because fatty tissue becomes the main source of estrogen production.
Having a high body fat percentage can lead to estrogen dominance. This may be fixed by having an active lifestyle and exercising regularly. Studies have pointed out that weight loss has the potential to reduce circulating estrogens, and the best results may be obtained by combining regular exercise with a healthy diet.
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What Is A Hormone Imbalance
Are you irritable, moody, and exhausted all the time, yet have trouble sleeping? Gaining weight despite diet and exercise? You are not alone. Up to 75% of women report suffering from symptoms that could be attributed to a hormone imbalance!
Hormones are important chemical messengers in our bodies such as Estrogen, Testosterone, Progesterone, Cortisol, Thyroid, DHEA, and Vitamin D. They are produced in one type of tissue and then move through the bloodstream to other parts of the body delivering messages for that part of the body to do something specific. When the messages get disrupted, it can have significant downstream implications.
Estrogen dominance is one of the most common hormone imbalance problems for women and that is a big deal because it has literally hundreds of functions in a womans body. It is a common condition that can develop from a variety of causes such as excess body fat, environmental estrogens , poor digestion, chronic stress, and adrenal issues.
Getting Back In Balance
Whether you know or suspect a hormone imbalance, these steps are the place to start for healing estrogen dominance naturally.
While the advice is simplestress less, eat real food, get the harmful ingredients and endocrine disruptors out of your beauty routineexecuting it can be tricky.
Instead of getting overwhelmed with how much you need to do, choose one thing you can do today.
Want more support? Join my Safer Beauty Tribe newsletter where I talk about hormone-friendly cosmetics, skin care, and cleaning products.
Also, check out my Well-Fed Women Podcast episodes specifically about hormonal balance:
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Estrogen Dominance Detox Diet: The 21 Foods To Reverse It Naturally
Thanks to the nature of the 21st-century diet, estrogen dominance is ever more common today. Factors such as the way some foods are produced or packaged and the use of food additives can trigger an increase in the body’s estrogen levels, leading to countless health problems.
The good news is that following an estrogen detox diet can help balance out your hormone levels and reverse estrogen dominance naturally and safely. Read on to find out how to balance your hormones and forget about hormonal imbalance symptoms!
Contents:
- Weight gain
Estrogen Is Complex Receptors & Metabolites
We often oversimplify estrogen. First we lump three different types together, then we dont acknowledge the different effects estrogen has on receptors, and finally estrogen metabolites are often missing from the conversation.
Not only do you need proper balance and breakdown to keep estrogen in check, these different types antagonize one another in the body. These three different types of estrogen bind to two different types of estrogen receptors alpha receptors that promote cell growth and beta receptors which inhibit cell growth.
Many tissues throughout the body have both types of receptors where estrogen antagonizes against itself via alpha and beta receptors.
- Estrone This form of estrogen primarily activates alpha receptors in a 5 to 1 ratio, which increases cell proliferation.
- Estradiol E2 binds to both alpha and beta receptors equally.
- Estriol This estrogen is mostly activate beta receptors in a 3 to 1 ratio, which inhibits cell proliferation but at a lower rate than E1.
Estrogens effects on different receptors make the type of the estrogen dominant in a body important. Estrogen metabolites are also important. Estrogen is broken down along two pathways into two metabolites:
Some research has suggested that the ratio of these two metabolites may be predictive of breast cancer.
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Dietary Patterns To Manage Estrogen Dominance
Men and women with estrogen dominance can manage their condition through diet. Various foods help manage this problem.
Instead of focusing on specific foods, you may want to consider changing your dietary pattern altogether.
The most important dietary patterns for the management of estrogen dominance include:
Estrogen And Its Effects On The Body

Estrogen is an important hormone for male and female health and sexual development.
Estrogen regulates cholesterol levels, maintains bone health, and affects mood. In females, this hormone also influences puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause.
There are three main types of estrogen:
- Estradiol: This is the most potent form of estrogen, and its concentration is highest in females of childbearing age. Doctors use this form of estrogen as a marker for ovary health.
- Estrone: This is the primary type of estrogen in males. It is also the primary form of estrogen in females after menopause. The ovaries, placenta, testicles, and fat tissue produce estrone from androstenedione or androgens.
- Estriol: The placenta produces this type of estrogen, which reaches peak levels during pregnancy. The amount of estriol increases as the fetus grows.
When estrogen levels rise or fall, this can affect many areas of the body, including the reproductive system, skin, hair, bones, muscles, brain, and breast tissue. Fluctuations can also have these effects in males, as everyone has some breast tissue.
There are several reasons why estrogen levels can become high. They may rise as a result of:
- an overproduction of estrogen
- changes in how the body breaks estrogen down
- changes in how the body excretes estrogen
Many factors may contribute to estrogen dominance, including:
- hypocalcemia, which is low calcium
- breast cancer
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