subject: Hormone Balance For Hormone Health [print this page] A woman's reproductive cycle dominates herhormonal life and problems seem to arise from the fact that in order to be healthy our hormones need to be in balance with each other. There is more to a womans hormonal make up than just oestrogenand progesterone as her body produces around 50 hormones altogether, though those two are certainly the most important. , .
Hormones function at their most effective when they are in balance and if you disturb that then you can get symptoms that range from mildly irritating to life threatening. The problem of excess oestrogen has been recognised by some doctors since the 1930's, but it was not until the pioneering work of John R. Lee, M.who showed that the real importance of his work was to demonstrate that it was not the actual levels of hormones that were important but the ratio oestrogen to progesterone. Lee was an American doctor in general practice who coined the phrase 'oestrogen dominance' to explain the many symptoms that could occur when the body had too much oestrogen and not enough progesterone that he had observed in his patients who were on the Pill and HRT.
These hormones are designed by nature to balance each other out, and the effects of too much oestrogen were established in clinical trials in the USA by the Women's Health Initiative. These were halted early because of the established risks of combined HRT, and the continuation of the oestrogen only trial was also halted early in March, 2004 well before its planned completion in 2005. This was due to the increasing evidence that oestrogen can in fact increase the risk of strokes.
Further evidence of the protective benefit of progesterone for women undergoing breast surgery was dramatically highlighted by a statement from the Imperial Cancer Research Fund as far back as November 1999. "Women having breast tumours removed during the follicular phase of their cycle (that is days 3-12 when their oestrogen is high) have a 10-year survival rate of only 45 per cent, compared to a 10-year survival rate of 75 per cent for women having surgery during the luteal phase (when progesterone is high)."
What can go wrong?
Whether suffering from PMS or symptoms of the menopause, there are a number of reasons why this important balance can be upset. The most common is when oestrogen production and intake is dominant over the progesterone produced by the body. There are a number of factors that can apply including drugs, stress, alcohol, poor diet, environmental pollution and certainly interference from artificial hormones such as the Pill or HRT. Dr Lee identified these as the some of the main symptoms of oestrogen dominance, and although women valued his work, he had a harder time being accepted by a more conservative medical establishment. Now his own results showing the links between breast cancer and excess oestrogen, and the role of progesterone in helping prevent bone loss and build new bone in osteoporosis has been more widely discussed and researched.
Common symptoms of oestrogen dominance that women regularly experience can include mood swings, uterine fibroids, water retention and bloating, depression with anxiety or agitation, fat gain, especially abdomen, hips and thighs and fibrocystic breasts and breast tenderness.. There are other more serious conditions that can arise including osteoporosis and breast and ovarian cancers. Water retention, bloating
The more serious risks for breast and ovarian cancer are generally linked to Pill and HRT use over an extended period. A report in the Lancet in 2003 on a study of a million women found that HRT doubles the risk of invasive breast cancer and vindicated Dr Lee's own findings that unopposed oestroen is a serious risk factor and needs to be balanced with bio-identical natural progesterone. . .
Natural Solutions for hormonal symptoms
If your hormones aren't healthy, you are going to have some recurring symptoms that need tackling. You can do a great deal to help yourself, but do consult with your own health adviser or doctor to make sure you have an accurate assessment of your condition. Hormonal health is very much linked to your general health, so the best way to take care of yourself is to follow the general guidelines for good health that apply to all of us.
Eat a good varied diet that includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and is low in saturated fats and sugar. Fibre helps to normalise oestrogen levels so eat more porridge, fruits and bran cereals. To regulate overall hormone levels and reduce excess oestrogen levels in the body significantly then you can't do better than have regular exercise. If you are concerned about osteoporosis prevention then this is especially relevant as any exercise that is weight bearing, such as walking for example, can certainly help reduce your potential risk.
Stress increases many conditions and oestrogen dominance is certainly one of them so look at how you can reduce your stress and find relaxation methods to find what works for you.
If you are taking synthetic hormones such as HRT then investigate natural alternativs such as bio-identical natural progesterone and estrogen to ensure you are helping your body to optimal hormone health.
To be fit, healthy and happy it really does pay dividends to pay attention to your hormones.
