| Facts About Hormone Imbalance
Over the years, hormone imbalance may be one of the least acknowledged health issues affecting women. If you have experienced hot flashes, mood swings, PMS, breast tenderness, fatigue, depression or fluid retention, and may have been told by your doctor that "there's nothing wrong with you," you could have a hormone imbalance or estrogen-dominance. A saliva test can determine your hormone levels.
Several factors that contribute to this hormone imbalance are use of prescribed synthetic hormones as well as environmental xenoestrogens. Xenoestrogens are foreign substances from outside the body that have an estrogen-like effect in the body. Many of these xenoestrogens come from petroleum derived products such as pesticides, plastics, gas, oil, soaps, clothing and they're even in the meat, dairy products, and canned foods we eat. In our toxic world today it's impossible to avoid these foreign compounds.
Natural progesterone can assist in bringing a woman's body back into balance. Additionally phytoestrogens, plant-based compounds with estrogen-like activity, can bind with estrogen receptors in the body. This may block out some of the more potent and foreign estrogen donating substances. Because phytoestrogens have a much lower potency than estrogen produced by the body or xenoestrogens, this may also reduce problems caused by estrogen dominance.
A natural approach to rebalancing a woman's hormone levels is preferred to a synthetic approach and is better tolerated without the negative side effects of synthetic drugs. You might consider the following:
- Natural Progesterone USP: A pharmaceutical grade extract from wild yam. USP is the highest grade for purity and potency and can be used to offset estrogen-dominance.
- Red Clover: Contains a plant estrogen called coumestrol. Coumestrol is one of the most potent phytoestrogens. Studies of isoflavones derived from red clover have shown it may help lower the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis and aid in menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes.
- Soy Isoflavones: A Phytoestrogen from soybeans. Studies have shown soy isoflavones to effectively reduce bone loss and increase bone density.
Any program that assists in rebalancing hormone levels should also include a full-spectrum nutrition program which provides approximately 120 nutrients on a daily basis including important essential fatty acids and calcium.
Excerpt from interview with Dr. Steven Whiting, Director, Institute of Nutritional Science. Reproduced with permission. |