Estrogen dominance is a condition that occurs when the ratio of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone becomes imbalanced: Progesterone decreases rapidly, resulting in an excess of circulating estrogen. This imbalance is caused by a variety of physiological factors, as well as diet, and causes a number of characteristic symptoms. Following an estrogen dominance diet--also known as an anti-estrogenic diet--may help control estrogen dominance and reduce the amount of estrogen in your body. The estrogen dominance diet is centered on avoiding foods that contain estrogen compounds and focusing primarily on consuming foods that decrease the effects of estrogen.
Aspects
Estrogen and progesterone are sex hormones present in both men and women. Between the ages of 35 and 50, particularly in women, the levels of both hormones begin to decrease. The site Energetic Nutrition reports that progesterone levels decrease 75 percent from the normal level and estrogen levels drop 35 percent. During this time of transition to menopause, many women develop estrogen dominance syndrome, especially if their diet or other medical conditions exacerbate the imbalance between estrogen and progesterone. However, Dr. Ronald Hoffman's website points out that women of any age can suffer from estrogen dominance.
Causes
There are five main causes of estrogen dominance: excessive stress; an improperly functioning immune system; an overworked liver; exposure to too many environmental estrogenic compounds from chemicals such as phthalate, PCB and pesticides; and consuming large amounts of foods that contain phytoestrogens. All five of these either cause further reduction of progesterone output or an increase in the amount of estrogen in your body.
Symptoms
The symptoms of estrogen dominance include a sharply decreased libido; headaches; breast tenderness; mood swings, with a tendency toward depression; fatigue; difficulty sleeping; bloating; and irregular menstrual cycles that are often preceded by extreme premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Some women may experience unexplained weight gain and, in severe cases, can suffer from endometriosis, infertility, fibroids, an increased risk of miscarriage and ovarian cysts.
Recommended Foods
According to Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Ronald Hoffman and the DoctorJ.net site, estrogen dominance can be at least partially controlled through an estrogen dominance diet. This diet recommends eating large amounts of foods that are considered anti-estrogenic each day. These foods include most vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower; most fruits, especially citrus fruits and berries; raw nuts and seeds; organic eggs and milk; grains like buckwheat and millet; tapioca; coffee and tea. Proponents of the diet stress eating as few processed foods as possible and consuming only organic produce, meats, fish and dairy products.
Foods to Avoid
If you are following an estrogen dominance diet, you should avoid eating foods that contain high amounts of phytoestrogen compounds, or that have been hormonally treated. These foods include all types of meat, poultry and fish that have not been wild-caught; soy foods; artificial sweeteners; whole-wheat products, including whole-wheat breads and pastas; olive oil; beans like chickpeas, red beans and black-eyed peas; certain fruits like apples, pomegranates and cherries; and vegetables like carrots, eggplant, potatoes and peas.
