How Do I Know My Estrogen Levels Are Low Or High
As estrogen levels do fluctuate regularly throughout the cycle, its difficult to pinpoint a typical or normal level of estrogen because they tend to change almost every day . In saying that, when estrogen levels fluctuate or become low, you may experience a number of signs and symptoms. This can occur for a number of reasons from an underlying condition or things such as age, or the use of certain medications.
Some common indicators of hormonal imbalance include:
- Irregular periods, heavier or lighter periods, or total cessation of periods
- Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
- Feeling tired all of the time
- Mood changes
- Acne on the face, back or chest
- Hair growth on the face, chin and breasts
The most reliable way to check estrogen levels at home is with an at-home hormone test because its processed by a highly accredited network of laboratories. The process is simple:
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The Biggest Cause Of Low Progesterone Is Age
Low progesterone can happen for any number of reasons at any age. However, a womens estrogen and progesterone levels start dropping at differing rates around the age of 35. Estrogen goes down around 35%, while progesterone drops by up to 75%. This imbalance leads to many common symptoms of menopause including hot flashes, changes in mood, and decreasing menstrual cycles.
Scientists have yet to make a breakthrough that stops the aging process. Until that happens, we have no choice but to find other ways of dealing with the hormonal imbalances that occur as a woman ages.
The effects of low progesterone levels extend well beyond your menstrual cycle and can affect the quality of your life. Heres what you can do to get yours up naturally and get yourself back on track.
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The biggest thing you should take from this article is the importance of self-care! Whether you know you have low progesterone levels or merely suspect you are, remember that this can be mitigated with a few simple changes in lifestyle. Low progesterone is not a life-sentence, merely a bump in the road on your way to a long, healthy reproductive life. Doing what you can to keep your mind and body healthy should go a long way towards helping you achieve the results you desire.
Does High Estrogen Mean Pregnancy
Not necessarily. The only way to know for sure if youre pregnant is to take a pregnancy test.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Estrogen plays an important role in maintaining your cardiovascular, reproductive and bone health. High levels of estrogen, however, can cause unpleasant symptoms that warrant a visit to your provider. Once your provider identifies whats causing your estrogen to be high, they can recommend treatments that make your symptoms more manageable.
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Ways You Can Boost Estrogen Naturally
Estrogen and progesterone are foundational hormones for sexual and reproductive development in women. Working together, these hormones help womens sexual characteristics to mature during puberty as well as manage fertility and menstruation up to menopause.
Estrogen also keeps cholesterol under control, encourages bone health, and balances moods, heart function, and skin tissues. Low estrogen is usually a sign of the change women go through during menopause.
Symptoms can include mood swings, dry skin, trouble sleeping, irregular periods, low libido, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness.
Thankfully, there are a number of reliable natural remedies to increase estrogen in the body. Either by directly creating estrogen or by replicating the effects of estrogen.
Read on, for 7 of the most natural ways to increase estrogen.
How Do I Know If I Have A Hormone Imbalance
The following list of common complaints can often be helped or eliminated by improving hormone health. The challenge is often finding out the starting place of your hormone imbalance to ensure you are treating the root of the problem rather than just the symptoms. And thats where hormone testing comes in.
- Fatigue
- Menstrual irregularities
- Poor immune function
When assessing a hormone imbalance, its important to evaluate the endocrine system as a whole. This is because the endocrine system is complex and hormones and their actions are intricately linked this means that hormone imbalances originating from different areas can cause the same symptom.
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How Do Phytoestrogens Affect Your Health
Phytoestrogens have a similar chemical structure to that of estrogen and may mimic its hormonal actions.
Phytoestrogens attach to estrogen receptors in your cells, potentially affecting the function of estrogen throughout your body .
However, not all phytoestrogens function in the same way.
Phytoestrogens have been shown to have both estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects. This means that, while some phytoestrogens have estrogen-like effects and increase estrogen levels in your body, others block its effects and decrease estrogen levels .
Because of their complex actions, phytoestrogens are one of the most controversial topics in nutrition and health.
While some researchers have raised concerns that a high intake of phytoestrogens may cause hormonal imbalance, most evidence has linked them to positive health effects.
In fact, multiple studies have associated phytoestrogen intake with decreased cholesterol levels, improved menopausal symptoms, and a lower risk of osteoporosis and certain types of cancer, including breast cancer (
3 ).
Soy isoflavones can produce estrogen-like activity in the body by mimicking the effects of natural estrogen. They may increase or decrease blood estrogen levels .
One study found that women who took a soy protein supplement for 12 weeks experienced moderate decreases in blood estrogen levels compared with a control group.
The researchers proposed that these effects might help protect against certain types of breast cancer .
15 ).
What Is The Difference Between Treatment You Can Get With And Without Blood Test Results
Dr Aziz-Scott: GPs follow the NICE guidelines which state that if a patient is over 45, blood tests are not mandatory and HRT can be initiated, depending on symptoms. It is only if a patient is under 45 that an FSH blood test is required. LH levels will also be checked, but estrogen will not be. This means that patients may be getting a one-size-fits-all treatment.
At the Marion Gluck Clinic, all patients are required to undergo blood tests to allow us to provide bespoke, personalised treatment tailored precisely to your bodys requirements.
Youll note that:
- We will complete a detailed hormone analysis and provide the correct hormones in the appropriate dosages for your individual needs. We know that estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA all interact, and that a balance of hormones is essential for optimum health and controlled symptoms. It is therefore the gold standard to have all hormones analysed before treatment.
- The free testosterone that we can measure in the private sector is not usually available on the NHS. We can check total testosterone and SHBG to work out the free androgen index, which tells us how much testosterone is bioavailable in the body.
- We monitor our patients hormone levels and adjust treatment accordingly. We are always monitoring the treatments efficiency and efficacy.
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Ways To Increase Estrogen Naturally
Eva Blanco/EyeEm/Getty Images
When your estrogen levels are off, your body can feel off too. Estrogen is a sex hormone that has many functions: It controls the menstrual cycle keeps cholesterol in check protects bone health and affects your brain, bones, heart, skin, and other tissues.
“There are many reasons you can have low estrogen, but most commonly, it is a normal change women go through during menopause,” explains Navya Mysore, MD, family provider at One Medical. “Symptoms at that time can be hot flashes, excessive sweating, and vaginal dryness. One sign that is common is low bone mass, as we have reduced estrogen levels in menopause.”
Your estrogen levels are highest in the middle of your menstrual cycle and lowest during your period. According to the Endocrine Society, other symptoms of low estrogen levels include menstrual periods that are less frequent or that stop, trouble sleeping, low sexual desire, mood swings, and dry skin.
Davide Illini/Stocksy
You can get your estrogen levels checked through a blood or urine sample at your doctor’s office. And your doctor may treat low estrogen levels with hormone therapy . But there are some lifestyle changes you can make that can help you manage your estrogen levels naturally, which we’ve outlined below.
Ultimately, it’s important to note that you should discuss with your doctor what’s the best course of action to take.
Try Some Of The Strategies To Help You Manage Stress:
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Learn to say no
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Protein with every meal to stabilise blood sugar and moods
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Regular exercise that you enjoy and is not too strenuous
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Time outdoors: barefoot on the ground
When it comes to supplementation, ashwagandha is an incredible natural solution. Here at Nourished we have created the purest ashwagandga supplement on the market, our Calm + De-stress vitamin. It is made in the USA, FDA certified and 100% natural.
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What Can I Do About Hot Flashes
Hot flashes occur from a decrease in estrogen levels. In response to this, your glands release higher amounts of other hormones that affect the brain’s thermostat, causing your body temperature to fluctuate. Hormone therapy has been shown to relieve some of the discomfort of hot flashes for many women. However, the decision to start using these hormones should be made only after you and your healthcare provider have evaluated your risk versus benefit ratio.
To learn more about women’s health, and specifically hormone therapy, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health launched the Women’s Health Initiative in 1991. The hormone trial had 2 studies: the estrogen-plus-progestin study of women with a uterus and the estrogen-alone study of women without a uterus. Both studies ended early when the research showed that hormone therapy did not help prevent heart disease and it increased risk for some medical problems. Follow-up studies found an increased risk of heart disease in women who took estrogen-plus-progestin therapy, especially those who started hormone therapy more than 10 years after menopause.
The WHI recommends that women follow the FDA advice on hormone therapy. It states that hormone therapy should not be taken to prevent heart disease.
Practical suggestions for coping with hot flashes include:
Foods That Increase Estrogen In Males
A wide range of foods contain a class of substances called phytoestrogens, which are basically estrogens of plant origin.
Phytoestrogens are capable of mimicking the actions of estrogen when ingested by humans. In essence, when these foods are eaten, they increase the estrogen levels in the body.
As you probably know, estrogen is the hormone responsible for female sexual characteristics like developed breasts, curvy hips, high-pitched voice, etc.
Consequently, increased estrogen in males can result in the slowing of body and facial hair growth, fat redistribution in the female shape and boosted breast growth.
To increase estrogen in your body, include these foods in your diet:
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How To Increase Dhea Levels Naturally
Dehydroepiandrosterone , which is also called the mother hormone, is released by the adrenal glands. This article provides information on the causes and natural treatment of low DHEA levels, and how to increase DHEA levels naturally.
Dehydroepiandrosterone , which is also called the mother hormone, is released by the adrenal glands. This article provides information on the causes and natural treatment of low DHEA levels, and how to increase DHEA levels naturally.
Dehydroepiandrosterone, which is a naturally-occurring steroid hormone in the human body, is produced by the adrenal glands in both men and women. It gets converted into other hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, melatonin, etc., as per the requirement of the body. Being the precursor to over 50 other hormones in the body, DHEA is often referred to as the mother hormone or master hormone. It is the most abundant steroid hormone in the bloodstream.
DHEA Levels
Low DHEA
Depleted levels of DHEA are noticed in all types of serious medical conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and chronic fatigue. Therefore, people often wonder how to increase DHEA levels naturally. A number of factors can strip the body of DHEA.
- Exposure to massive amounts of electricity
- Consumption of too much vitamin C
- Excessive anxiety
- Diseases like diabetes, cancer, kidney failure, anorexia, etc.
- Excessive consumption of medicines like insulin, steroids, and danazol
- Excessive stress
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy :
For my women who have more severe symptoms supplements to balance hormones may not be enough and in this case Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy can be a great option. With proper labs, follow-up, and customized dosing, this can be a safe step up in a patients therapy from more natural treatments. Remember, its all about safety first, so using the lowest level of therapy to provide adequate symptom relief is ideal!
There is no one herb, nutritional plan, product, or therapy that is good for everything hormones related. It is vital to determine what type of hormone imbalance you have and why. Finding the root cause to your health issues can bring you back to long-lasting optimal health herbals, nutrition, and medications can help you there. A qualified health care professional can offer testing, interpretation, diagnosis, and treatment for your unique needs and goals!
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Eat Enough Protein At Every Meal
Consuming adequate amounts of protein is extremely important.
Not only does protein provide essential amino acids that your body cant make on its own, but your body also needs it to produce protein-derived hormones also known as peptide hormones .
Your endocrine glands make these hormones from amino acids. Peptide hormones play a crucial role in regulating many physiological processes, such as growth, energy metabolism, appetite, stress, and reproduction .
For example, protein intake influences hormones that control appetite and food intake, communicating information about energy status to your brain .
Research has shown that eating protein decreases the hunger hormone ghrelin and stimulates the production of hormones that help you feel full, including peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1 .
One 3-month study in 156 teenagers with obesity associated a high protein breakfast with increased PYY and GLP-1 levels, which resulted in weight loss due to increased feelings of fullness .
Experts recommend eating a minimum of 2030 grams of protein per meal. You can do this by including high protein foods such as eggs, chicken breast, lentils, or fish at each meal .
Summary
Eating sufficient protein triggers the production of peptide hormones, some of which suppress appetite and help you feel full. Aim for a minimum of 2030 grams of protein per meal.
Can Foods Really Help To Increase Estrogen
Yes and no. While there is no disputing the role that low estrogen plays in your body, the science is still out when it comes to determining if certain foods are the solution. What we do know is that some foods do contribute to healthy hormone levels and there is absolutely no reason you shouldnt include some in your diet.
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Reduce Your Sugar Intake
An increase in insulin is associated with lower HGH levels.
Refined carbs and sugar raise insulin levels the most, so reducing your intake may help optimize growth hormone levels .
One study found that healthy people had 34 times higher HGH levels than those with diabetes, as well as impaired carb tolerance and insulin function .
Along with directly affecting insulin levels, excess sugar intake is a key factor in weight gain and obesity, which also affect HGH levels.
That said, the occasional sweet treat will not impact your HGH levels in the long term.
Aim to achieve a balanced diet, as what you eat has a profound effect on your health, hormones, and body composition.
Summary Elevated insulin levels may reduce HGH production. Therefore, limit your intake of large amounts of sugar and refined carbs.
Given that most meals cause a rise in insulin levels, some experts suggest avoiding food before bedtime .
In particular, a high-carb or high-protein meal may spike your insulin and potentially block some of the HGH released at night .
Keep in mind that insufficient research exists on this theory.
Nevertheless, insulin levels normally decrease 23 hours after eating, so you may wish to avoid carb- or protein-based meals 23 hours before bedtime.
Summary More research is needed on the effects of nighttime eating on HGH. Still, it may be best to avoid food 23 hours before bed.
To Decoding Your Hormones: How Long Should Your Period Be
Since we only have our own period to compare to, it can be hard to know whether what we experience is normal. Lets run through some normal cycle parameters so that you can determine where you fall:
The length of your periodrefers to the number of days from the first day of your bleed to the last day before your next bleed. A healthy range for your cycle length is anywhere between 21 and 35 days, with the average being around 29 days.
Many of my clients tell me their period is always late because it comes on day 30 . This is a huge misconception: that if your period isnt 28 days, you arent normal. If your period consistently arrives around the same day of your cycle, and it falls within the healthy range of 21 to 35 days, this is your normal, healthy cycle length.
Whether or not you fit this textbook 28 day cycle , the most important factor to consider is whether your normal has changed or not.
Our menstrual cycles are very responsive to stress in our lives and demonstrate this most clearly in the length of our cycles. Stress is not always psychological , but may be physical .
When we are more stressed, our body does not deem our environment to be a safe place to bring a baby in to the world, and can shut down ovulation all together, or delay it until it deems we are safe. The end result of this change in ovulation is a missing period altogether, or longer cycles than your normal. Think this might explain your menstrual cycle problems?
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