Hormones And Weight Gain: How To Fix The Hormones That Control Your Weight
Did you know that your weight is directly related to your hormones? This is a fact many of us forget as we travel along the often slow and frustrating road to weight loss. To maintain a weight thats healthy for our unique bodily makeup, a delicate balance of hormones is required. If certain hormones are off-kilter, weight gain often results.
In order to lose weight and keep it off we must understand the intricate inner workings of our many hormones. Once we understand the relationship between hormones and weight gain, we can take the proper steps to balance these hormones and lose weight in a sustainable, healthy way.
Why You Need Estrogen
Estrogens main function is to control reproductive changes in women, but it serves other roles in both male and female bodies, including:
Each of these phytoestrogens has antioxidant properties. This means that in addition to the nutrients potential health benefits, they fight cell damage in our bodies linked to a wide range of chronic diseases.
The best dietary sources of phytoestrogens include:
1. Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are the richest dietary source of lignans . Researchers believe they lower breast cancer risk. You can sprinkle flaxseeds on many dishes, bake them into bread and cookies, or blend them into smoothies and spreads.
2. Soy
Soy contains high levels of isoflavones, phytoestrogens that may mimic estrogens effects and reduce the risk of both breast and prostate cancer. Soy is also rich in a range of essential vitamins and minerals. It can support heart health as an alternative to red and processed meats. Its also extremely versatile you can include soy in your diet with foods like tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soymilk.
3. Peaches
Because of their high lignan content, studies show that eating two servings of peaches or nectarines a week reduces a womans breast cancer risk. Researchers find similar effects from consuming blueberries and strawberries.
4. Garlic
5. Red Wine
6. Sesame Seeds
How Can I Reduce These Side Effects Of Hormone Therapy
In most cases, these side effects are mild and dont require you to stop your HT. If your symptoms bother you, ask your healthcare provider about adjusting either the dosage or the form of the HT to reduce the side effects. Never make changes in your medication or stop taking it without first consulting your provider.
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Insulin Resistance And Estrogen
Insulin resistance and a higher carbohydrate diet can also increase estrogen levels. If you have excess body fat you may need to reduce carbohydrates. Although, you can still eat lots of vegetables and other fiber-rich foods such as flaxseeds and psyllium.
This is especially important for women with PCOS and men with excess estrogen as the insulin resistance will up-regulate the aromatase enzyme causing excess estrogen.
What Happens If My Estrogen Level Is Over 5000 After Ivf
Estrogen levels above 5,000 pg/mL significantly increase your risk of developing OHSS during or after your IVF stimulation.
If you were planning a fresh embryo transfer, your provider will likely cancel the transfer and freeze all of your embryos.
You should monitor your symptoms closely and speak with your provider if you have any of the symptoms of OHSS.
Common symptoms include:
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Estrogens In Blood And Urine
Collection of serum and urine samples was attempted to occur during the midluteal phase . However, due to scheduling problems, 14% and 24% of visits in BEAN1 and BEAN2, respectively, occurred outside the luteal phase. Based on the available information, it was not possible to estimate the exact cycle day. In BEAN1, timing was determined using ovulation kits and confirmed retrospectively by serum progesterone levels, while in BEAN2 the cycle day was estimated based on the last menstruation date and confirmed by the onset date of the next menstruation obtained via telephone contact with participants. All specimens were stored at 80°C after aliquoting. Using validated radioimmunoassays, 5 repeated serum samples for BEAN1 and 3 samples for BEAN2 were analyzed for E1 and E2 in 0.5 mL serum. Based on blinded samples, the interassay coefficients of variations were 17.7% for E1 and 11.2% for E2 in BEAN1 and 15.0% for both E1 and E2 in BEAN2.
Minimize Xenoestrogen Containing Products:
If possible, it is wise to discuss with your doctor or health care practitioners about coming off all oral contraceptives, hormone creams, and hormone based prescription medications. You may need to wean off of these slowly so it is imperative to discuss this with your prescribing practitioner.
Additionally, you want to do your best to reduce your exposure to plastics, tin cans and conventional hygiene products that contain parabens and sodium lauryl sulfates. Look for natural and organic personal hygiene products that minimize chemicals in their manufacturing process.
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Low Estrogen During Menopause
As women age, hormone levels begin to change and estrogen, along with other hormones, may begin to drop. Since your body is nearing the natural end of child-bearing years, less hormones are needed to maintain your reproductive system.
Changes in estrogen production may become irregular with varying levels in the leadup to menopause, but overall reduced production can affect a variety of bodily functions. Lower hormone levels can impact your brain and nervous system, vaginal health, and urinary system to name a few.
Many symptoms of low estrogen can be managed by lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and quitting smoking. Eating foods that can increase your estrogen levels is one strategy used to help naturally boost hormones.
Following Are Some Effective Ways To Maintain Balance Or Estrogen And Progesterone During Your Menstrual Cycle:
1. Dietary changes: Some foods can contribute to increased levels of estrogen in your body. Stay away from foods like meat from hormone-fed animals, dairy products, tofu, flaxseeds and sesame seeds. You can have more of oily fish like salmon, sardine and mackerel. Basically, an anti-inflammatory diet can do wonders to maintain hormonal balance. You can have more cruciferous veggies and avoid caffeine.
Also read: Rujuta Diwekar’s Top 3 Guidelines For PCOD, Pain-Free Periods: Women, You Simply Cannot Miss These!
2. Check your hormones: Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar is of the belief that normal period is one with no pains and discomfort. It’s about time you stopped taking the discomfort during your periods as normal, and get your hormones checked. It will help you take a better decision about managing your periods and working wards making it pain-free. Rujuta also mentions that raisins, vegetables like arbi, sweet potato and jimikand, etc can help in having pain-free periods. Read here to know more.
3. Take less stress: Stress can create hormonal havoc in your body. For easy, pain-free periods, it is important to take minimal stress. Do deep breathing, meditate, exercise regularly or engage yourself in a hobby. Basically do anything and everything that helps you reduce stress. It is going to improve your overall health as well.
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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.
See also:What Causes Low Progesterone in Women?
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.
Low Estrogen Level: Symptoms And Causes
As previously mentioned, menopause commonly causes decreased levels of estrogen in females. However, women of all ages can experience low estrogen levels from a variety of causes, including hysterectomies , radiation treatments, and severe cases of anorexia.
A common and well-known consequence of low estrogen levels is the increased fragility of bones seen in post-menopausal women, leading to osteoporosis. Estrogen is known to work in conjunction with calcium, vitamin D, and other minerals to keep bones strong, and without it, bones become brittle and tend to fracture more easily.
Other symptoms of low estrogen include:
- Painful sex due to the lack of vaginal lubrication
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The Problem With Low Estradiol:
Estradiol works to boost serotonin levels naturally . When this hormone is out of balance, serotonin levels drop. In order to counteract this, the adrenals kick out norepinephrine and epinephrine , which have natural balancing mechanisms.
However, if you are under chronic stress or have weak adrenals, Ep levels will drop, skewing its natural balance with Nr. Here are the symptoms that follow:
Low Serotonin: Headaches, depression, fatigue, low sex drive, insomnia, & hot flashes.
Imbalance of Nr & Ep: Hot flashes, insomnia and anxiety.
Symptoms Of High Estrogen In Men
Although its called the female hormone, a mans body also makes estrogen. A healthy balance of estrogen and testosterone is important for sexual growth and development. When these hormones become imbalanced, your sexual development and function may be affected.
Symptoms of high estrogen in men include:
- Infertility. Estrogen is partly responsible for creating healthy sperm. When estrogen levels are high, sperm levels may fall and lead to fertility issues.
- Gynecomastia. Estrogen may stimulate breast tissue growth. Men with too much estrogen may develop gynecomastia, a condition which leads to larger breasts.
- Erectile dysfunction . Men with high levels of estrogen may have difficulty getting or maintaining an erection.
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Why Do Women Need Progesterone
Progesterone is secreted by the ovaries after you have ovulated. It helps prepare the body for a possible pregnancy by maintaining the uterine lining for the 14 days post ovulation, allowing the implantation of the embryo to occur. Making progesterone one of the most significant hormones in healthy conception.
These elevated progesterone levels also play a significant part in keeping your menstrual cycle regular and healthy. Research has shown that progesterone plays a big role in protecting you from developing breast and other uterine cancers as elevated estrogen levels in your body can promote the growth of cancer cells.
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 arethree 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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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.
Can Flaxseed Increase Estrogen Levels
In recent years, flaxseed, one of the world’s oldest and most versatile crops, has emerged as a nutritional powerhouse. This tiny, nutty seed is not only a good source of fiber, but one of the richest plant sources of omega-3 fats, and abundant in lignans an estrogen-like compound or phytoestrogen.
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While human estrogen is vital for the growth and regulation of the female reproductive system, excessive exposure to this hormone is linked to certain health conditions, including breast cancer.
This has prompted concern that the estrogen effects of flax may impact blood levels, however research to date shows that adding flaxseed to the diet either reduces, or has no significant impact on body levels of estrogen.
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Symptoms Of Low Estrogen And How To Treat It
Estrogen is the primary hormone that sets women apart from men. While men have it in small amounts, women have far more. To stay healthy and feeling good, its important to have adequate amounts of estrogen. When were low in this particular hormone, a host of irritating symptoms typically occurs. Lets take a look at 10 symptoms of low estrogen and what we can do to treat it.
Diagnosing And Testing Estrogen Levels
In females showing signs of estrogen dominance, diagnostic tests may not be necessary to prove that the estrogen ratio is out of balance. The reason for this is that many of the recommendations that doctors might make to reduce estrogen levels are generally beneficial to overall health and unlikely to cause harm.
However, if an underlying medical condition may be causing high estrogen levels, a doctor might run tests to determine whether there is an imbalance and confirm the root cause. Doctors also monitor estriol levels in high risk pregnancies.
In females, doctors can measure all three types of estrogen via blood testing. In males, they only measure estradiol and estrone.
The treatment for high estrogen depends on the underlying cause. For estrogen dominance that is not due to a specific medical condition, doctors may recommend lifestyle changes to reduce the levels. People can try:
- eating an anti-inflammatory or vegetarian diet
- eating more soy, flaxseed, and cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and kale
- getting more omega-3 fatty acids in the diet or taking a supplement
- maintaining a moderate weight
- limiting or stopping alcohol consumption
- avoiding xenoestrogens, such as BPA in plastics
- avoiding any natural or herbal remedies that may increase estrogen
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What Are Some Commonly Used Postmenopausal Hormones
The following list provides the names of some, but not all, postmenopausal hormones.
Estrogen
- Pills, Brand names: Cenestin®, Estinyl®, Estrace®, Menest®, Ogen®, Premarin®, Femtrace®.
- Creams, Brand names: Estrace®, Ogen®, Premarin®.
- Vaginal ring,Brand names: Estring®, Femring® .
- Vaginal tablet, Brand names: Vagifem®. Imvexxy®
- Patch, Brand names: Alora®, Climara®, Minivelle®, Estraderm®, Vivelle®, Vivelle-Dot®, Menostar®.
- Spray, Brand name: Evamist®.
- Modest improvement in joint pains.
- Lower death rate for women who take hormone therapy in their 50s.
How Do Estrogen Derivatives Work
Estrogen derivatives are medications used in the prevention and treatment of menopausal symptoms and various conditions associated with menopause, such as vaginal dryness and bone loss . Estrogen derivatives are also used in the treatment of breast and prostate cancers.
Estrogens are a group of natural endogenous hormones in women and are present in smaller quantities in men. Estrogens are the primary hormones responsible for the development and maintenance of the femalereproductive system and secondary sexual characteristics. Estrogens also play an important role in male sexual function.
Estrogen derivatives supplement the deficiency in natural estrogens which get depleted with menopause in women. Estrogen derivatives relieve menopausal symptoms, prevent bone loss, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in menopausal women.
Endogenous estrogens are of three major types, estradiol, estriol, and estrone. Estrogen derivatives are purified formulations of different types of estrogens derived from natural estrogens from pregnant mares or synthetic estrogen preparations. Estrogen derivatives bind to estrogen receptors in cells and have effects similar to estrogen.
Estrogen derivatives work by reducing elevated levels of reproductive hormones in postmenopausal women, which include gonadotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus, and follicular stimulating hormone , and luteinizing hormone from the pituitary gland.
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