Thread by @celestialbe1ng

ESTROGEN isn't the happy female hormone like they made you believe.

It is a SHOCK and TRAUMA hormone that screws up your life.

ESTROGEN DOMINANCE made my existence miserable.

As it does to MANY.

THREAD🧵on what I’ve learned & how I fixed it.

(A guide for women AND men).

Estrogen dominance is a state where there is an excessive amount of estrogen in the body relative to other sex hormones, particularly progesterone.

This imbalance can occur due to various factors, including but not limited to, increased production of estrogen, decreased production of progesterone, or difficulties in metabolising and detoxifying estrogen in the liver.

Even if your estrogen levels come back as ‘normal' in lab tests, you are estrogen-dominant if those levels aren't balanced by 5-10 times the amount of progesterone, and that 'normal' estrogen will still cause serious issues. Hence, it is important to measure both at the same time.

If your body temperature / thyroid function are low, you'll most likely have high estrogen and low progesterone levels.

If you have excess body fat, ditto.
If not balanced by an abundance of thyroid, progesterone and DHEA, estrogen is TOXIC.

The physical signs of estrogen dominance include:

1. Water Retention + bloating + heaviness + swelling in various parts of the body. This can manifest as puffy skin and swelling of the feet while standing + shifts to the face during the night.

Left: estrogen dominant
Right: fixed

I'm 15lbs lighter in the left pic (I ate low sugar, low kcal, and literally starved myself, 3 week long fasts back to back, but the face was still puffy).

Hair Changes: Estrogen dominance can affect hair growth in several ways:

• Thinning of the hair on the head = a consequence of hypothyroidism induced by estrogen's suppression of thyroid function

• Hair follicle inactivity + male pattern baldness (estrogen can convert male hormones into estrogen in the skin)

• In females: growth of whiskers and chest hair, by stimulating the adrenal glands, estrogen can increase the production of "male" hormones, especially when combined with progesterone deficiency (like in PCOS)

Inability to lose weight / increased fat storage:

• Estrogen interferes with thyroid function slowing down metabolism

• Impairs insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, leading to INSULIN RESISTANCE (this was me)

• Low thyroid + excess estrogen + low progesterone lead to polycystic ovary syndrome (also me)

• Stimulates the adrenal cortex, increasing the production of cortisol = increased appetite

• Cravings for unhealthy foods, accumulation of abdominal fat

• Increases the number of fat cells which then produce more estrogen estrogen = vicious circle of hell

Estrogen's effects on the female body, from scientific and medical publications, via Ray Peat:

Polycystic ovary syndrome: it is caused by progesterone and thyroid hormone deficiency, along with excess estrogen. It affects around 10% of women in reproductive age worldwide.

Other effects of estrogen:

• inflammation
• aging
• reproductive issues
• cardiovascular issues
• osteoporosis
• metabolic disturbances
• fatigue, low energy levels
• hormonal imbalances
• memory impairment
• water retention
• high adrenaline
• loss of muscle mass
• suicidal depression
• regular depression
• lethargy
• irritability
• aggressiveness
• anxiety
• confusion
• verbosity
• tendency to cry easily
• postpartum depression
• insomnia
• nighttime worrying
• blue veins
• migraines
• excessive or low sex drive
• excitotoxicity

Estrogen's anti-thyroid and anti-metabolic effects:

• inhibits thyroid function
• inhibits the thymus gland (immunity)
• redox catalyst / generation of toxic free radicals / drain on the NADH system / impairment of cellular respiration / cellular processes
• impairs the way cells handle oxidative stress

= where you find all of the problems of life.

Signs of estrogen dominance in men:

• Chronic fatigue
• Mood swings
• Thinning hair: estrogen dominance can contribute to hair loss or thinning hair on the scalp or male pattern baldness
• Anxiety
• Low muscle mass or difficulty in maintaining muscle tone
• Lack of success in business ventures
• High fat mass, especially in the areas of the chest, leading to the development of gynecomastia (enlarged breasts), as well as increased fat deposition around the abdomen and hips
• Erectile dysfunction
• Passive aggressiveness
• Puffy skin: estrogen can cause fluid retention, leading to a puffy appearance, particularly noticeable in the face and extremities
• Lack of a sex life
• Prostate enlargement: symptoms of an enlarged prostate, such as urinary issues, can be a sign of estrogen dominance
• Low sperm count
• Fear of androgen-dominant men
• Dysfunctional relationships
• Lack of respect from their children or colleagues/friends
• Skin changes: estrogen can affect skin health, potentially leading to a softer, less firm skin texture

How to address estrogen dominance:

No, don't cut out / down milk, lol.

Milk has the "optimal content of calcium, protein, progesterone, thyroid and vitamins."

Thus has the ability to prevent or CURE osteoporosis (caused by estrogen.)

Milk contains only small amounts of estrogen and it is balanced by progesterone.

Moreover, most of that estrogen is attached to either sulfate or glucuronic acid, which prepares
it for excretion in the kidneys = the body can detoxify and eliminate the majority of the estrogen found in milk.

There is also a HUGE difference between the estrogens in milk and those found in other products like soya milk substitutes.

Estrogens in milk are in a detoxified form. The soya ones are concerning.
Adequate milk consumption reduces stress and supports thyroid function = great for addressing estrogen dominance.

Most important: support thyroid function (thyroid issues often lead to estrogen dominance) and liver function (liver plays a key role in detoxifying estrogen):

• Remove all unsaturated fats, switch to saturated fats

• Eat tasty, easily digestible foods

• Eat small, sugar and mineral rich foods (example: sip sweet delicious orange juice every hour or so)

• Consume enough sugars: a litre of OJ + 2 litres of milk a day will keep stress at bay and thyroid happy

• Good quality (gelatinous) proteins and adequate B vitamins (supplementing B vitamins and grass-fed gelatine powder can be crucial)

• CALCIUM: milk, egg shells, calcium carbonate

• Vitamins ADEK

• Include shellfish (oysters, shrimp, squid, etc.) or low-fat fish for trace minerals, or supplement zinc and selenium (and molybdenum) if good quality seafood isn’t available

• Several pasture-raised eggs per week, especially for choline that supports the liver function

• Add well-cooked potatoes with butter or cream, fruit, and well-cooked greens (like kale broth induction) for vitamins and minerals

• Coffee with sugar and cream (or on a full stomach)

• Poop, keep the flow: cascara sagrada, well cooked mushrooms, carrot salad, bamboo shoots can help

• Carrot salad (daily) will help sweep out excess estrogen

• Avoiding certain foods like soya products: soya milk, tofu and tempeh, which contain phytoestrogens that can contribute to estrogen dominance

• Optimal light environment: ~ 2 hours of daily sun; grounding

• Stress management: have silly goose time, hugs, stimulating experiences, novelty, purpose

• Avoid ALCOHOL, environmental toxins like hormone disruptors / xenoestrogens in your skincare, personal care, household products, and other chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, plastics, etc

• Milk thistle, NAC, taurine / TUDCA, zinc, selenium, phosphatidycholine, vitamin C will also help the liver

• Aspirin reduces the formation of estrogen and breaks the cycle of inflammation and estrogen production

• Bio-identical progesterone and pregnenolone

• A small supplement of Armour thyroid or its equivalent, or synthetic bio-identical thyroid medication like Cynomel/Cynoplus, will help

• Regular, pro-metabolic exercise: concentric exercises helps build muscle, while exercises that involve the muscle in a downward lengthening stroke can produce cortisol and damage mitochondria

Bio-identical progesterone supplementation can be used to balance the effects of estrogen.

Before considering higher doses of progesterone to combat high estrogen, one should look into thyroid and liver health first.

Things that lower estrogen:

• Aspirin
• Thyroid
• Vitamins ADEK
• Carrot salad
• Progesterone
• Coffee (caffeine)
• High protein intake
• Orange juice, marmalade, grapefruit (naringenin)
• Well-cooked white button mushrooms
• Parsley (apigenin)
• Methylene Blue
• Cyproheptadine
• Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6
• Coconut oil
• Selenium
• Zinc
• Calcium
• Gelatine
• Salt

List by @natelawrence_

Avoid environmental estrogens, also known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals:

• Oral contraceptive
• Pesticides and herbicides
• Plastic products (like bisphenol A or BPA)
• Personal care products (like phthalates in cosmetics)
• Industrial chemicals (like polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs)
• Food additives and preservatives
• Some medications
• Household cleaning products

These substances mimic or interfere with the natural hormones in the body, including estrogen, and have been linked to various serious health issues.

The above helped me correct my estrogen dominance.

I got my period back after 7+ years, completely reversed my insulin resistance, depuffed my face, got rid of (clinically diagnosed) depression and anxiety, brain fog, fatigue, corrected impaired thyroid / metabolic function, insomnia, amongst a plethora of other issues.

Life became beautiful and enjoyable for the first time since I was a child.

Anything is possible when you focus on metabolism :).

If you enjoyed this thread, make sure to join my Telegram channel, where we discuss all things hormones, metabolism, and beautiful health.
🥰🥂

t.me/+qjfgy4PFsg8wM…

Kale broth INFUSION lol, I hate typos