Here is some other information I found about estrogen and things you can do to protect yourself and even eleminate excess of it from your body. We can fight back.
HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy
A planned 8.5 year study on the risks and benefits of estrogen with progestin therapy for women was prematurely stopped after 5 years of investigations demonstrated unacceptable levels of risk to the participants.
Findings showed increased rates of coronary heart disease, breast cancer, strokes, and other diseases.
Other worldwide studies indicate that North American women experience disproportionately high rates of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, PMS, endometriosis, uterine fibroids and fibrocystic breast disease. In recent years it has been determined that excess estrogen stimulation is likely a strong causative or promotional factor for these conditions. Excess estrogen stimulation is know to speed up the rate of cell division of reproductive tissue and this effect is linked to increased cancer risk and the promotion of estrogen dependent tissues, including fibroid tissue, cells clustered in the formation of endometriosis and fibrocystic breast cells.
In North America, some of the estrogen over stimulation is related to the cumulative impact of environmental estrogens that enter the body through our food and water supply. As an example, the use of steroid drugs, such as diethylstilbestrol (an estrogenic steroid), used to promote the growth of livestock, is one source of environmental estrogens. Coupled with the fact that a high animal fat diet alone increases the body’s synthesis of estrogen, it’s no wonder that studies show that when women switch to a lower animal fat diet their blood level of estrogen can drop as much as 36%, if it was previously in the high or high-normal range. This modification alone has been shown to improve PMS symptoms and help reduce breast cancer metastasis.
Another source of environmental estrogens include pesticides, which concentrate in the fatty tissues of the animals we eat and the high fat dairy products we consume. The levels in these foods are much higher than the fruit and vegetables that are sprayed with pesticides. When animals consume feed that contains pesticides, it concentrates in their fat tissue and thus, eating high fat animal products is a major source of these estrogenic compounds. Some environmentalists also warn that the estrogens from birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy (synthetic estrogens) are accumulating in our water supply after being excreted by the intended user, only to find their way back into our food supply and drinking water. You should also know that as women gain weight their fat cells increase the synthesis of a very potent estrogen known as estrone hormone. It’s a well-documented fact that overweight postmenopausal women have a three-times greater risk of breast cancer. All of these factors are linked to excess estrogen stimulation and the high incidence of reproductive disorders and diseases in North American women. Here’s how to protect yourself:
Protecting Yourself:
There are seven proactive practical steps that women of all ages should consider to protect themselves from excess estrogen stimulation.
1. Eat less animal fats. Use chicken, turkey and fish as low fat animal foods as well as 1% or non-fat milk or yogurt. Avoid cheese that is more than 3% milk fat and high fat dairy desserts and butter.
2. Perform aerobic exercise 4-6 times per week, as it has been shown to help detoxify and eliminate excess estrogen from the body.
3. Remain at or near your ideal body weight.
4. Consume cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage) at least 4 times per week, as they contain agents that help detoxify excess estrogens and protect female reproductive tissue. Higher intake of these vegetables is linked to decreased breast cancer in humans and when tested in animal cancer models.
5. Consume wheat bran fiber daily (e.g. breakfast cereals with a wheat fiber content above 8 gms per serving, whole grain breads), as studies show that it helps to eliminate excess estrogens through the intestinal tract.
6. Consume more plant-based estrogens from soy and flaxseed, as the phytoestrogen content from soy tones down the effects of the more powerful estrogens and soy isoflavones speed up the detoxification of excess estrogens by the liver.
7. Consider taking the supplement known as Women’s Hormonal Support, as it contains active ingredients from black cohosh, soy extract and gamma oryzanol, all natural agents, that are known to slow down the rate of cell division of female reproductive tissues, tone down the effects of more powerful estrogens, speed up the detoxification of excess estrogens and have been used successfully in the management of PMS, menopausal symptoms and other hormone-related mentioned above. Women’s Hormonal Support is a specialized formulation to help women living in the North American environment to safely balance and regulate reproductive hormones.
My period has gotten lighter. I just feel healthier. It's hard to explain.
