How do I know i have a hormonal imbalance?

Any hormonal balance will have an effect on your health.  Hormone levels can be too high, be around for too long, or be high/low in relation to other hormones.

Too much oestrogen.

Many of us are relatively overexposed to oestrogen – partly as we have 10 times more periods than our ancestors (as we live longer), partly as modern lifestyles can make it more difficult for our liver to get rid of excess oestrogen and due to the increase of oestrogen in food and water.

What does this mean?

Your periods may be heavier than usual, longer than usual or you may have PMS. Oestrogen  excess is also linked to endometriosis, fibroids, breast and endometrial cancer.  Excessively high levels of oestrogen are comparative to other hormones so cannot be picked up on blood tests – it is diagnosed on symptoms.

Possible causes

• Eating more fat can cause significantly higher blood levels of oestrogen; obesity can cause high levels (as oestrogen is stored in fat cells) and interfere with ovulation.
• Ingestion of environmental oestrogens is also a problem – these can be from food preservatives, water, plastics and pesticides.
• Have a look on the internet for more information about other areas which can be increasing your oestrogen levels – cosmetics, shampoos, cleaning products and plastics can all contain oestrogen mimicking compounds which exacerbate the problem.

What can you do about it?

• Eat less fat and refined carbohydrates
• Eat more fibre – eat whole foods rather than processed food
• Increase your phytoestrogens (plant oestrogens) – soya products, ground linseeds, cabbage, pulses, lentils, green vegetables, peppers and herbs
• Reduce animal sources – animal fats introduce more oestrogen into the body
• Drink alcohol sensibly
• Melatonin helps to balance oestrogen – so try to improve your sleep, and don’t keep your mobile close to your bed (since electromagnetic force from it can disrupt melatonin).
• Take moderate levels of exercise – since this helps reduce the production of oestrogen and increase its clearance from the body

Not enough oestrogen

A relative deficiency can occur when too much oestrogen is cleared from your body, too little is recycled by your body or when fat cells aren’t making enough from androgen hormones.  The actual deficiency occurs after menopause when your ovaries stop making it.

Symptoms

You may have low bone density, poor fertility, low sex drive, irregular periods, premature aging  or excessively dry skin.

What can you do about it?

• Being underweight can stop periods and cause oestrogen levels to fall below normal
• Eat too much fibre (in wheat bran only cereals for example) can lower oestrogen too much – eat fibre in wholefoods as this isn’t a problem
• Vitamin A deficiency – eat orange, yellow and green fruit and vegetables
• Over-exercising reduces oestrogen
• Smoking alters the metabolism of oestrogen – you may become oestrogen deficient as the oestrogen that is produced is inactive – this can lead to low bone density and early menopause

Not enough progesterone

By far the most progesterone problem is that of too little.  It is produced by the egg sac after the egg has been released at ovulation.

Symptoms

Painful breasts, PMS, unusual bleeding patterns and some types of infertility.

Possible causes

• If you fail to ovulate – as you will normally following birth, stopping the pill or while breastfeeding – but additionally in prolonged stress periods, during menopause and is dysfunctional bleeding patterns.
• The egg sac fails to produce enough progesterone – this may be from a faulty egg or ovarian hormone secretions. Another hormone rises (prolactin) and this is responsible for sore breasts, PMS, infertility and irregular periods.

This can be investigated by your GP with a range of tests.

What can you do about it?

• Look at the stressors in your life since prolonged stress has a major impact on your body and health. Follow a low GI diet, try yoga, or steady exercise, eat oats and look at your sleep hygiene.
• Eat a well balanced diet – ensure you include whole grains, legumes (especially soya beans), buts and seeds and cold water fish.
• Vitamin B6 deficiency has been indicated in high prolactin; eat potatoes, bananas, wild salmon, chicken and spinach.
• Increasing zinc in the diet can also reduce prolactin – eat shellfish, beef, turkey and beans.

References

Cooke, K & Trickey, R (2002) Problem Periods. Allen & Unwin.

Tomulet, L (201) Natural ways to lower prolactin. Available at: http://www.livestrong.com/article/206010-natural-ways-to-lower-prolactin/

Oregon State University: Linus Pauling Institute: Vitamin B6  "Women's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine"; Tori Hudson, N.D.; 2008 "Textbook of Natural Medicine"; Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D., and Michael T. Murray, N.D.; 2006 "Campbell-Walsh Urology"; Alan J. Wein, M.D., Ph.D.