Many people find it frustrating when lifestyle changes aimed at improving health and losing weight don't yield the desired results. The weight loss industry often promotes fad diets and workout regimens promising dramatic transformations. However, the common advice of "eat less and move more" isn't always effective, and can sometimes worsen the situation. If you're experiencing this, a hormonal imbalance, specifically estrogen dominance, might be the cause.
Understanding Hormones and Metabolism
Hormones are chemical messengers that regulate various bodily functions, including metabolism, appetite, fertility, and mood. They act as the body's gas pedal and brakes, ensuring smooth metabolic function when balanced. However, hormonal imbalances can disrupt metabolism, leading to various health issues. These hormone-influenced metabolic shifts are not flaws but rather a result of the body's sensitivity to environmental changes, particularly important for those who may create life in their bodies.
While multiple hormones can affect weight, estrogen is a primary concern. Estrogen, produced by the ovaries, is crucial for the female reproductive system, bone health, brain function, and heart health.
What is Estrogen Dominance?
Estrogen dominance occurs when there is an excess of estrogen in the body relative to progesterone, or an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone. Some medical literature refers to unopposed estrogen as estrogen dominance, which happens when the body doesn't produce enough progesterone to balance estrogen's effects.
During peri-menopause, progesterone levels often decrease first, leading to a state of estrogen dominance. While estrogen levels do decline during menopause, if progesterone levels drop at a faster rate, estrogen dominance can still occur.
Read also: Estrogen's Impact on Weight Management
Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance
In women, estrogen dominance can manifest in various ways, including:
- Weight gain, particularly around the belly and hips
- Water retention and bloating
- Painful breasts
- Irregular periods
- Mood swings, anxiety, and depression
- Foggy brain
- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- More severe conditions like fibroids, cysts, and endometriosis
- Low sex drive
- Acne due to increased skin inflammation and overproduction of oil in the sebaceous glands.
- Hair thinning or hair loss
Men can also experience symptoms of estrogen dominance, although they are less widely discussed.
The Vicious Cycle of Estrogen and Fat
Weight loss with estrogen dominance can be particularly challenging. Fat tissue can produce more estrogen, creating a vicious cycle where increased fat leads to higher estrogen levels, which in turn promotes more fat storage. The aromatase enzyme converts testosterone to estrogen, so the more estrogen you have, the more fat you’re likely to store. As a result, aromatase activity increases, resulting in lower testosterone and higher estrogen levels.
Estradiol's Role in Weight Regulation
Estradiol, a form of estrogen, plays a critical role in reproductive function and also influences food intake and energy expenditure. It acts on neurons in the hypothalamus, affecting appetite. During the menstrual cycle, estradiol levels fluctuate, impacting food cravings and intake. For example, food intake is lower in the periovulatory phase when estradiol levels surge.
A reduction in estradiol levels, as seen in menopause, can lead to increased food intake and potentially contribute to obesity and insulin resistance.
Read also: Foods to Avoid with Estrogen Dominance
Strategies for Addressing Estrogen Dominance and Weight Loss
Fortunately, there are several strategies to help balance hormones, reduce estrogen dominance, and support weight loss.
1. Dietary Modifications
- Increase Fiber Intake: Fiber binds to estrogen in the gut, helping to eliminate excess estrogen from the body. Aim for 25-35 grams of fiber per day from sources like beans, legumes, whole grains, and vegetables. Viscous soluble fiber found in chia seeds, oats, and beans may be particularly beneficial for fat loss.
- Choose Healthy Carbs: Opt for complex carbohydrates from whole, real food sources like oats, beans, fruits, and vegetables. These provide a steady source of energy and support healthy cortisol levels, which is key for keeping estrogen and progesterone at healthy levels. Swap fast-burn carbs like white bread, white pasta, and flour tortillas, for slow-burn carbs like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, beans/lentils, and quinoa.
- Include Liver-Supporting Foods: Incorporate foods that support liver detoxification, such as cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts). These vegetables contain a phytonutrient called indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which has been shown to improve the production of "good" estrogen and decrease the "bad" estrogen.
- Choose Healthy Fats: Healthy fats help with blood sugar balance because they are digested slowly. Good sources include olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds.
- Eat Regularly to Support Blood Sugar: Eating regularly helps stabilize blood sugar levels, preventing insulin resistance, and supporting thyroid health.
- Limit Alcohol Intake: Alcohol may increase estrogen levels in the body. Limit alcohol intake to 1-2 drinks per week. Research now concludes no level of alcohol is helpful for our health.
- Reduce Sugar Intake: Elevated blood sugar levels from processed foods, sugar, and simple carbs cause your body to develop insulin resistance and keep too much fat in storage in your cells. Read labels to scrutinize sugar content. Men should have no more than 9 tsp (27 grams) a day. For women, it is 6 tsp (24 grams), and for children, no more than 4 tsp (16 grams).
- Prioritize Whole Foods: Focus on eating whole foods as much as possible, avoiding pre-packaged meals and processed foods. Don’t be afraid of calories and fat - as long as they are “good” fats and “healthy” calories.
- Balance your hormones naturally, without restrictive diets or extremes.
2. Lifestyle Adjustments
- Regular Exercise: Exercise helps detoxify estrogens. Combining strength training with a protein-rich diet helps you build muscle and burn fat. By improving your body composition you reduce the amount of fat tissue that can produce and store estrogen, which improves estrogen dominance. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week.
- Reduce Stress: Stress releases cortisol, which could increase blood sugar. High-stress levels increase cortisol production, thereby depleting progesterone - a hormone that counters estrogen. An effective stress management program plays an important role in balancing hormones.
- Prioritize Sleep: A chronic sleep deficit leads to elevated levels of ghrelin and lower levels of leptin in your body. Aim for the recommended 7 to 8 hours a night.
- Avoid Xenoestrogens: Xenoestrogens are chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body and are found in many household products such as cleaning supplies, cosmetics, and plastics. Reducing exposure to these chemicals is essential.
3. Gut Health
- Address Gut Health: Gut integrity is closely linked to Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease). Gut bacteria play a more significant role in our health than most of us realize. Some unfriendly bacteria can cause you to recirculate estrogens, similar to a toilet that doesn’t flush well.
- Incorporate Probiotic-Rich Foods: Probiotics can help balance the gut microbiome, which is important for estrogen metabolism.
4. Supplements
- Consider Supplements: Thyroid-supportive nutrients like selenium, iodine (in the right balance), zinc, and vitamin A could be beneficial if you have thyroid issues.
5. Medical Consultation
- Meet with a Provider: If you've tried losing weight but can't seem to budge the scale and are feeling frustrated, meet with a provider to discuss your unique health needs is important. Ideally, you’ll work with a practitioner who will order a full thyroid panel, along with sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone (although these can be tricky if you have irregular cycles), and adrenal hormones like cortisol. One thing to add - we all live in different bodies, so a healthcare professional can also help you decide if the weight you're carrying is healthy for your body and readjust expectations if needed. If you experience rapid weight gain or loss (like 10 lbs or more in a 6 month period of time) it is time to see your provider.
Menopause and Weight Gain
Weight gain during menopause is a common issue. During peri-menopause, the first hormone that decreases is usually progesterone. This can lead to estrogen dominance, a common symptom of which is weight gain, causing you to store more fat around your stomach area.
PCOS and Weight Gain
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine-based condition caused by an imbalance in hormones like testosterone, insulin, and progesterone. Because of inflammation and insulin resistance, PCOS can make it harder to lose weight and contribute to increased weight gain. Addressing weight issues in people with PCOS is never a calories in/ calories out conversation. And you cannot cure PCOS by losing weight, but in many instances, it can help symptoms.
Importance of Professional Guidance
It is important to work with your doctor to get a full picture of your hormonal health before starting any treatment for menopause symptoms. This should involve comprehensive blood tests and consultations to understand your symptoms and how your cycle affects you.
Read also: Weight Loss and Estrogen Levels