Estrogen, although present in small amounts in the body, can impact one’s overall health and wellness in crazy ways. Too much or too little can throw off your health, both mentally and physically. Low estrogen can commonly occur during menopause in women, thus leading to a host of unwanted and bothersome symptoms. But, menopause (or this issue) should not be making your life miserable. There are actually many ways that you can help treat your estrogen levels, totally naturally, at home. Estrogen, the primary female hormone along with progesterone, is needed for much more than fertility. Estrogen maintains good calcium levels in your bones plus it helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Every cell in your brain requires estrogen for optimal cognition and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. We interviewed Dr. Vikki Petersen, certified clinical nutritionist, chiropractor, and certified functional medicine practitioner, for her tips on how to naturally increase estrogen and what the signs are that this might be happening to you. Keep reading for more!
5 Signs That You May Have Low Estrogen
1) Weight gain
With insufficient estrogen, your body burns and metabolizes starch and sugars less effectively. The result is an increase in fat storage, decreased muscle mass, and resultant weight gain, more predominantly in the abdomen.
2) Mood Swings and Depression
Estrogen is a serotonin stabilizer. When levels decrease you are more likely to experience depression, irritability and mood swings.
3) Fatigue
This issue not only decreases your ability to deal with stress but also tends to burden your thyroid. The result is fatigue and lethargy.
4) Urinary Tract Infections and Vaginal Dryness
Estrogen is needed to keep the tissues of the vagina healthy and the mucus lining stable and healthy. Lowered levels not only result in vaginal dryness, but the reduced health of the mucus membranes open you up to opportunistic infection and can result in urinary tract infections.
5) Hot Flushes and Night Sweats
Lowered estrogen affects your hypothalamus, the part of your brain that controls your internal temperature. The result is hot flashes during the day and night sweats at night, resulting in disturbed sleep and insomnia.
How To Fix It Naturally
So, how can someone work to raise estrogen levels naturally? It takes a lot of readjusting your life to be healthy and take care of your body. You need to use diet or other holistic approaches to get a balanced estrogen level. Here are Dr. Vikki Petersen’s top three things that can help boost levels naturally.
1) Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays a role in estrogen synthesis, therefore maintaining a healthy vitamin D level can help maintain or raise levels of this hormone. You can even get vitamin D from sun exposure, so make sure to spend some time outdoors each day.
2) Flax and Sesame Seeds
Flax seeds and sesame seeds are natural phytoestrogens that can help with metabolism and are a tasty addition to many meals, including salads, smoothies, and more. Get creative in finding ways to add these to your diet.
3) Soybeans
Soybeans (make sure they are organic) also contain phytoestrogens that act to balance your body, raising deficient levels and lowering excess levels. Soy-based products are not bad for you, as many people think!
