QUEEN of ESTROGEN, Part II

Part II: The Science Behind it All

I'm a little unbalanced.

My problem, among others that I have, is being "Estrogen Dominant." That's a condition in which a woman can have deficient, normal, or excessive levels of estrogen, but has too little progesterone to balance it. Let me try to sum that jargon up. Estrogen is balanced by progesterone-- if there isn't enough progesterone, you end up with too much estrogen.

Understanding the players: ESTROGEN & PROGESTERONE. Where do they come from? How they end up unbalanced?

1) Your monthly cycle.

A menstrual cycle can be divided into two phases: the follicular phase which is the first half, and the luteal phase which is the second half. The follicular phase is where estrogen peaks and ovulation occurs. The second half of the cycle is where progesterone is released from the corpus luteum, the rupture that was formed on the ovary from the egg being released at ovulation. That rupture is stimulated by a hormone from the pituitary gland, and large quantities of progesterone are released.

Okay. So basically estrogen is made through your cycle, and then when you ovulate, progesterone kicks in and balances it out-- sort of controls it. But what if you don't ovulate? What if you're on birth-control pills that work by preventing ovulation? Well, then you'd have no corpus luteum rupture on your ovary to produce any progesterone at all-- and your estrogen levels will just get higher and higher every month.

2) Stress & Your adrenal glands' production and use of progesterone.

One of the main functions of the adrenal glands is the production of cortisol, a stress-fighting hormone that is made from progesterone. When you experience high levels of stress, the increased need for cortisol depletes the progesterone that is required to make it. As more progesterone is shunted or sequestered to make cortisol, less is available to balance off the estrogen. If you're stressed out, you end up with less progesterone, and thus-- too much estrogen as a consequence.
Not only that-- but cortisol stimulates slow-wave, restorative sleep. A deficiency of progesterone can limit your production of cortisol, which, can cause you to feel exhausted. Even after a full nights’ sleep. That may be why I am so exhausted. Plus, progesterone has a calming, sedative affect that reduces the amount of time required to fall asleep, and which helps you to stay asleep. If, like me, you don't have enough of that stuff-- it could explain why you're having trouble sleeping.

3) During pregnancy, the placenta produces progesterone.

Progesterone also increases blood supply of oxygen and improves circulation, both of which are important in pregnancy. What may interest my sisters, is that post-partum depression is due, in part, to a relative depletion of the body's stock of progesterone vs. estrogen.

4) Xeno-hormone exposure is a source of estrogen.

Livestock, from which we get not only meat, but also eggs and milk, are fed growth hormones and estrogenic hormones to cause rapid growth so they can be marketed sooner, and then we eat those hormones. Also, the sugar and chemicals ingested from processed foods create chemicals called “xeno-estrogens” in our bodies, which stimulates a vicious cycle in which fat cells are enlarged. Fat cells in turn make more estrogen in the body. Source. Transfats like margarine also contain xeno-hormones. Processed foods and pesticides are full of them.


The extra sources of estrogen that frankly have no business being in your body can be limited by sticking to organics & whole foods, and by any number of other things. If you're interested in this I'd suggest checking out Mastering Your Metabolism and Melissa's Blog.

5) Excess fat storages in your body produce estrogen as well.

This is the most ridiculous cycle I've ever heard of, but it's true: excess estrogen makes you gain weight, and those extra fat cells that you've gained then produce more estrogen that... make you gain weight. Lather, rinse, repeat.


After learning more about what can disrupt your hormones and not just what they're meant to do, I've had "oh, that's why this is going on" moments. I'm so glad there is information to be had that can help me repair and replenish imbalances-- cause I'm really looking forward to being healthy again.