Super Star Estrogen and How to Balance It Naturally Without Synthetic Hormones or Anti-depressants!

As women go through menopause, their estrogen and progesterone decrease.  Many changes happen in their body as these hormones decrease. Some symptoms they might experience during this transition include hot flashes and night sweats, insomnia, and vaginal dryness.

Boosting estrogen, whether with supplements or bio identical hormones, will help them regulate their temperature, improve sleep, and generally make them feel more comfortable. 

When a patient, Ellen, came in to visit me for menopausal changes, first we discussed her symptoms, along with her personal and family history; then I ordered hormone testing.  At her follow up visit, we reviewed her results which revealed low estrogen and altered estrogen metabolism, so we developed a plan to correct her imbalances.  Using supplements, we successfully eliminated her hot flashes and insomnia, as well as restored her libido and energy. 

So what does estrogen do? 

Well, estrogen affects many different areas of your body:

·       Slows bone loss, reduces fractures, and improves coordination and balance.

·       Assists with cognition and memory.

·       Keeps your eyes moist and protects you from macular degeneration. 

·       Helps your gums and teeth.  Estrogen loss is associated with receding gums, tooth loss, and fractures.

·       Protects against colon cancer. 

·       Keeps skin moist, elastic and toned. 

·       Supports hair growth.

·       Promotes sex drive.

·       Keeps the vagina toned, lubricated, and elastic.  It also keeps structures in place. 

·       As a woman progresses through menopause, the mucosal lining of the vulva and vagina thins (ie vaginal atrophy); this thinning can also extend to the urethra resulting in recurrent and/or chronic bladder infections.

·       Long-term estrogen loss is associated with urinary incontinence.

·       Decreased estrogen may cause hot flashes and night sweats along with heart palpitations.

·       Alterations in estrogen can cause changes in breast size. 

·       As estrogen fluctuates during perimenopause, mood changes are common especially irritability.

Clearly, estrogen affects many bodily systems.  I am happy to report there are numerous options to keep your body in balance without medication. The other good news is that even as your hormones change, you may have very few symptoms, as everyone experiences this transition differently.

Here are a few foundational steps to managing menopause:

    ●          Focus on hydration by drinking filtered water; the goal is ½ your body weight in ounces

    ●          Eat 2 or more servings of organic veggies every meal

    ●          Consume 2 Tbsp organic ground flaxseed daily

    ●          Use castor oil packs over your liver for 1 hour every evening

If you are experiencing perimenopausal symptoms and need some assistance, please reach out to me. I would love to help you on your health journey.  Menopause can be a joyful time and an easy transition; sometimes women just need a little help to make it more manageable. 

Rachel Oppitz, ND