Detoxification and Female Hormones

In the years between puberty and menopause, many women experience health problems that can be attributed, at least in part, to dominance from the female hormone estrogen.

These women have more circulating estrogen in their systems than the counterpart hormone, progesterone. The imbalance from excess estrogen is an underlying cause of common health challenges for women.

It can also be the underlying cause of less obvious problems, such as irregular periods, decreased libido, weight gain, brain fog, sleep problems, and fatigue.

While your genetics play a role in excess estrogen production, so do other factors. A poor diet high in processed foods and low in fiber and micronutrients, stress, poor liver function, inadequate sleep, and lack of physical exercise can all contribute to estrogen dominance. Worryingly, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are increasingly being recognized as a source of excess estrogen production. These environmental toxins are hormone mimics that the body can take up just as your hormones are. EDCs can block your natural hormones and keep them from functioning normally; they can also affect how your hormones are broken down or stored in the body. These chemicals are all around us—they’re found in cosmetics, food packaging, fabric softeners, flame retardants, some plastic bottles, and many other widely used household products.^[1] They can accumulate in your liver and keep you from detoxifying estrogen correctly—and create even more estrogen imbalance. EDCs are linked to health problems.  

In addition to your diet, lifestyle, and environment, the way you detoxify your own estrogen may be contributing to your estrogen imbalance. Estrogen is actually a broad name for a group of three female hormones:

Estradiol, produced in the ovaries, is the dominant form of estrogen. It’s the form that affects your libido and your fertility. It’s also the form that supports a healthy cardiovascular system and strong bones.

• Your levels of estradiol naturally begin to drop as your reach your mid-30s. By the time you reach menopause, estradiol production stops.
• Estriol is the form of estrogen produced during pregnancy.
• Estrone is a form of estrogen produced both by the ovaries and by fat tissue. You continue to produce some estrone even after menopause.

When estradiol is first broken down in your liver, it is converted into three different estrone forms. One form is considered safe because it has only weak estrogenic activity. The other two forms are less desirable. They have more estrogenic activity and may be carcinogenic. The second phase of liver detoxification breaks all the estrones down further and makes them much less potentially harmful.

If your liver is functioning efficiently, estradiol's breakdown products get converted into less harmful versions and are quickly eliminated from your body. Excess estrogen, however, can slow the process by putting an extra detoxification burden on your liver. When your liver is also carrying an environmental toxin load and isn’t functioning well due to a poor diet, the estradiol breakdown process is even slower, and your exposure to the dangerous metabolites is longer. This puts you at greater risk of estrogen-related health issues. The impact of poor liver detoxification is felt in another way: You may gain weight or be unable to lose weight, no matter how carefully you watch your calories. If you’re following a ketogenic diet, excess estrogen and poor liver detoxification can keep you from entering ketosis.

To help your liver detoxify excess estrogen, start with a better diet and make other lifestyle improvements, such as getting more daily exercise. For example, a high-fiber diet has positively affected estrogen metabolism,^[2] while regular physical activity can help normalize estrogen metabolism.^[3] Reduce your exposure to EDCs as much as possible. Good places to start are switching to organic food and choosing eco-friendly household products.  

Simultaneously, support your liver with a protocol that gives it the micronutrients and cofactors it needs to remove environmental toxins and handle estrogen detoxification efficiently.

BioDIM®Complex is a key nutritional supplement for positively affecting estrogen metabolism and detoxification.* It contains diindolylmethane, shortened to DIM, an indole compound found in cruciferous vegetables that helps shift estrone metabolism away from the harmful breakdown products.* BioDIM® Complex also contains calcium D-glucarate to support an important detoxification pathway in the liver, Trans-Resveratrol for supporting estrogen metabolism, vitamin D3 for bone health, and vitamin E and HMRlignan for free-radicals.

Detox Benefits™ is a multi-ingredient formula that is one of the best women's health supplements to support liver detoxification functions, especially for detoxing environmental chemicals. * The formula contains Siliphos Silybin Phytosome, a highly available form of silymarin, the active ingredient in milk thistle. Silymarin supports liver detoxification through free radical protection.*. The formula is chlorella, which helps detoxify the liver by binding with heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and turmeric extract, which helps support bile production in the liver and acts as a powerful free-radical fighter. *

Enzyme Benefits™ provides some of the key enzymes your digestive system needs to break down your food into digestible components.*. When you have plenty of the right enzymes, digestion moves along correctly; without enough of them, or the right ones, food isn’t broken down well, and digestion slows. A sluggish digestive tract puts an extra strain on the liver, which may already be overburdened. Enzyme Benefits™ provide a broad range of thirteen enzymes at clinically significant levels to support the digestion of fats, proteins, fiber, gluten, sugars, and other food components. *

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Sleep Benefits™ provides five simple ingredients that can help support better sleep and support estrogen detoxification. *Ashwagandha, used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine from India, supports your circadian rhythm; melatonin supports better sleep quality. *  The amino acid L-theanine and the neurotransmitter GABA naturally support relaxation, while lemon balm is a traditional herbal remedy that helps relaxation and works synergistically with GABA. *

Daily Best™ Women is a comprehensive daily multiple vitamin/mineral supplement that targets the need for hormonal balance. * This formulation includes the core vitamins and minerals all women need for good health. It also contains a special blend of ingredients targeted to a woman’s hormones, including chasteberry, ashwagandha, calcium D-glucarate, L-theanine, and cranberry extract. The formula includes added ingredients that support detoxification, including NAC, CoQ10, alpha-lipoic acid, and Meriva Curcumin Phytosome. The formula contains the flavonoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene for supporting eye health as a bonus. *

Mega Probiotic™ supports the digestive system and helps balance the beneficial bacteria in the reproductive and urinary tracts.* When digestion moves smoothly, the liver detoxifies efficiently.

SPM Complete provides the omega-3 fatty acids needed to support liver detoxification and stimulate the flow of bile.*. Specialized pro-resolving mediator metabolites (SPMs can also help support detoxification and normal inflammatory pathways.* pro-resolving mediators also play a role in the body’s ability to respond to environmental toxin challenges.*

Remember, how well your body detoxifies is vital to your health. Reducing the hidden toxic load is key—what’s invisible is hurting your health.

By Dr. Rob Silverman

By Dr. Rob Silverman

Resources:

¹ Lauretta R, Sansone A, Sansone M, Romanelli F, Appetecchia M. Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Effects on Endocrine Glands. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019 Mar 21;10:178. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00178. PMID: 30984107; PMCID: PMC6448049.