7 Ways on How To Flush Out Excess Estrogen

It’s most likely that symptoms such as weight gain, acne, heavy periods, low libido, or premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are bothering you and hampering your day-to-day life. Perhaps that’s why you’re looking for ways to flush out excess estrogen from the body. If so, then you’re in the right place.

In this article, you’re going to find out everything you need to know about how to flush out excess estrogen from the body.

Hormones are chemical messengers in our body that carry messages to different organs to exert their functions. These hormones have a significant role in various functions, such as growth, development, metabolism, and sexual as well as cognitive functions.

Estrogen is a sex hormone that plays an essential part in the female body. This is one of the two key sex hormones that are responsible for maintaining sexual and reproductive health in women.

An imbalance between any of these two hormones in relation to each other leads to an array of sexual and overall health-related issues. In this blog, we’re going to talk about estrogen dominance and how to reduce estrogen dominance.

What Part Does Estrogen Play in the Health of Women?

Estrogen, also known as the “female” hormone, plays various roles in the female body. The development and maintenance of the reproductive system and female characteristics are the most important ones.

The ovaries of a woman create the most estrogen, whereas the adrenal gland and fat cells make up a small amount.

Estrogen’s primary function is to act as a growth hormone for female reproductive organs, including fallopian tubes, cervical glands, and the vagina. There are three types of estrogens: estrone, estradiol, and estriol. Estradiol is the one that’s present in abundance and the most essential during a female’s reproductive years.

Along with the reproductive system, estrogen also supports the proper function of the heart and brain, improves muscle mass, boosts mood, and improves sex. The bones, skin, hair, urinary tract, and mucous membranes are also affected by Estrogen levels.

Estrogen Dominance Symptoms

Estrogen dominance is an imbalance of hormones when there’s an excess of estrogen in the body. These are the most common symptoms associated with high estrogen levels:

• Fatigue
• Bloating
• Hair loss
• Headaches
• Weight gain
• Panic attacks
• Mood swings
• Anxiety attacks
• Trouble sleeping
• Decreased sex drive
• Cold feet and hands
• Fibrocystic breast lumps
• Irregular menstrual periods
• Memory issues/foggy memory
• Breast tenderness and swelling

What Causes an Excess of Estrogen in the Body?

One of the most common hormonal imbalances in women has to do with estrogen. Low estrogen in women is associated with menopause and its exasperating symptoms. On the other hand, high levels of estrogen can also cause many issues and increase the risk of several diseases. Here’s what causes estrogen levels to be high.

There can be two major causes of estrogen dominance in the body:

1. Endogenous: Your body starts creating too much estrogen internally or it struggles to eliminate estrogen through the liver and bowel.
2. Exogenous: Exposure to any external source that increases the estrogen levels in the body. These exogenous sources are estrogen-like substances that are referred to as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

Sometimes it’s the combination of these two factors that contribute to estrogen dominance in women over time.

7 Ways to Flush Out Extra Estrogen

There are several health risks associated with estrogen dominance, such as ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, breast cancer, and endometriosis. Thus, it becomes important to flush out excess estrogen from the system.

Here’s how to reduce estrogen dominance in the body easily and effectively on your own. 

1. Support Healthy Liver Performance

The primary function of our liver is to flush out toxins from the body. When our liver stops functioning effectively, the excess amount of estrogen doesn’t get flushed out, creating estrogen dominance. Since liver health plays an important role in maintaining estrogen balance, supporting liver health also becomes crucial.

Adopting a diet that’s rich in antioxidants, such as grapefruit, berries, and nuts will promote good liver health. You may also try dandelion tea as it is also shown to detoxify the liver.

2. Limit Coffee and Alcohol Intake

Overconsumption of alcohol and coffee can cause toxin buildup in the liver. Consuming a lot of coffee daily can burden your liver to flush caffeine out as opposed to other toxins like estrogen.

Alcohol can even trigger a stress response in the adrenal gland, resulting in excessive production of cortisol. Excess cortisol lowers progesterone levels, which in turn increases the levels of estrogen.

Wine changes the way our body breaks down estrogen, dramatically increasing the levels of estrogen in the body.

3. Consume Foods That Help With Estrogen Detox

Eating foods that can help to get rid of excess estrogen from the body, could also benefit significantly. Fiber-rich foods such as mustard greens, cruciferous vegetables, and Brussels sprouts are beneficial for good digestion. In addition, legumes, nuts, whole grains, lentils, and chickpeas will also keep things moving and flush out toxins effectively. 

4. Stay Away From Environmental Estrogens

Estrogen and chemicals resembling estrogen from the environment can also contribute to estrogen dominance. Birth control pills contain synthetic forms of estrogen. Dairy products, meat, and eggs coming from animals given exogenous hormones also contain a high amount of estrogen.

Therefore, it’s advised to go for dairy and poultry products that come from grass-fed and pasture-raised animals. Make-up products, fragrances, and plastics are also some common sources of estrogen and chemicals resembling estrogen. To reduce your exposure to xenoestrogens, you should avoid plastic products that contain BPA.

5. Make Use of Supplements and Herbs

Magnesium and Vitamin B6 do a good job of balancing hormonal levels. On the other hand, probiotics can be used to promote a healthy gut microbiome, which further supports the easy flushing out of estrogen from the body.

Polyphenols, the much-known powerful antioxidants, have also been found to aid hormonal balance. Herbs and spices, as well as beverages such as green tea, contain an abundant amount of polyphenols.

One study has also shown evidence of a lower urinary concentration of estrogen as an effect of frequent consumption of green tea. You can benefit from consuming green tea, or you can also consider taking polyphenol supplements.

Other than that, herbal supplements which include turmeric, ginseng, ginger, and milk thistle also promote the functioning of the liver.

6. Decrease Body Fat

Some studies have found a connection between obesity and increased production of estrogen. If you maintain a healthy weight, it can help reduce the production of excess estrogen.

Physical activity and exercise are effective in reducing body fat and flushing excess estrogen. This also eliminates the risk of menopausal weight gain and postmenopausal breast cancer.

7. Reduce Stress

Taking too much stress also contributes to the excessive production of estrogen. Stress increases insulin and cortisol levels in the body, causing an imbalance between progesterone and estrogen.

Overproduction of cortisol reduces the production of progesterone, which means relatively higher levels of estrogen in the body. Lower levels of progesterone also mean a halt in ovulation.

Thus, managing stress using mindful practices such as yoga, meditation, lifestyle changes, and breathing techniques is crucial.

How Does the Body Process Estrogen?

Our body processes estrogen through a two-step detoxification process involving the liver and digestive system. Several proteins, vitamins, and minerals are required by the liver in order for it to bind estrogen and excrete it through the digestive system.

The health of our gut microbiome also plays an imperative role here because our digestive system eliminates estrogen. In the case of an unhealthy microbiome, poor digestive health could also result in an excess of estrogen.

Does Apple Cider Vinegar Increase Estrogen?

No, apple cider vinegar has actually been observed to decrease estrogen. A study conducted on rats found that apple cider vinegar (ACV) reduced the levels of estrogen and testosterone. But it’s noteworthy that it increased progesterone levels in rats.

Some internet sources claim that apple cider vinegar is good for PCOS and improves hormonal balance in women. However, more research is needed to establish the effects of ACV on reproductive parameters as fact. 

What Does High Estrogen Do to a Man?

Estrogen is known as the “female” hormone. It may be the reason why some people question its functions in the male body. Yes, it’s true that estrogen is called the “female” hormone, and testosterone is called the “male” hormone. But that’s because of their predominant amounts and functions in the female and male bodies.

Both these hormones are found in male and female bodies. Estrogen plays a key role in the development of sexual characteristics and functions in women. Testosterone plays the same role in biological male bodies. However, estradiol is the one form of estrogen hormone which is particularly crucial to male sexuality.

High estrogen levels may negatively impact sperm production in men and can even cause other related health issues. Symptoms of high estradiol in men include delayed puberty, short stature, erectile dysfunction, infertility, and swelling or enlargement of breast tissue.

Frequently Asked Questions Relating To High Estrogen Levels 

How Can I Lower My Estrogen Levels Quickly?

Above, I have mentioned all the possible ways you can flush out estrogen. Here’s a quick rundown of the same.

• Eat healthy foods.
• Reduce stress.
• Consume a fiber-rich diet.
• Limit or cut back on processed meat.
• Limit your intake of alcohol or caffeine.
• Stay away from environmental estrogen.
• Limit intake of processed foods and refined carbs.
• Stay fit by exercising or doing other physical activities.
• Take supplements and herbs to promote gut and liver health.

What Foods Get Rid of Excess Estrogen?

Foods that can help you get rid of excess estrogen include fiber-rich food, broccoli sprouts, cruciferous vegetables, and fruits. In addition, other foods that are able to detox estrogen effectively are:

• Green tea
• Tart cherries
• High protein foods
• Omega-3d-rich fish and salmon
• Seeds: Flax, sesame, and fenugreek seeds
• Fermented foods: Yogurt, pickled ginger, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, etc.

What Are the Symptoms of High Estrogen?

The most common symptoms of high estrogen levels in women include:

• Fatigue
• Bloating
• Headaches
• Weight gain
• Mood swings
• Decrease in sex drive
• Fibrocystic lumps in the breasts
• Irregular or heavy menstrual periods
• Swelling and tenderness in your breasts
• Increased premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms

Conclusion

We are sure by now you’ve understood that women need a balanced amount of estrogen and progesterone for optimal health. Making some changes in your diet and lifestyle can effectively help you regain the required hormonal balance.

Hope we have addressed all your queries and helped you find out how to flush out excess estrogen from your body.

For optimal gut health, you may also check out our optimal healthy gut solution. After all, good digestive health is the key to flushing out excess toxins such as estrogen from the body!