What Is Low Estrogen?

Estrogen plays an important role in the maturity of females from childhood to adulthood. It is the hormone that allows sexual development in females from puberty. Estrogen is also involved with bone metabolism, uterine lining growth, and cholesterol metabolism. Having low estrogen levels is a severe condition, due to the crucial role it plays. We’ll discuss some causes of low estrogen levels, how to increase estrogen, and some estrogen facts.

Estrogen functions as any part of a group of steroids secreted by the ovaries, and they work as female sex hormones. If the ovaries are affected by disease or injury, there will most likely be a negative effect on the production of estrogen. There are numerous factors which lead to low estrogen level, some of them include premature ovarian failure, Turner syndrome (a condition where a female child is born with only one X chromosome), chronic kidney disease, underperforming pituitary gland, excessive exercise, adrenal fatigue, magnesium deficiency, hypothyroidism, eating disorders such as anorexia, and a yeast overgrowth which may allow yeast toxins to block the hormone receptor sites in the body.

Estrogen levels may drop momentarily, due to some of the conditions already highlighted. However, there are some situations where estrogen production is minimal for an extended period of time due to conditions like Turner syndrome. Females are at a higher risk of having low estrogen levels if they haven’t experienced puberty or when they are getting closer to menopause.

Common Symptoms of Low Estrogen

• Irregular menstrual periods, no menstrual periods sometimes
• Hot flashes
• Headaches and migraines
• Urinary tract infection
• Fatigue
• Mood swings and depression
• Weaker bones which are prone to fractures due to decreased bone density
• Pain during sexual intercourse

9 Ways to Increase Estrogen Levels

Check your Estrogen Level

You have to see your doctor as soon as you notice symptoms of low estrogen. This should be your first step toward recovering from low estrogen.
You may have your blood tested for Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, followed by an estrogen therapy as prescribed by your doctor. Estrogen therapy includes the application of topical gels, skin patches, and the consumption of some pills. Some of these treatments act as synthetic hormones or substances bio-identical to estrogen.

Try Gaining Weight

If you are underweight, you may consider adding some weight. Estrogen secretion is sometimes affected when you are underweight. It is a given that your body needs fat to manufacture hormones like estrogen. You will have to return to having that healthy weight back on.

Change your Diet

For your endocrine system to function optimally, and for estrogen to be secreted properly, you need to maintain a healthy body with good food. If you’ve not been watching what goes in all this while, it’s high time you got back on track with a healthy diet. A deliberate change in diet and conscious consumption of phytoestrogen-rich foods will definitely boost your estrogen levels. Phytoestrogens also have a similar effect on your body as estrogen — they act like estrogen. Foods that contain phytoestrogens include soy nuts, edamame, and tofu. The foods in your diet must be non-GMO; also avoid soy nuts if your body cannot handle it due to allergic reaction or digestive difficulty. You can get more phytoestrogens from broccoli, whole grains, apricots, peas, flax seeds, mung bean sprouts, lima beans, cauliflower, cranberries, raw pumpkin seeds, and prunes.

Sugar can also be a factor affecting hormonal balance in your body; a lot of sugar will most likely cause hormonal imbalance and lead to low estrogen levels. Yeast overgrowth which causes some yeast toxins to block hormone receptor sites is also encouraged by sugar. So, watch how much sugar you consume. Magnesium-rich foods should be a part of your diet because of their estrogen increasing capabilities. Magnesium in your diet, or magnesium supplements, will help to stop the numerous symptoms of low estrogen in your body.

Quit Smoking

As simple as that, do it as quickly as you can. You might not be able to stop the habit immediately but reduce your smoking gradually until you can go on without it. Smoking has various health drawbacks, and the endocrine system isn’t spared. When smoking affects the endocrine system, estrogen secretion is impeded.

Keep Exercises Moderate

We already pointed at how excess exercises reduce estrogen levels, but that doesn’t mean that you should avoid exercise. You must maintain a healthy body for proper endocrine system functions, and this requires moderate exercise too. In fact, you will be risking having some terrible diseases if you live a sedentary life without exercising.
Moderation is key. You can only negatively affect estrogen levels if you exercise too much. So, keep exercising and keep it simple.

Increase your Fluid Intake

Drink more water, eat more juicy fruits, and consume more meals with water. You have to stay hydrated by increasing your bodily fluid in order to encourage proper endocrine system functions. So, some coconut water, watermelon, lettuce, celery, kale, and other vegetables are essentials in your diet. Adequate fluid intake helps to get rid of toxins and oxidative stress.

Consume Chasteberry Supplements

If you are not a fan of chasteberry yet, this is a time to be. This herb has a certain influence on estrogen levels and can be of great help in reversing low estrogen symptoms. You should consult your doctor before going for chasteberry supplements though, as there are a couple of complications that may occur with medications for treating Parkinson’s disease or birth control.

Herbal Teas

You may pick some herbal teas for regular consumption, as they can help to improve estrogen levels. Some of these herbal teas can be made from herbs like licorice, thyme, hops, red clover, saw Palmetto, alfalfa, and verbena. Steep any of these herbs in boiled hot water and let it stay for some five minutes before drinking. Drink these estrogen stimulating herbal teas moderately, because you may have sore breasts if too much estrogen is secreted. Some of these herbal teas also contain phytoestrogens.

Drink Coffee

Coffee has been linked to estrogen secretion since some studies prove that drinking more than 200mg of caffeine daily increases estrogen secretion. You may consume coffee more often, with a minimum of 200mg and a maximum intake of 400mg of caffeine. Organic coffee is best, so you don’t ingest chemicals like pesticides over an extended period of consumption.

Symptoms of Excess Estrogen Levels

As you can have low estrogen, you can also be challenged with excess estrogen. This is also known as estrogen dominance, and it is more common than low estrogen. Here are some of the symptoms of excess estrogen:

• Decreased sex drive
• Fatigue
• Bloating
• Mood swings and panic attacks
• Menstrual period irregularities
• Weight gain
• Anxiety
• Fibrocystic lumps and tender breasts
• Hair loss
• Headaches
• Cold hands and cold feet

If you feel any of these symptoms, or a combination of some of them, then you will need to check your hormones with your doctor.

Now that you Know…

Estrogen must be balanced within the body of a female. If it is too much or too little, the symptoms are unfavorable. Low estrogen is a serious condition and must be treated properly. The natural ways to increase estrogen levels which have been highlighted are the best and least harmful approach to correcting this condition. There are other medical procedures and treatments for low estrogen levels, including combined hormone therapy, but they might come with long term adverse effects. Always consult your doctor for more information as regards estrogen and hormonal interaction within your body. Keep it simple, keep it natural.