The Hormone Trilogy

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

The Adrenal Summit

You've heard me discuss estrogen dominance in the past but today we need to dive deep into this health issue for both men and women. Yes, I did say men and women.

Most often it is thought that estrogen dominance is a female issue. While it is true that many women in my practice are challenged with estrogen dominance for a variety of reasons, it is equally as challenging for men in my practice.

First off let's look at the primary causes for estrogen dominance. For both men and women I feel that the main issue is an overproduction of an enzyme aromatase. Too much aromatase in the body will convert testosterone into estrogen type hormones and leave both men and women with low testosterone and high estrogen hormones. High estrogen is a risk factor for breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men, both of which are a significant concern for each gender. The other issue is tied into the health challenges due to low testosterone. Testosterone influences mood, memory, metabolism, bone density, energy, and ability to burn fat and build muscle. In women, a small amount of testosterone is produced in the ovaries while most is produced in the adrenal glands. Testosterone binds to receptors inside the body’s cells where it exerts its effects.

As an example, I had a male client that came to see me due to symptoms of hormone imbalance. He had seen another practitioner in the past that tested his testosterone due to symptoms shared. Low energy, lack of motivation, lack of sex drive and weight gain. When his testosterone testing came back, this did show low testosterone. At this time, this practitioner suggested the implants of "rods" under the skin that would slowly release testosterone over the next year to help this person achieve optimal testosterone levels. By the time this client came to Depke Wellness and we reviewed a comprehensive adrenal panel, he not only showed very little improvement but this estradiol specifically was at 16. This was for a man that should have an estradiol level of 1-3. Yikes! I knew this gentleman personally and I joked that he was becoming a woman, except it really was not a joke. When I shared this he mentioned that his breast tissue was increasing and his moods were changing dramatically. Basically what was happening is that the increased testosterone due to supplementation was being converted into estrogen hormones. That is not what we're looking for.

Obviously with this example, the low testosterone was not the issue but rather the conversion of testosterone into estrogen hormones. This is not just a male issue though, I see this in women with regularity also.

From here there are two different focal points. Number one, if you do have elevated estrogen hormones, this should be addressed ASAP because as mentioned above, this is a risk factor for breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. When I do find this estrogen dominance, I recommend Myomin, which is a collection of Chinese herbs that assist the body in lowering the aromatase. Remember, this is the enzyme that converts the testosterone into estrogen hormones.

But let's not stop there. I feel that it is important to get to the bottom of why the aromatase is high in the first place. This is where the insulin comes in. When we are consuming foods that are high glycemic foods or if we are chronically stressed, this will leave us with high blood sugar levels. This high blood sugar will require an increase in insulin to assist in removing the sugar from the blood. In the end, the high insulin will lead to an increase in aromatase, thus the conversion of testosterone into estrogen hormones.

Hopefully you can see the necessary steps already. First, when you are looking at hormones, look at all of them and not single hormones. At Depke Wellness, we do this with a comprehensive adrenal test kit. You really want the full picture of what is going on in your adrenal glands as well as ovaries and testicles. Once you recognize estrogen dominance, address this ASAP with Myomin and also be sure to focus on your nutrition and stress to get to the core of your challenge.

There is one more disturbing challenge for estrogen dominance that I have to share. I often see women estrogen dominant due to the use of estrogen creams. I do not want to say that other practitioners do it wrong and Depke Wellness does it right, I am just going to say that we do it different. At Depke Wellness, we never recommend estrogen creams because these vascular creams tend to build up in the fat tissue with very little making it into the blood, which is where it needs to be actually. This build up in the fat tissue will often leave women estrogen dominant, and we see this so often in our clinic.

The other challenge with using estrogen creams is that this is simply a symptom care because you are working with a "end result" hormone. If you are tested with low estrogen hormones, we recommend that you focus on balancing your adrenal gland function and get to the bottom of what is triggering this. That's dealing with your estrogen issues where it's really off.

So in the end, be sure to understand that your potential low testosterone, estrogen dominance and insulin are creating a trilogy that is less than enjoyable for you.

Thankfully, this can all be balanced when tested and addressed properly.

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