Hormone Balance Part II

Dr. Rachel Yankama – VoiceAmerica: A Doctor’s Guide to Hormone Balance Part II

Did you know  the body makes more than 100 different hormones?   And when some of these hormones get out of balance it causes problems with aging and weight gain.   When these  hormones are in balance,  most of the time the person is able to maintain a healthy weight.   Some of these hormones that play a role in maintaining a healthy weight are:

  1. insulin,
  2. glucagon,
  3. leptin,
  4. thyroid hormones,
  5. human growth hormone
  6. sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone),
  7. cortisol, and
  8. DHEA.

Insulin and glucagon have opposing effects.   Insulin helps get sugar into the cell and contributes to fat storage;  however glucagon  helps to pull the sugar out of storage so the body cn use it for energy.   What can a person do to maximize the effects of glucagon and minimize the effects of insulin?   Well,  one tip is to decrease the amount of processed  foods and sugar in the diet and increase the amount of whole grains,  veggies , fish  (especially salmon, mackerel and sardines)  which are high in omega 3 oils.    When you have a diet that is high in carbohydrates   (particularly with a high glycemic index, the pancreas pours out more  insulin and so the end effect is to store calories and gain weight.    Also adding chromium to the diet helps to normalize blood sugar  and reduces the amount of insulin the pancreas produces.    Brewers yeast  is a good source of chromium,  and adding 1-2 Tablespoons to the diet every day will help.  The other tip to increase your glucagon level is to only have 3 meals per day.   The  frequent meal plan actually contributes to increasing insulin levels which will have the effect of causing weight gain instead.

Now what about leptin?   This hormone plays a role in telling the brain when you are full when you are eating.   If you do not have enough leptin or too much leptin the end effect is to increase appetite.    Diets high in processed foods,  high fructose corn syrup,   transfatty acids cause the body to metabolize calories differently so that you store calories as fat, even if you are trying to reduce calorie intake.

Low thyroid can also contribute to metabolic imbalance,  meaning that calories get used up far more slowly than they should.   Having a poor diet makes this condition worse.   Conversely,  by improving your diet,  you can actually help your thyroid.   It is important to include a natural source of iodine in your diet such as in sea salt,  or kelp,  or other forms of seaweed such as nori and wakame,   and limit the amount of salt that you get in processed foods  (by eliminating the processed foods!)   Also eating plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits helps your body make more of the active form of the thyroid hormone.

Everybody is talking about human growth hormone  (HGH) and how it helps maintain a normal hormone balance and helps people loose weight.    And it truly does help because it helps to build muscle.   As people get older, they tend to make less HGH and so have a higher percentage of body fat than muscle.    There are a lot of companies out there selling  HGH.     Studies have shown that if you eat less frequently  the HGH rises.   Other tips  to increase HGH which don’t cost anything include:

  1. getting sufficient sleep at night;
  2. exercising on a regular basis;
  3. normalizing the blood insulin level (which we have discussed above);
  4. managing stress   (which can be done by  #1` and #2);
  5. and getting your sex hormones in balance.

Ok,  so how do you get your sex hormones in balance?   Women start making significantly less progesterone beginning at around age 35;  whereas men start making less testosterone beginning about age 20.   When women hit menopause they are making essentially  NO progesterone and only a little less estrogen and a little less testosterone. (Women that are underweight will make significantly less estrogen as they go through the “change” and can be deficient in estrogen as well.)  Ways to get the hormones in balance naturally include eliminating sugar,  smoking,  caffeine  and alcohol.   Also increasing exercise improves the hormone balance.    Foods that contribute to a better balance in both men and women  include eggs,  chicken, whole milk,  ground flax seed,  ground chia seed which are high in the omega 3 oils and fiber.   Of course it is better to eat these proteins  from organic sources where hormones and antibiotics are not used.   For example  eggs from free-range chickens have a different cholesterol content than eggs from chickens that are  fed hormones and that do not run around to find their own food.

Cortisol is made by the adrenal gland and is the primary “fight or flight”  hormone.   When a person  is stressed out regularly,  this hormone gets depleted over time.  When it is elevated it contributes to storing calories as fat   particularly around the middle  (meaning the belly).   Ways to reduce stress include yoga,  deep breathing techniques,  tai chi,  meditation and avoiding processed foods.

DHEA  short for  DiHydroEpiAndrostenedione  is one of the  hormones made by the adrenal gland that is really the building block for both estrogen and testosterone.   Diets that are high in trans fats,  coffee, processed foods cause this hormone to be produced in smaller amounts.     Tip:   Avoid these foods.   Add some saturated fats such as coconut oil and palm oil,  in addition to monounsaturated fats such as olive oil,   avocados and nuts.

There is a recurring theme here,  did you notice it?    Avoid processed foods,  sugar,  high fructose corn syrup,   and go organic,  more fresh vegetables and fruits, with higher fiber and whole grains.   Exercise regularly,  get some sunshine which will boost Vitamin  D levels,  and get  enough  sleep every night.

February 25th, 2010 | Category: Hormone Balance | 118 comments

Hormone Balance

Hormone balance can be achieved naturally,  and how you can find out if your hormones are out of balance. If hormones are in balance,  it adds to the sense of well being and to a person’s health.   To start with,  there needs to be a basic discussion about the hormones that are produced by the ovary, adrenals and peripheral tissue and their basic function.   Then  we’ll review how the hormones get out of balance and then how to re-balance them.

The basic building blocks for all the steroid hormones is cholesterol,  and most hormones in the blood are bound by protein carriers—albumin and SHBG.  Hormones are cleared  out of the system by converting them to either weaker  or inactive  forms,  or by conjugation to water- soluble forms that are then eliminated through the urine or the bile.  The ovary produces estrogens,  progesterone,  and androgens.    The process is moderately complex, and in reviewing  biochemical processes cholesterol is converted to several steps to either progesterone or 17-hydroxy- pregnenolone.    Progesterone is then converted to 17-hydroxyprogesterone  and then to androstenedione.    17-hydroxyprenenolone  requires an additional step, but can also be converted to androstenedione.     Androstenedione is then converted either to testosterone or to estrone,   and both of these can be made into estradiol.     Estriol is not made by the ovary, but instead is made by peripheral metabolism of estrone (a weak estrogen),  and estradiol  (a potent estrogen).    Estrone is also made by the fat cells.   Progesterone is made predominantly by the ovary,  (and a small amount from  the adrenal gland)   in the amount of 20 to 30 mg/day after ovulation (about 2-3 mg/day before ovulation).   In the post-menopausal woman, estrogen levels will decline to about 1/3 of the follicular phase level.    Progesterone levels will become practically non-detectable,   and testosterone levels will decline to about ½  of follicular phase levels.   So, what are the effects of these hormones and what symptoms may indicate that they are out of balance?

Estrogen is what stimulates a girl to go through puberty,  develop breasts, and the female curves around the hips.   Estrogen also signals the ovary to develop a follicle which will be primed for ovulation, and it also causes build up or proliferation of the endometrial lining cells.  During the menstrual cycle,  the first half is estrogen dominant. Once  ovulation occurs, then progesterone is made from the corpus luteum.  On the average, about 20 mg of progesterone is made daily and its main effects are to thicken the endometrium,  make it secretory and prepare it for implantation of a fertilized egg.    It increases the amount of nutrients and oxygen that are present in the endometrial lining.   It also increases libido.   So during the second half of the cycle progesterone is dominant.   Estrogens and progesterone are meant to balance each other, and work together for optimal health.
Now, if fertilization and implantation do not occur, then after about 14 days, the corpus luteum regressed and progesterone levels fall,  estrogen levels are low as well and the period then starts.
Every month this process occurs over  again.

What are the symptoms of hormone imbalance?   I’m sure you’ve heard people  complaining of :
  1. PMS,
  2. Mood swings,
  3. Hot flashes,
  4. Low sex drive,
  5. Acne,
  6. Bloating,
  7. Weight gain,
  8. Migraines,
  9. Fatigue,
  10. Insomnia,
  11. Breast tenderness,
  12. Infertility,
  13. Fluid retention,  or
  14. Thinning hair.

Any three of these together can indicate that a person has too much estrogen compared to the amount of progesterone, and in the words of Dr. John Lee, “Estrogen Dominant”.    Polycystic ovarian syndrome is an example of estrogen dominance.

What causes the hormones to get “out of balance”?
  1. Improper Diet,
  2. excess calories,
  3. liver dysfunction,
  4. too many sugars and refined starches,
  5. Environmental  toxins,
  6. pesticides, insecticides, plastics,
  7. hormones fed to cows, chicken, pigs to speed up growth or milk production,
  8. mineral oil and petrochemicals,
  9. many skin care products,
  10. microwaving food in plastic containers,
  11. increased exposure to toxins, including chlorine bleach, cleaning solutions, fertilizers,
  12. air and water pollution,
  13. petroleum by-products that are in chemicals from  building materials and carpeting,
  14. exposure to toxins as an embryo,
  15. Prescription exposure in hormonal forms of birth control,  especially synthetic estrogens and  progestins,
  16. conventional hormone replacement therapy,  and
  17. antidepressants and other medications  that  affect liver function and P450 enzyme  systems,  so the liver does not metabolize the estrogen and levels increase,

Stress is another factor that can contribute to hormone imbalance.   Daily living in the USA leads to physical and emotional stress.   This constant  “fight or flight”   response  releases  too much adrenaline,  which then leads in time to FATIGUE,  so what do people do next?  They resort to

stimulants, such as  (caffeine, sugar , alcohol,  chocolate).   And when the adrenal glands become  exhausted,   the body uses up progesterone to make more adrenal hormones.     When the adrenal glands are fatigued,  the whole body does not work as well,  nutrients aren’t absorbed as well, and by using up the progesterone, this also leads to estrogen dominance.
It is a known fact that infertility increases considerably starting @ age 35, and according to Dr. John Lee,   studies show that by age 34,   50% of women in the USA have little or no progesterone.    Women low in natural progesterone are @ a higher risk for developing breast cancer.   There are  many studies which confirm that excess estrogen increases   cancer risk,  not   only uterine cancer,  but also
breast cancer   (women that are overweight , and thus making more estrogen are at 10 X increased  risk for uterine cancer than their normal weight friends).  All people that are overweight have a higher risk for bowel cancer,  so you wonder if there is some role that estrogen is playing there as well. Studies have shown that the effect of natural progesterone on the breast is to decrease proliferation of the cells.

Potential benefits of using natural progesterone include:
  1. natural diuretic effect,
  2. natural antidepressant effect,
  3. normalizes blood clotting cascade,
  4. increases bone density,
  5. clears estrogen receptors,  and
  6. helps use fat for energy.
In large doses,  it  can contribute to drowsiness, and can slow the bowel down.  (This is why pregnant women want to take naps and have trouble with constipation).

The oral form of natural progesterone (Prometrium) has this effect of causing drowsiness and so needs to be taken before bedtime.   For some women who are having sleep issues,  this does help a lot.  The oral doses start at 100 mgs up to an average of 400 mg.   There is more trouble absorbing progesterone from the gastrointestinal tract and so larger doses are needed  in order to obtain the same benefit as with topical forms. About 80% is intercepted by the liver and passed out of the body, unused.   The vaginal form of progesterone  (Crinone)  is absorbed well from the  vaginal mucosa;  however, the suppository form in a waxy vehicle is not absorbed as well.  Topical forms of natural progesterone are absorbed very nicely.  In fact studies from Europe confirm that topical absorption is so much better for all hormones.

Balancing Hormones Naturally:
1) Start with diet changes:   decrease the amount of starch, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and processed  and refined foods.    25% of the average diet (in the USA) is sugar which leads to at least 25% less nutrients  to help protect your health;
2) Increase the amount of clean water.   Each person should drink the amount of water to equal  at  least ½ their body weight (in oz).
3)  Increase the intake of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.   Fruits and vegetables that are high in these  following  phytonutrients,  and have  been shown to help prevent heart disease and cancer and can help to balance hormones as well:
  1. carotenoids (beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthins)   such as carrots, tomatoes,           leafy dark green vegetables, kale,  apricots, chlorella and watermelon);
  2. diallyl disulfides,  (such as onions, garlic, leeks, and chives);
  3. flavonoids (such as in tea,  citrus fruits);
  4. indoles  (such as in broccoli,  cauliflower, kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts);
  5. isoflavones  (such as in soybeans,  particularly tofu and soy milk;
  6. phenolics (particularly ellagic acid and ferulic acid),  found in berries,  citrus fruits,  apples,  whole grains, and nuts;
  7. polyphenols  (found in green tea,  grapes and red wine);
  8. saponins (found in beans and other legumes);  and
  9. terpenes (particularly perillyl alcohol, limonene, and carnosol) which are found in cherries,  citrus fruits, and rosemary.  It is also important to include plenty of folate  (at least 400 mcg) and B6 (2 mg).
4)   Increase the amount of fiber—the recommended daily amount is 25-30 grams,  the average person gets about 10 grams daily.   Fiber is a cleanser and helps to rid the body of excess sugar, toxins, and circulating estrogens.  It also helps with weight management.   People tend to loose weight on high fiber diets, and studies have shown that diets low in fiber have a higher rate of breast and bowel cancer.    5.5 servings of vegetables a day reduce rectal cancer risk by 28%, 3.5 servings of fruit reduce risk by 27% ,  and adding 3 servings of whole grains reduces risk by 31%.

5) Add natural progesterone as it will help to restore natural hormone balance.   The body will make the estrogen it needs from the progesterone.  Many women have used natural progesterone to reduce the symptoms of PMS, (particularly when it is used on days 12- 26 of the cycle),  and menopause  (used daily) as a natural alternative to synthetic hormone replacement therapy.   There is very good absorption through the skin  (as with topical estradiol) of natural progesterone.

Plus there has been a lot of press about bio-identical hormone  replacement therapy,  particularly since Oprah had physicians talk about it on her show.   This is a topical form of hormone replacement therapy that involves a combination of estriol (80%),  estradiol (10%), estrone (10%),  natural progesterone, and testosterone,  with or without DHEA.  The pharmacist compounds this for the person.   It can also be made into a troche which is dissolved under the tongue.  Dosages are then adjusted up or down as needed.

Arbonne International makes Prolief and Phytoprolief, and there are about 30 different companies that make natural progesterone.  Products that help to balance hormones naturally can be obtained from my web site:   www.womenshealth.myarbonne.com. Information about saliva testing can be heard on my radio/internet  program:   A Doctor’s Guide to Hormone Balance, partI.

December 30th, 2009 | Category: Hormone Balance | Leave a comment