By: Dr. William Wong, ND, PhD
Women have been seduced by the promises of estrogen. As a young woman, estrogen in birth control pills kept you from getting pregnant. Estrogen also may have been used to keep your periods regular and acne clear. For gals over 40 this hormone is touted to keep bones firm, libido up and keep all of the nastiness of menopause at bay.
So, what has almost 50 years of treating women with estrogen taught us?
The lessons are these: Estrogen is good for 6 things:
- Starting your periods.
- Starting Labor.
- Making you fat, increasing body fat mostly from the waist down while decreasing lean muscle mass.
- Creating depression and PMS style mood swings all the time.
- Causing sexual dysfunction.
- Causing fibrosis and cancer of the breast, cervix and uterus.
If we count the problems of xenoestrogen, estrogen like substances found in the daily environment from: Petrochemical fumes, insecticide, synthetic fertilizers, and all soy products, then we increase the number of side effects to the general population substantially.
What problems? Well ones like:
- Death of testicular tissue in men and boys.
- Very early onset of menstruation in girls.
- Depression caused by testosterone suppression and estrogen dominance in both men and women.
- The trend towards obesity. (Which is best seen in places where the environment is rife with environmental estrogen i.e. the industrial deep south and farming midwest).
- Premature aging.
- Recurrent miscarriages.
- Increasing rates of sterility.
“So aside from not letting a girl get pregnant, what good is this estrogen stuff anyway?” Many thinking docs are asking themselves the same question. Estrogen dominance is a problem today for both sexes and all ages. But wait you ask, “I’m menopausal how can I be estrogen dominant! I’m having the night sweats and hot flashes to prove I don’t have enough estrogen”.
Well it’s very possible to be in full menopause with all of the symptoms thereof and still have estrogen dominance. Your period has stopped; your childbearing years are behind you. Your body is making less of the all of the sexual hormones and it makes adjustments according to what the hormone did. For example, aside from estrogen a woman’s sexual hormones include Progesterone and Testosterone. (Yes, you gals had quite a bit of the T stuff, it’s what made you horny when you were younger; and you thought it was just a guy thing)! Progesterone is what kept you pregnant. Levels go up to 486% higher than normal by the second trimester of a pregnancy. Well your body knows it’s baby making days are gone so, you don’t need the sexual desire any more – out goes the Testosterone; and you’re never going to carry a baby again so – out goes the Progesterone. What is the only hormone you make in any measurable amount during and after menopause – Estrogen. You’re not making as much of the stuff as you did before, but compared with the P and the T hormones, whose production is nearly zero, it’s about all your making; so Bingo, Estrogen dominance.
“Yeah, so what”, is usually the next reply. Well here’s the so what, aside from carrying babies:
Progesterone:
Elevates Mood! It’s the reason why pregnancy feels so happy and life is so grand for most gals after first trimester. When estrogen levels increase during third trimester and peak to cause labor, that’s when pregnancy begins to be a drag. The British National Health Service has shown that the drop in Progesterone level IS the reason for post partum depression. The 486% “mind” high went straight into permanent near nothing levels. Until the Progesterone level rises the depression remains. Using natural Progesterone cream elevates mood and fights depression in as little as 30 minuets!
Increases bone density. This is the hormone that builds baby bodies and brains. What is does for them it can do for you! Estrogen is showing itself to be a poor bone builder with only some 2 to 3% increase per year possible at best when it is used. In contrast a good weightlifting program by itself will increase bone density between 12 to 15 % in one year with any bad side effects! Imagine what Progesterone and strength training can do?
Fights the production of too much estrogen. (Like aging. That’s why many cosmetics manufacturers have been putting natural progesterone in their anti aging formulas for over 40 years)! Whether your excess estrogen is coming from environmental sources, food, drugs, or from your nature being off balance, Progesterone keeps the production of estrogen in check and in so doing keeps the bad effects of estrogen from flourishing.
Along with Testosterone (which we’ll talk about next time), elevates libido, increases muscle mass, decreases body fat levels, protects the brain and heart, and fights
fibrosis of the internal and reproductive organs.
Natural Progesterone is safe, side effect free and easy to use. It’s available without prescription from health food stores. Most post menopausal gals need one application of the cream rubbed onto the breasts and genitalia twice a day about 12 hours apart. Before menopause, women may need one or two applications a day depending on the severity of the estrogen dominance. (Beware of prescription synthetic progesterone, the progestines; they have a slew of bad side effects and cannot be used during pregnancy, whereas natural progesterone made from the Mexican Yam plant has none! Only the natural creams are used by physicians in Europe to prevent miscarriage and for continuous daily application).
Despite the hype for estrogen and soy, the dangers of these products are becoming clearer every day and their victims are increasing in their numbers. The product litigation lawyers are sharpening their knives to go after the Estrogen drug companies like they went after the tobacco corporations. In ten years or less all women (and doctors) will know of the dangers of HRT and estrogen like substances in general.
Why wait, get off the estrogen train before it derails or runs you over.
For further information on Estrogen Dominance read:
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause by John Lee MD
Hormone Heresy by Sherrill Sellman
For articles and reference studies on the effects of environmental estrogen’s log onto:
www.WestonAPrice.org ,
www.testosterone.net , issue 185, Nov. 30 2001.
Also read:
Is This Your Child’s World by Doris Rapp MD, page 500 – 509. (Dr. Rapp is the worlds leading pediatric allergist).
For more info on Dr. Wong, go to www.totalityofbeing.com
