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The female hormonal system is incredibly complex and there are many things that can go wrong, especially in terms of hormones becoming imbalanced. It’s critical to remember that hormones are essential for vitality, influencing every system in your body. For example:
- Both estrogen and progesterone are neuroprotective, helping to reduce brain inflammation and protect against conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
- There’s a direct relation between hormones and neurotransmitters, meaning hormones influence mood and motivation.
Hormones support bone health. - When progesterone is functioning properly so do thyroid and metabolism hormones. It also helps regulate immune response.
- Estrogen supports cardiovascular health.
It’s critical to remember that these benefits are experienced only when hormones are balanced. Once there is a deficiency or a significant imbalance, hormones can begin to create negative effects.
What are Hormones and How Do They Affect Females?
Think of your hormones as natural chemical messengers within your body. They travel throughout your bloodstream and target various organs and tissues, yielding varying effects. They’re included in a number of important processes, including:
- Mood
- Sexual function and reproduction
- Growth
- Metabolism
Your endocrine glands, including pineal, thyroid, pituitary, adrenal, and pancreas, make hormones. In comparison to men who’s hormones are produced in their testes, women produce hormones within their ovaries.
When you lack healthy fats and cholesterol in your diet, you can produce issues with hormone production. Exposing your body to toxins that mimic hormones, also creates a wide range of health concerns. With that being said, there are three key areas you can focus on to promote optimal hormonal balance.
The first is blood sugar, as imbalanced glucose levels can increase testosterone in women, wreaking havoc on the hormonal system. The second is your adrenal glands, as high levels of adrenaline can suppress your pituitary gland. In turn, individuals experience a reduction in sex hormones. Last is GI function, as detoxification issues and GI dysfunction can create a range of hormonal issues.
In order to protect yourself, supplementation is recommended. If you suffer from severe symptoms of PMS, are going through menopause, and suffer from night sweats or hot flashes, a female hormone balancer may be the perfect solution for you. Although there are different options, we’re going to focus on the effective combination of I3C and DIM.
The Problem with Estrogen Overload
Estrogen is naturally found in both men and women, producing benefits associated with improved brain and heart health while reducing the impact of free radical damage. Since women have higher levels of estrogen, they develop the female body shape regarding their hips and breasts.
In order to balance the complementary hormone known as progesterone, many women are estrogen dominant. This means that they have too much estrogen within their bodies. This naturally occurs as women approach menopause, some experiencing symptoms up to ten years before they actually hit menopause.
As estrogen levels increase, symptoms such as breast pain, painful menstrual cycles, water retention, poor mood, and other uncomfortable symptoms begin to surface. When estrogen overstimulates one’s uterus or breasts, this can lead to both dangerous and uncomfortable physical outcomes, such as cysts or uterine growths.
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How I3C and DIM Impact Female Hormones
Based on our current lifestyles, there are excess estrogens all around us. By choosing to take a combination of I3C (Indole-3-Carbinol) and DIM (Diindolymethane), you can essentially remove these excess estrogens from your body before they wreak havoc on your health.
• I3C: This naturally occurring phytochemical can be found in vegetables like kale and broccoli, helping to absorb estrogen. It is also believed to improve liver detoxification.
• DIM: Can also be found within cruciferous vegetable extracts, supporting hormonal balance. It may also have anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenesis properties.
Let’s examine both of these in greater detail regarding their effects and potential benefits.
While focusing on DIM, a food-based compound, studies have found that it’s able to reduce one’s risk of certain cancers which are influenced by excessive estrogen levels, such as uterine, breast, and prostate. Based on its effects, DIM can reduce symptoms of PMS, menopause, and related prostate issues. This compound also supports the breakdown of fat and an increase in lean muscle mass.
DIM specifically, works by influencing one of two main pathways in the liver. Based on these pathways, DIM can help metabolize or excrete excess estrogen. One pathway leads to good metabolites, known as 2-hydroxy estrogens. The other pathway leads to bad metabolites, known as 4 or 16-hydroxy estrogens. When taking DIM, it helps to stimulate the favorable pathway, producing good metabolites.
By improving the balance of hormones, DIM lowers high levels of estrogen in the body. It can also be used at any age to promote weight-loss or improve strength training. By promoting optimal balance, you contribute to healthy aging.
Many researchers believe that 13C’s beneficial effects are influenced by DIM. It’s important to remember that DIM is simply a byproduct of 13C. Once again, taking 13C is believed to aid in hormone-dependent cancer development, such as breast, prostate, and cervical cancer. In fact, 13C has been shown to induce cell death in cancerous cells.
If you have any questions about your hormonal system and personal health, please speak to your doctor. If you do suffer from hormonal issues, discuss your options regarding a female hormone balancer.
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