Video Transcript:
Hi everyone. Welcome back to our channel.
Estrogen Metabolism
Estrogen Metabolism is a critical process in the body, and any disruption in the balance of estrogen can lead to health issues.
DIM supplements are becoming quite popular due to their potential to help balance out estrogen levels in the body.
Hormonal imbalances are at an all time high, and individuals are looking for natural ways in which they can help resolve these imbalances.
So in today's video, I will explain what estrogen metabolism is and why it's important.
We'll look at how high estrogen impacts the body, and we'll talk about how dim and other strategies can help to balance out estrogen levels in the body.
Hi, I'm Katie Bailey. I'm a registered dietician at Flusso Nutrients where we provide supplement education and professional quality supplement options for you to make the world of nutrition supplements a little easier to navigate.
As always, be sure to check with your main nutrition literate healthcare provider before starting anything new. As we can't know your full medical history to provide a personalized recommendation for you.
Without further ado, let's jump into today's topic.
Estrogen Metabolism - What Is It?
So what exactly is estrogen metabolism?
Well, estrogen metabolism is a complex process that involves the conversion and elimination of estrogen hormones in the body.
This process is crucial for helping to maintain hormonal balance and overall health.
Estrogens are a group of hormones that include estradiol, estriol, and estrone, and your body needs to carefully manage these in order to prevent an imbalance.
The metabolism of estrogen occurs in the liver through phase one and phase two detoxification pathways where it's converted into various metabolites that can either be beneficial or potentially harmful if not managed correctly.
Phase one is known as hydroxylation where estrogens are converted into three separate metabolites, the first being2-hydroxy-estrone which is considered the good metabolite, and then it's also capable of being converted to 16-hydroxy-estrone and 4-hydroxy-estrone, which are considered the not so beneficial ones.
Phase two is where these metabolites can then be converted into a water soluble form so that they can move to phase three.
Phase three is where these metabolites can then be excreted from the body through urine or our stool.
Now the balance of these metabolites is what determines the overall impact of estrogen on the body.
So both too little and too much estrogen can cause problems.
The pathways of estrogen metabolism is very complex and influenced by many different factors, including your diet, genetics, lifestyle, and environmental toxins.
High estrogen levels is also known as estrogen dominance, and it can lead to many different symptoms including weight gain, mood swings, fatigue, menstrual irregularities, and an increased risk of breast cancer.
It can also contribute to conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis, and PCOS.
Now, high estrogen levels can imply that the balance between estrogen and progesterone has shifted to favor or more estrogen, and this can be due to overproduction of estrogen or insufficient production of the progesterone, or a combination of both.
Estrogen levels are influenced by many different factors, including our age, obesity, stress, and our exposure to external sources of estrogen found in the environment and in medications.
High Estrogen - How To Manage With Food?
Okay, so now that we know what estrogen metabolism is and why we want to keep that in balance, how do we manage estrogen levels?
Well, the first is with diet.
So dietary changes that can help with estrogen levels in the body is increasing our fiber intake and our cruciferous vegetable intake.
Resveratrol is a compound that's found in red grapes and berries that may help reduce the formation of those bad metabolites and mitigate the production of keynotes.
Research has also shown that a diet that includes soy can be beneficial for phase one estrogen metabolism by promoting the hydroxylation to the protective metabolite to hydroxyestrone. And then also there are nutrients that you can include in your diet that's going to help with phase two detoxification.
Things like your B vitamins, like B2, B6, B12, as well as folate, choline, and magnesium, including regular activity can also help because exercise can help balance your hormones by improving insulin sensitivity and reducing body fat, which is a significant source of estrogen production.
High Estrogen + Stress Management
And then lastly, stress management.
Chronic stress can lead to elevated cortisol levels, which can disrupt estrogen and progesterone balance.
Estrogen Metabolism - Can DIM Help?
Okay, so now let's talk a little bit about DIM.
So DIM stands for diindolylmethane, and it's a compound that our body naturally produces when we digest Indole-3-carbinol, which is a compound that is found naturally in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and kale.
It helps to regulate estrogen metabolism by influencing the activity of certain enzymes that are involved in estrogen metabolism, promoting the more favorable metabolite, the 2-hydroxy-estrone over the less favorable metabolite, the 16-Hydroxy-estrone.
It is known for promoting the production of the less potent estrogen metabolites, reducing the overall estrogenic activity in the body, and can then alleviate symptoms of PMS and menopause.
It can also help to detoxify compounds like xenoestrogens, which are synthetic compounds that mimic estrogen, reducing their impact on our hormonal balance.
DIM Supplement Weight Loss
A couple other things to know about DIM is, although DIM is not a weight management supplement, it can indirectly affect your weight because it's potential to regulate estrogen metabolism, therefore improving insulin resistance in the process.
DIM Supplement Acne
Acne can also be improved by DIM because its ability to regulate estrogen levels in the body and lessen hormonal fluctuations that do trigger acne.
DIM Supplement Side Effects
While DIM supplements can offer various benefits, like any supplement, they come with potential side effects.
So some individuals may experience GI discomfort like nausea or gas.
When starting DIM, you may notice that the color of your urine changes, and this is just due to the dim metabolites that are in the urine.
High doses can cause hormonal disturbances, so it's important to stick to the recommended dosage or work with a professional.
And then if you are low or lack certain liver detoxifying enzymes like COMT, it can create keyones, which then increases your risk for cancer.
DIM Supplement Side Effects
Now, DIM can interact with certain medications, so it's important to speak to your healthcare provider to make sure it won't interact with anything that you are currently taking.
And since DIM affects hormones, if you are breastfeeding or pregnant, also consult with your doctor first.
The recommended dose is between 100-200 milligrams a day, but needs vary depending on your situation.
So I would highly recommend working with a professional that can help you get started on what's right for you, and to maintain steady levels of dim in the body.
It's a good idea to have it at the same time every day and take it with meals so that it improves absorption and decreases your risk for a GI upset.
To wrap up our topic for today, estrogen metabolism is crucial and taking steps to support it can lead to many health benefits.
Whether you choose to include dim supplements in your routine or other management strategies, it's important to find what works best for you.
DIM supplements can be a valuable addition to your routine, but it should be used along with dietary changes, regular exercise and lifestyle modifications.
If you're considering using a DIM supplement, I've linked a quality one here and below.
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Let us know in the comments if you have any questions about dim or are interested in learning more about estrogen metabolism.
And if you're interested working with our clinic, you can click this link to schedule an appointment. We do take insurance and you can find more about that on our website.
Thanks for watching. I'll see you next time. Bye.
Supplement options discussed above and in video:
ALL PROFESSIONAL QUALITY SUPPLEMENTS: https://flussonutrients.nutridyn.com