Estrogen Balance® supports improved estrogen metabolism leading to an optimal ratio of "good" to "bad" estrogen metabolites, which results in a greatly decreased risk of getting cancer as well as improved prostate and cardiovascular health. The latest research strongly implicates "estrogen dominance" as a major contributing factor in perimenopause and premenstrual syndrome, prostate enlargement, early age heart attacks and cancer. Estrogen Balance® provides an effective natural treatment for these and other important conditions confronting both women and men.
The key to the effectiveness of Estrogen Balance® is its unique combination of D.I.M. , Quercetin and Flax Seed together, which work synergistically and with greatly increased overall bioavailbility. That is why we uniquely formulated them together in Estrogen Balance®
Estrogen Dominance
To understand why Estrogen Balance® is such a vital supplement for all of us to take, it is important to understand why "estrogen dominance" happens and why it is such an unhealthy condition for both men and women.
Many researchers including John R. Lee, M.D, Dr. Jesse Hanley and Dr. Peter Eckhart have concluded that an over abundance of estrogen is responsible for a vast number of today's health problems. This over abundance of estrogen is referred to as "estrogen dominance" and is an increasingly serious problem for both women and men. Dr. Lee believes that "estrogen dominance" is the primary cause of prostate enlargement and prostate cancer in men and a big risk factor for breast cancer in women.
"Estrogen dominance" can occur as we age and can also occur from exposure to "estrogen like" substances in the environment known as "xenoestrogens".
Xenoestrogens are synthetic substances that differ from those produced by living organisms and imitate or enhance the effect of estrogens. The estrogenic stimulation is an unintended side-effect of these agents or their metabolites. Xenoestrogens are part of a heterogeneous group of chemicals that are hormone or endocrine disruptors. They differ from phytoestrogens (estrogenic substances from plants), mycoestrogens (estrogenic substances from fungi), and pharmacological estrogens (estrogenic action is intended). External estrogens from a variety of sources may have a cumulative effect upon living organisms, and xenoestrogens may be part of a larger picture of a process of estrogenization of the environment. Xenoestrogens have only been recently (less than 70 years) introduced into the environment, as produced by industrial, agricultural, and chemical companies.
Xenoestrogens have been implicated in a variety of medical problems. Foremost is the concern that xenoestrogens as false messengers disrupt the process of reproduction. Studies have implicated observations of disturbances in wildlife with estrogenic exposure. Reproductive issues which are of concerns in humans are fetal exposure (perhaps leading to hypospadia) and decreased reproductive ability in men (i.e. decrease in sperm numbers). Another issue is the potential effect of xenoestrogens as oncogenes, specifically in relation to breast cancer.
Xenoestrogen Environmental Sources includes:
- Commercially raised meat (beef, chicken and pork)
- Canned foods
- Plastic food wraps
- Plastic drinking bottles
- Styrofoam cups
- Personal care products
- Cosmetics
- Birth control pills and spermicide
- Detergents
- all artificial scents (air fresheners, perfumes, etc)
- Pesticides and herbicides
- Paints, lacquers and solvents
Many people don't know this, but men and women actually have the exact same hormones, just in different amounts. So both men and women have estrogen. Actually there is no "estrogen" per se, "estrogen" is just a convenient term which refers to the whole class of hormones collectively known as estrogens. There are actually three basic estrogens:
- E3 (estriol) - the least powerful and most beneficial, comprises 80-90% of human estrogen
- E2 (estradiol) - the most powerful and most carcinogenic
- E1 (estrone) - has similar properties to estradiol but is considerably less biologically active
With anti-estrogens in the diet, such as those contained in Estrogen Balance®, estrogen metabolism is aerobic. This very efficient metabolism results in the predominance of 2-hydroxy and 2-methoxyestrogens. These "good estrogen" metabolites function as antioxidants, and have the power to eliminate damaged or cancerous cells throughout the body.
Without anti-estrogens in the diet, such as those contained in Estrogen Balance®, estrogen metabolism is anaerobic. This very inefficient metabolism results in a predominance of 16-hydroxy estrone and 4-hydroxy estrone. These "bad estrogen" metabolites act negatively to allow oxidation, to damage DNA, and to promote cancer.
As men age, their levels of estrogen rise especially the two most dangerous and potent estrogens - estrone and estradiol. This phenomenon is now identified as "andropause". A man over 50 literally has more estrogen than his postmenopausal wife! The prostate is embryologically the same as the uterus in females; and research studies have shown that like the uterus, when prostate cells are exposed to excess estrogen, the cells proliferate and become cancerous. In fact it is becoming clear that the excess of estrogen in aging men is responsible for a variety of problems such as adiposity, breast development, many cancers, prostate problems, baldness and many other problems commonly associated with advanced age.
Men also produce progesterone, but only about half the amount that females do. During the aging process, progesterone levels in men fall, especially after age 60. Progesterone is the primary precursor of the male hormone testosterone, which is an antagonist to estradiol (E2) and a protector against certain types of cancer. Progesterone is vital to good health in both women and men.
The concurrent increase of estrogen levels and decrease of progesterone levels creates a very serious hormonal imbalance which is very unhealthy. Either one of these hormonal level changes would be bad enough, but both changes occurring together leads to a vicious cycle:
Because progesterone is the chief inhibitor of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase that is responsible for converting testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), when the level of progesterone falls in men, the amount of conversion from testosterone to DHT increases. Increased levels of DHT lead to prostate enlargement and also an increased risk of cancer due to the decrease cancer protection that testosterone provides.
As the level of DHT increases (and testosterone decreases), the relative level of estradiol in men increases. Estradiol, turns on BCL2 oncogene (onco means cancer) and increases the risk of prostate cancer. This is compounded by the fact that there are inadequate amounts of progesterone there to exhibit it's counteracting effect of stimulating the P53 cancer protection gene.
Like perimenopausal women, men experience a tendency to gain weight in midlife. Rising estrogen production can result, since fat cells contain the aromatase enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen. Unmetabolized estrogen creates a vicious cycle resulting in further estrogen production. This occurs because fat is one source of more active aromatase enzymes, causing further estrogen production and continuing weight gain.
Though we think of declining estrogen as the hallmark of menopause, it's actually common for women to experience surges of abnormally high estrogen levels during the menopausal and premenopausal periods, as well as earlier in life. Dr. John R. Lee has done extensive research into this phenomenon. It is his belief that an excess of estrogen, coupled with a deficiency of progesterone (the counter hormone to estrogen), is the common denominator for a lot of female troubles. Dr. Lee has pioneered the use of natural progesterone as an aid to dealing with this syndrome.
Estrogen dominance can start early on in a women's menstrual cycle. Young women who suffer from this enter menarche with tremendously difficult periods, and doctors sometimes give these teenage girls birth control pills to help regulate the frequency and severity of their periods.
Some women will develop the estrogen dominance syndrome much later in life, sometimes as a result of diet, liver impairment, or environmental factors or also as a result of anovulatory cycles before menopause -- that is, menstrual cycles in which no ovulation has occurred. Ovulation is necessary in order to produce the corpus luteum, (which means "yellow body") that is found on the surface of the ovary after ovulation. Surrounding the ripening egg, the corpus luteum remains after ovulation to produce progesterone for the last half of the menstrual cycle. Without ovulation, less progesterone is produced, which can cause estrogen imbalance in some women.
Diseases or problems that are thought to be related to or effected by excess estrogen and deficient progesterone in women are:
- Speeds up the aging process
- Allergies
- Autoimmune disorders
- Breast cancer
- Breast tenderness
- Cold hands and feet
- Decreased sex drive
- Depression
- Dry eyes
- Infertility
- Uterine cancer
- Fat gain in abdomen, hips, and thighs
- Fatigue
- Fibrocystic breasts disease
- Hair loss
- Headaches
- Hypoglycemia
- Increased blood clotting
- Early onset of menstruation
- Menstrual disturbances (irregular and heavy bleeding)
- Endometriosis (disorder of uterine tissue)
- Insomnia
- Foggy thinking and Memory loss
- Mood swings
- Ovarian cysts
- Pre-menopausal bone loss
- Prostate cancer
- Sluggish metabolism
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Uterine cancer
- Uterine fibroids
- Water retention and bloating
The topic of sex hormones and cancer has been of increasing concern since the introduction of so-called "hormone replacement therapy"(HRT). Beginning in the 1940's, methyl-testosterone has been given to men as an HRT; and beginning in the 1960's horse estrogen (Premari) has been given to women as an HRT. Both of these HRT's have been proven to increase cancer risk. These ridiculous "treatments", will no doubt be looked upon by our future descendants as belonging to the same category of "historically bad ideas" such as "bleeding out" (a common treatment in the 1700's, causing the death of George Washington) or chemotherapy and radiation (currently considered by mainstream medicine as a "cancer cure")
Those of us who are "into" natural medicine have turned to the logical alternative: Natural Hormone Replacement (NHR), using hormones identical in every way to the ones our own bodies produce, in quantities to which our bodies are accustomed, on schedules for which our bodies are already "programmed". In this way, we hope to minimize our risk of cancer from hormone ingestion while maximizing our chances of preventing heart and blood vessel disease, osteoporosis, and cognitive decline.
Of course, sex-hormone-related cancer has been on a decades-long uptrend, including those who have never had any hormone replacement. Young women as well as old are developing more breast cancers than ever before, and the rate of prostate cancer is climbing among men, most of whom have never taken testosterone.
D.I.M. (diindolymethane) is a phytonutrient found in cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale. D.I.M. has unique hormonal benefits. It supports the activity of enzymes that help regulate and promote a more efficient aerobic metabolism of estrogen, resulting in an increased level of "good" estrogen metabolites (2-hydroxyestrogen) while reducing the level of "bad" estrogen metabolites (16-hydroxyestrogen).
D.I.M. is formed from its precursor indole, Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), after the enzymatic release of I3C from parent glucosinolates found in all cruciferous vegetables. It is twice as strong as 13C and has been shown in studies to be helpful for both men and women, providing the following health benefits:
- Promotes healthy estrogen metabolism
- Promotes fat loss
- Protects against heart disease
- Protects against cancer
- Promotes health skin and bones
- Promotes health brain tissue
- In men it supports healthy prostate tissues
- In women it supports healthy breast, cervical and uterine tissues
- In women it relieves PMS symptoms
Many of the benefits that are attributed to estrogen, which include its ability to protect the heart and brain with its antioxidant activity, are now known to come from the "good" metabolites which D.I.M. increases.
When D.I.M. increases the "good" estrogen metabolites, there is a simultaneous reduction in the levels of "bad" estrogen metabolites, which unlike the good" metabolites are NOT antioxidants and are actually quite harmful.
These "bad" estrogen metabolites are responsible for many of estrogen's undesirable actions in women and men, including further unwanted weight gain, breast cancer, uterine cancer, and prostate cancer.
In Women, D.I.M. helps to restore estrogen balance during perimenopause. Studies have shown that D.I.M. is beneficial for women dealing with: breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, uterine fibroid tumors, fribrocystic breasts, cervical dysplasia, and SLE (systemic lupus erythematosis). D.I.M. is highly recommended for women on HRT (hormone replacement therapy) or at risk for breast cancer as it will reduce the toxic effects to estrogen dominance.
In Men D.I.M. helps to eliminate active estrogen by promoting its conversion into the "good" metabolites. These metabolites then free up testosterone by bumping it off the testosterone-binding proteins. The end result is a healthier balance of testosterone to estrogen and more free (unbound) testosterone circulating in the body. This has been linked to lean body mass, an efficient fat-burning metabolism, low abdominal obesity, increased libido, lower incidence of prostate enlargement (BPH) and a dramatically lower risk of prostate cancer.
D.I.M. has been shown in overweight men and women to promote more efficient weight loss and more active fat metabolism.
Quercetin is a natural substance belonging to a class of water-soluble plant pigments called flavonoids. It can be found in red wine, onions, apples and green tea. Smaller amounts are also found in leafy green vegetables and beans. Quercetin has anti-estrogenic effects which lead to reduced risks of certain cancers. This anti-estrogenic activity has been demonstrated by inhibiting the growth of breast cancer cells in a test tube. Quercetin has also been clinically shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. In fact it may be the strongest of natures anti-inflammatories.
Numerous studies have shown Quercetin effective in treating a wide range of prostate related problems, both prostatitis and BPH.
In a double-blind trial, 67% of people taking quercetin had an improvement of prostatitis symptoms, compared with a 20% response rate in the placebo group.
Another recent published study demonstrates quercitin provides long-term symptomatic relief with few side effects to men that are afflicted with nonbacterial prostatitis.
More than 80% of chronic prostatitis patients who took a proprietary formulation of quercetin, a natural dietary supplement, significantly reduced pain and improved their quality of life, according to a new study published in the December issue of Urology. This marks the first time any tested therapy for chronic prostatitis has produced such demonstrative results.
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, conducted by researchers at the Institute for Male Urology in Encino, Calif, found that 82% of patients who received quercetin, recorded at least a 25% improvement in the National Institutes of Health pain and quality of life symptom score.
"These impressive findings should offer hope to the millions of men who suffer from this poorly understood and painful condition, as it provides a new option for doctors who've been frustrated by limited treatment choices," said lead researcher Daniel A. Shoskes, MD, a renal transplant specialist and associate professor of urology at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine. "Importantly, all of these men had failed multiple courses of antibiotics and other therapies before participating in this study."
Nonbacterial chronic prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland that effects an estimated 30 million men in the United States. Its chief symptom is chronic urogenital pain, and it is believed to impact quality of life as dramatically as myocardial infarction and Crohn disease. Its etiology is poorly understood, and standard antibiotic treatments have offered limited success.
Dr. Shoskes, who had successfully used quercetin in preclinical studies with kidney transplants, decided to test the therapy on prostatitis patients, since an inflammatory cause is strongly suspected. Results with the formulation were so convincing, the researchers concluded the study early. "Chronic prostatitis is an enormous problem in our country and around the world," Dr. Shoskes said. "It's one of the most common reasons why men visit urologists, and it's one of the most discouraging conditions doctors face, because often times there's very little we can do to alleviate the pain."
Quercetin acts as an antihistamine and has anti-inflammatory properties. As an antioxidant, it protects LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) from becoming damaged. A variety of evidence indicates that quercetin possesses potent anti-oxidant properties. Cardiologists believe that damage to LDL cholesterol is an underlying cause of heart disease. Quercetin blocks an enzyme that leads to accumulation of sorbitol, which has been linked to nerve, eye, and kidney damage in those with diabetes.
Quercetin has been used in connection with the following conditions:
- Prostatitis (nonbacterial prostatitis, prostadynia)
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Atherosclerosis
- Capillary fragility
- Cataracts
- Childhood diseases
- Diabetes
- Edema (water retention)
- Gout
- Hay fever
- Peptic ulcer
- Retinopathy
Flax Seed Contrary to common belief, not all dietary fat is bad. In fact some fats are not only "good" but "essential", meaning that the body can not synthesize them. These Essential Faty Acids (EFAs) are polyunsaturated and classified as Omega-3's and Omega-6's. "Essential" fats are only good if taken in the proper balance. Most of us ingest too much omega-6's and very little (if any) omega-3's.
One of the best sources of omega-3 is Flaxseed. Flax is an ancient crop, native to Eurasia. Its first recorded use comes from Babylon -- about 3000 B.C. There, it was cultivated for food. It also was used to make a fabric used in clothing. (These days, linen comes from flax). Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician called the "father of medicine," wrote of using flaxseed for the relief of abdominal pain. And, the greatest of all medieval kings, Charlemagne, considered flax so healthy that he passed laws requiring its consumption.
Nutrition researchers have identified several substances in flaxseed that appear to have health benefits: lignans, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Lignans are phytoestrogens (phyto = plant) that are thought to bind to estrogen receptors in the body and may have a role in preventing hormonally related cancers of the breast, endometrium and prostate. Populations with higher intakes of phytoestrogens seem to have a lower incidence and mortality from these cancers. The American Institute for Cancer Research has funded a study testing the effects on lignans and breast tumor development in humans. Although lignans are found in most unrefined grains (barley, buckwheat, millet and oats), soybeans, and some vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and spinach), flaxseed is the richest source.
Flaxseed contains both soluble and insoluble fiber (about 28 grams total fiber per 100 grams of flaxseed). About one-third of the fiber is soluble. Studies have found that the soluble fiber in flaxseed -- like that found in oat bran and fruit pectin -- can help lower cholesterol. Soluble fiber also has been found to help regulate blood sugar levels.
The remaining two-thirds of the fiber in flaxseed is insoluble. Insoluble fiber aids digestion by increasing bulk, reducing the time that waste remains in the body and preventing constipation. These characteristics seem to have a role in protecting against cancer.
Flaxseed also is rich in alpha-linolenic acid that is both an essential fatty acid and an omega-3 fatty acid. Researchers are interested in omega-3 fatty acids for their roles in proper infant growth and development, reducing risk factors for heart disease and stroke (regulation of cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, blood clotting), immune and inflammatory disorders.
Flaxseed lignans are very powerful antioxidants and also act as anti-estrogens, offering significant potential for both men and women's health. Lignans are currently being researched for their role in diseases including Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) or enlargement of the prostate gland, and prostate cancer. They could also be used in products to help prevent hair loss, as trials have found lignans to benefit both men and women with androgenetic alopecia.
Flax seed May Reduce Hot Flashes in women
Data from a new Mayo Clinic study suggest that dietary therapy using flaxseed can decrease hot flashes in postmenopausal women who do not take estrogen. The findings from the pilot study are published in the summer 2007 issue of the Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology.
A hot flash is often described as a flush of intense warmth across much of the body that may be accompanied by sweating, reddening of the skin, or, occasionally, cold shivers. Hot flashes occur in varying frequency and duration, even during sleep, and often cause or accompany sleep deprivation, anxiety and irritability.
Hot flashes are a bothersome issue for women experiencing menopause," says Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., (http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/research/staff/pruthi_s.cfm) Mayo Clinic breast health (http://cancercenter.mayo.edu/) specialist and the study's primary investigator. "We hope to find more effective nonhormonal options to assist women, and flaxseed looks promising."
Although until recently hormone replacement therapy was the most commonly prescribed treatment for hot flashes, unwanted side effects have led to the search for non-hormonal solutions. Several effective non-hormonal drug therapies have been identified, but they are not always effective, and not all women can use them because of side effects. These limitations have led researchers to explore non-drug agents.
They have studied a variety of herbal and dietary supplements in randomized, placebo-controlled trials, including vitamin E, black cohosh and soy, but none has shown to produce any significant reduction in frequency or severity of hot flashes.
The 29 participants in Mayo's clinical trial were women with bothersome hot flashes who did not want to take acidic estrogen because of an increased risk of cancerous breasts. They also had not received (in the preceding four weeks) antineoplastic chemotherapy, androgens, hormonal agents, or other herbal supplements, including soy.
Some patients did not complete the trial, but full data for six weeks of flaxseed therapy, consisting of 40 grams of crushed flaxseed ingested daily, was obtained from 21 of them.
Participants were asked questions that the researchers translated into a hot flash score -- a combined measure of frequency and severity. The frequency of hot flashes decreased 50 percent over six weeks, and the overall hot flash score decreased an average 57 percent for the women who completed the trial. Participants also reported improvements in mood, joint or muscle pain, chills and sweating; which significantly improved their health-related quality of life.
"We are quite pleased with the improvements noted by these women in their quality of life," says Pruthi.
"Not only does flaxseed seem to alleviate hot flashes, but it appears to have overall health and psychological benefits as well."
Pruthi's team chose to research flaxseed because it is a phytoestrogen (plant-based anti-estrogen source). Flaxseed contains lignans and omega-3 fatty acids. Lignans are antioxidants with weak anti-estrogen emulating characteristics, and have some anti-cancer effects. Flaxseed also appears to have anti-estrogen properties and has been shown in some recent research trials to decrease the risk of cancerous breasts.
Dr. Robert O. Young, a research microbiologist, states that, "a hot flash is the body's mechanism to move dietary and metabolic acids out through the spores of the skin. The use of flaxseed/flaxseed oil, olive oil, and avocado oil are excellent for buffering excess dietary and metabolic acids, which are the cause of hot flashes. Bottom line when you reduce acidity you will reduce hot flashes."
- Flaxseed is nature's best source of omega-3 oils.
- Flax oil is a better source of omega-3 oils than fish oils.
- Flax seed is more nutritious than Flax oil because it contains lignans (phytochemicals) that flax oil does not contain.
- Flax seed is a poweful phytoestrogen (plant-based anti-estrogen source).
- Flaxseed may protect menopausal women against hot flashes.
- Flaxseed may protect postmenopausal women against breast cancer.
- Flaxseed may protect men against prostate cancer.
- Flax seed greatly improves the absorption of both quercetin and D.I.M.
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