Estrogen Dominance Protocol

Estrogen Dominance Protocol

Estrogen dominance is either the excess of estrogen circulating in the body or the dominance of estrogen due to insufficient levels of countering hormones such as testosterone or progesterone.

Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance:

  • Bloating in uterine area or abdomen
  • Swelling and tenderness in your breasts or male breast formation (gynecomastia)
  • Fibrocystic lumps in your breasts
  • Decreased sex drive or erectile disfunction (ED)
  • Irregular menstrual periods
  • Increased symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
  • Mood swings
  • Headaches
  • Anxiety and panic attacks
  • Weight gain and/or increased belly fat
  • Hair loss
  • Cold hands or feet
  • Increased blood clot risk/formation
  • Insomnia or trouble sleeping
  • Memory problems

Causes of estrogen dominance due to an excess of estrogen include:

  • Weight gain or rapid weight loss
  • Exposure to estrogen via hormone replacement or birth control
  • Hormonal transition such as postpartum or menopause
  • Liver stagnation or issues with detoxification
  • Exposure to toxins and endocrine disruptors or xenoestrogens

Causes of estrogen dominance due to inadequate testosterone or progesterone include:

  • Excessive stress 
  • Nutrient deficiencies 
  • Loss of muscle 
  • PCOS
  • Fibroids
  • Endometriosis
  • Hypothyroidism

The most direct and powerful tools in regulating estrogen dominance is through supporting detoxification of estrogen while reducing oxidative stress, keeping the body in a regulated (parasympathetic) (parasympathetic) state where it doesn’t feel in survival stress (sympathetic) mode, and ensuring the colon is regulating estrogen excretion with daily bowel movements.

When body composition changes we can see estrogen dominance as the adipose tissue or body fat has estrogenic properties. As you lose body fat, the estrogen is liberated into the blood stream which can cause unfavorable shifts in body composition, stalls in weight loss progress, and the noted estrogen dominance symptoms above. 

Estrogen Dominance Protocol

BroccoDetox 1 capsule twice daily with food*

Relax and Regulate 1.5 scoops at bed*

B-Complex 1 at rise*

*These are all part of the Women's Hormone Bundle

Reset Restore Renew Detox Pack 1 at bed 

Phytofiber 1-2 tsp 5x/wk, may mix into coconut yogurt, protein shake, oats, etc.


If under high stress or mismanagement of stress add:

Adaptogen Boost 2-4/day**

Calm and Clear 4-6/day**

GABACalm 1-2 chews as needed**

 **These are all part of the Stress Manager Bundle 

Learn details on how each featured formula works for estrogen dominance below!

For visual learners check out the youtube video

Food-as-Medicine for Estrogen Dominance Support 

Consume at least 1 cup daily of cooked cruciferous vegetables (brussels, cauliflower, sprouts, kale, broccoli) these foods have indole-3-carbinols which help the body detox estrogen levels. 

  • Try sauteeing broccoli with ginger and garlic
  • Try Whole Roasted Cauliflower recipe from the blog
  • Add kale to a salad, smoothie, stew, or stir fry 
  • Make Kale Chips on the blog

Consume ample fiber to aid in detox support! At least 30-35g/day. 

  • 1 Tbsp chia seed provides 10g of fiber
  • Aim for 2-3 cups of leafy greens daily
  • Nuts and seeds as a snack
  • Flax seed plays a favorable role in regulating estrogen metabolism 1 Tbsp 5x/wk 

Drive liver bile flow and activate detoxification with apple cider vinegar (ACV)

  • ACV liver flush in am 1-2 Tbsp ACV with 2oz water  

Reduce the conversion of testosterone into estrogen with aromatase inhibiting foods

  • Mushrooms
  • Chrysin in raw honey
  • Zinc rich foods (pumpkin seeds, red meat)

 Continue to support healthy testosterone expression

Testosterone is also made in the muscle! Focus on meeting protein goals to aid in lean body mass support, the secondary tissue for testosterone production. 

  • Quality protein source such as Naturally Nourished Grassfed Whey may be added to support needs to feed muscle mass 
  • As a general goal of need: aim for 1.2-1.4g protein intake per kg of body weight

Lifestyle support for balancing out your estrogen levels

  • Reduce exogenous phytoestrogen exposure through removal of soy from diet (check protein bars, cereal products, additives, "health foods", tofu, tempeh, etc.)
  • Eliminate dairy that is not organic or hormone-free, grassfed whey is best form. If active symptoms of estrogen dominance, you may remove even organic milk as a beverage as dairy itself is high estrogenic and keep completely dairy-free until symptoms resolve. 
  • Reduce use of plastics in foods/containers especially water bottles, best to do glass/stainless steel bottles with filtered water when at home. plastics have xenoestrogens (synthetic estrogens) even if BPA free. Especially don't heat food in plastic containers!
  • Ensure bowel regularity of ample movement daily; use Relax and Regulate and consider Phytofiber to support daily bowel movement as stool is element of estrogen detoxification.
  • Assess for dysbiosis with our Probiotic Challenge! When gut bacteria is imbalanced we can see imbalance in the estrobolome which is the microbiome and estrogen interchange playing a role in estrogen dominance, libido, and metabolism. Supporting the gut with lactobacillus and biffidobacterium strains can ensure optimal estrogen balance. Use the challenge to determine if you need Restore Baseline Probiotic or Targeted Strength or if you need to proceed with the Beat the Bloat Cleanse. 
  •  Maintain healthy body composition and muscle mass. Consider a phytonuttrient-rich ketogenic diet (check out our 12 Week Ketosis Program!) and incorporate resistance training in your exercise routine, at least 30 minutes 5x/wk. 

Naturally Nourished Supplements to support:

  • BroccoDetox 1 twice daily with food

    • The most promising and direct tool for estrogen regulation includes sulforaphane, a unique antioxidant found in broccoli that aids in phase 2 detox. Sulforaphane has been shown in research to not only reduce excessive estrogen levels in the body but to also protect toxicity of our cells by reducing oxidative stress while stimulating NRF2 pathways and supporting glutathione levels in the body.  

    This product provides sulforaphane in whole food form with broccoli sprout and seed while providing myrosinase the enzyme responsible for activating the powerful glucoraphanin compounds which then create the sulphoraphane for cancer and pathogen fighting as well as estrogen balancing and antioxidant effects. Most broccoli or I3C products lack a would food form or this important activating enzyme so their efficacy does not compete with our BroccoDetox. 

  • Reset Restore Renew Detox Packs 1 at bed + semi-annual 10-day Detox

    •  Reset your Metabolism, Restore your Digestion and Renew your Vitality with our Detox Support Packs that provide antioxidants, liver and gallbladder support, sulfur-containing amino acids, and botanicals. These packs provide comprehensive detox support for both phase 1 (activation and conversion) as well as phase 2 (encapsulation and excretion). These are a great addition to the BroccoDetox which has more specific antioxidant and estrogen modulating properties. The detox packs ensure the liver is optimized and that the body isn’t overburdened with toxins or hormone dominance. 

    These would especially be a good add if dealing with skin issues and looking for weight loss support or for an individual that consumes alcohol regularly. For optimal regulation of estrogen dominance a 10-day Detox would be recommended at least semi-annually. Note, if in an active weight loss process or using a ketogenic diet and shedding body fat, it would be especially important to do detox support as your fat cells (adipocytes) are estrogenic so as you lose body fat you release estrogen into the body!

  • Phytofiber 1-2 tsp 5-7x/wk 

    •  This fiber blend provides 12 whole food forms to aid in detoxification, hormone balance, cholesterol regulation, satiety and blood sugar control, while fueling the microbiome. Fiber is essential in binding the excess estrogen in the colon and supporting excretion through stool. If bowels are not regular and fiber is too low in the diet circulating estrogen does not get bound and it can get reabsorbed into the bloodstream through the colon. 

    Phytofiber would especially benefit those with bowel irregularity or elevations in cholesterol as the binding of the fiber can aid in motility, bowel formation, and in reducing excess circulating lipids. Also fiber can support satiety or fullness during the day which can prevent overeating and support successful weight loss.  

  • Relax and Regulate 1-2 scoops at bed

    •  Myo-inositol and Magnesium bisglycinate provide 2 powerful nutrients to release tension in the body and protect against chronic stress signaling, while supporting the regulatory functions of metabolism, hormones, and mood. These 2 ingredients work synergistically to balance hormones and support healthy fertility, in fact women with PCOS and estrogen dominance are about 20 times more likely to be deficient in magnesium. 

    The myo-inositol can regulate blood sugar reducing excess insulin and improve glucose tollerance as well as restore cycle health, ovulation and follicle maturity, improve SHBG (sexual hormone binding globulin), while enhancing mood stability and supporting deep restorative sleep. The amount of inositol in 1 scoop of Relax and Regulate (4g inositol) taken daily for 3 months induced ovulation in 62% of treated women when compared to clomid.

  • B-Complex 1 at rise or midday

    •  Beyond magnesium and myo-inositol, when prioritizing hormone balance we look to B Vitamins such as B3, B6, B12 and folate. These nutrients serve as important cofactors in the phase 2 detox reactions and studies demonstrate decreased levels of B vitamins can significantly increase symptoms of estrogen dominance while throwing off hormone balance. 

    B-complex is also a great tool if dealing with fatigue or looking for a mood or metabolic boost as they play a key role in energy metabolism and neurotransmitter function. 

  • Stress Manager Bundle: Adaptogen Boost 2-4/day, Calm and Clear 4-6/day, GABACalm 1-2 chews as needed

    • Stress and weight loss or body composition shifts are worth a deeper examination as these 2 are primary causes for this condition. In a time of stress cortisol interferes with estrogen metabolism in men driving more of a conversion of testosterone into estrogen via aromatization. This can drive unfavorable symptoms such as increased belly fat, gynecomastia (male breast formation), and decreased sexual function.  

    In women, when under chronic stress progesterone levels will get converted into the survival cortisol hormone driving estrogen dominance due to the dramatic drop in progesterone. This is concerning as progesterone has many regulatory effects in the body so fertility, menstrual cycle, libido, mood, sleep, and metabolism can all be impacted. 

     If you are under high stress start with regulating your stress hormones to regulate that unfavorable conversion or steal of pregnenolone from progesterone into cortisol. 

     This bundle specifically designed for those who are stressed and wired and are experiencing anxiety, panic or heightened stress response to help take the edge off and support mellow mood, concentration and focus. 

    References: