Relationship Between Estrogen Dominance & Thyroid Disease

You’ve made some lifestyle changes to improve your thyroid condition, yet your symptoms are not budging. You want to know why. I hear you. Let me take off the detective work off your shoulder. 

The missing problem may be too much estrogen in your body. You may not be aware that one of the contributing factors of your thyroid disease is another hormonal issue, estrogen dominance. Once you understand this, you can finally address the root cause and support your thyroid naturally.

In this article, you will learn about estrogen dominance. You will understand its symptoms, its main causes, and its connection to thyroid disease. I will share with you my top tips to resolve estrogen dominance and thyroid disease naturally.

What Is Estrogen Dominance

Estrogen and progesterone are the two primary female sex hormones. Under healthy circumstances, they work together in a healthy rhythm and are responsible for your female cycle. Together with your thyroid and adrenal hormones, they are critical for your hormonal health.

Even though estrogen and progesterone are sex hormones, they are responsible for much more than reproductive health. Estrogen is critical for the reproductive cycle and childbearing in women, but it’s also important for bone health, healthy levels of cholesterol, brain health, mood, metabolism, skin health, thyroid health, and overall hormonal function. Progesterone helps to lower inflammation, balance the nervous system, and stimulate your thyroid hormone. When your estrogen and progesterone levels get out of balance it affects your entire body.

Estrogen dominance happens when estrogen and progesterone get out of balance. This may happen because your body is making too much estrogen resulting in estrogen excess. In other cases, progesterone levels drop too low leading to imbalance and estrogen dominance. In both cases, estrogen becomes the dominant hormone resulting in a variety of symptoms (1).

Symptoms of estrogen dominance include:

• Pre-menstrual symptoms (PMS)
• Endometriosis
• Fatigue
• Infertility
• Miscarriages
• Weight gain
• Hot flashes
• Menstrual cramps
• Headaches
• Decreased libido
• Depression and mood imbalance
• Excessive menstruation
• Ovarian cysts
• Uterine fibroids
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Tender breasts
• Brain fog
• Insulin resistance
• Thyroid problems
• Autoimmunity
• Cancer

Estrogen Dominance and Thyroid Disease

Your body is a holistic system. Nothing happens in isolation. It’s not surprising that when one hormone is out of balance, it affects other hormones as well. Estrogen dominance can affect your thyroid hormones and contribute to Hashimoto’s disease, thyroid cancer, and other thyroid conditions (2, 3). 

When it comes to estrogen and your thyroid, both too much and too little estrogen can lead to thyroid problems. Estrogen triggers your thyroid to create thyroglobulin, a thyroid precursor hormone. Too little estrogen will result in too little thyroglobulin, while too much estrogen can cause too much thyroglobulin creating an enlarged thyroid. Furthermore, estrogen also helps to increase the specific protein that transports your thyroid hormones in your blood. Too much of this protein can cause hypothyroidism even if you have appropriate levels of thyroid hormones.

Appropriate progesterone levels are also necessary for thyroid health. Progesterone and your thyroid hormone have a mutually beneficial relationship. Progesterone is essential for your thyroid health, but thyroid hormones are also important for your ovaries and progesterone production. Progesterone can help to lower the amount of protein that carries thyroid in your blood and can also increase your thyroid hormone levels. Essentially, it helps to counteract the effects of estrogen and to bring balance to your body. A healthy estrogen-progesterone balance is critical for your thyroid health.

Researchers have found that excess estrogen may lead to the elevation of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid antibodies. Too much estrogen may also increase inflammation, compromise your immune system, and increase the production of anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) antibodies contributing to autoimmune thyroid conditions, such as Hashimoto’s disease (4, 5). 

Main Causes of Estrogen Dominance

Estrogen dominance may be caused by a number of dietary, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Let’s look at some of the top contributing factors.

Poor Diet

One of the top causes of estrogen dominance is diet. Commercially raised animal products have been injected with hormones and non-organic conventional produce is full of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Packaged processed foods are high in artificial ingredients and chemicals. These hormones, pesticides, and other chemicals are endocrine disruptors that can seriously interfere with your hormonal health (6).

Gut Imbalance

In a healthy gut microbiome, an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase helps to regulate circulating estrogen in your body. If your gut flora is out of balance, these enzymes won’t be able to metabolize estrogen efficiently increasing your risk of estrogen dominance and related issues (7).

Cleaning and Personal Care Products

Conventional cleaning products, soaps, shampoo, toothpaste, lotions, and cosmetics are loaded with chemicals. Parabens, phthalates, and other common compounds in these products all have estrogen activity and can lead to estrogen dominance (8).

BPA and Plastics

From water bottles to food and storage containers, plastics are everywhere. Unfortunately, these plastics contain hormone-mimicking xenoestrogens that can disrupt your hormonal balance and lead to estrogen dominance (9).

Heavy Metals

Municipal tap water, aluminum pots and pans, old paint residue, dental amalgam fillings, and conventional cosmetics are places where heavy metals may hide. Mercury, lead, cadmium and other heavy metals, however, all possess estrogen-mimicking and endocrine-disrupting properties. (10).

Body Fat 

Your body fat is the place where estrogen xenoestrogens get absorbed and stored. Excess estrogen also urges your body to create more fat cells further feeding into the cycle of excess fat and estrogen dominance (11).

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and Birth Control

Oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy medication contain a lot of synthetic estrogens. Without the necessary progesterone to balance it out, taking such medication increases imbalance and the risk of estrogen dominance.

Chronic Stress

When you are chronically stressed, your body produces excess cortisol to try to respond to and cope with the constant stress. Progesterone is the precursor of cortisol and increased demand for cortisol can result in estrogen dominance and hormonal imbalance (12, 13).

Natural Solutions for Estrogen Dominance and Thyroid Disease

Estrogen dominance and thyroid disease are certainly concerning. The good news is that you can reduce estrogen dominance and repair thyroid issues naturally by following a few simple steps.

Get a Full Thyroid Panel

I recommend that you work with a functional medicine practitioner (hint: call our office and schedule your consultation here).

A full thyroid panel checks for:

• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
• Thyroxine (Total & Free T4)
• Triiodothyronine (Free T3 & total T3)
• Reverse T3
• Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO)
• Thyroglobulin antibodies

Why should you work with a functional medicine doctor instead of your regular healthcare provider? Most healthcare providers don’t use a complete thyroid panel and only look at your TSH. This doesn’t tell the full picture, and many issues may be missed. 

If your thyroid doesn’t make enough T4 or T3, you have an underactive thyroid. This may indicate an autoimmune thyroid condition, Hashimoto’s disease. If your thyroid makes too much T4 or T3, you have an underactive thyroid condition. In most cases, this is an autoimmune condition, Graves disease. Most doctors only test for TSH instead of ordering a full thyroid panel, and they fail to diagnose thyroid issues. Your TSH may still be fine, while your T3 or T4 may be off already.

Functional medicine doctors also use a slightly different range. This helps us to detect preclinical thyroid issues before full-blown thyroid disease. 

Checking your thyroid levels will not only help us with the proper diagnosis. Your test results can guide us in creating an individualized treatment plan. Regular testing can help us check your progress and adjust your treatment plan if needed.

Eat an Anti-Inflammatory and Thyroid-Friendly Diet

I recommend following a anti-inflammatory, thyroid-friendly, nutrient-dense, whole-food diet. Eliminate inflammatory foods that may contain hidden estrogens, including conventional meat and dairy and non-organic food. Remove inflammatory foods, including refined sugar, refined oils, canned and processed meat, artificial ingredients, junk food, and highly processed foods. Eat lots of greens, vegetables, herbs, spices, fruits, healthy fats, and organic meat.

Add lots of thyroid-supporting foods to your diet, including organic vegetables, wild-caught fish, olive oil, coconut oil, low-sugar fruits, such as cherries, cantaloupe, and berries, grass-fed and pasture-raised animal products, seaweed, herbs, and herbal tea. My book, The 30-Day Thyroid Reset Plan: Disarming the 7 Hidden Triggers That Are Keeping Your Sick, has some great recommendations for thyroid-friendly foods and meals.

Reduce Chemical Exposure

Remove conventional cleaning and beauty products and use organic, natural, and homemade products instead. Replace plastic with glass or stainless steel bottles and containers. Filter your water. 

Reduce Stress

Chronic stress can impact your thyroid health. To reduce stress and improve sleep, I recommend practicing breathwork, meditation, positive affirmation, journaling, yoga, grounding, and time in nature for stress and anxiety reduction. Taking an Epsom salt bath is another great way to relax your muscles, calm your mind, and detoxify your body. 

Get Enough Sleep Sleep

Inadequate and poor sleep is another major root cause behind inflammation, hormonal imbalance, and thyroid issues. Make sure to sleep at least 7 to 9 hours a night. I recommend that you reduce your stress levels throughout the day but especially in the evening time to support sleep. Take a bath, read a good book, listen to some music, journal, try coloring, and spend time with your family. Avoid sugar, alcohol, and heavy food in the evening. I recommend investing in a supportive mattress, comfortable and supportive pillows and blankets, and quality, organic cotton sheets.

Move Your Body

A lack of movement may also increase the risk of thyroid issues and hormonal imbalance. Moving your body is a great way to reduce stress, improve detoxification, support hormonal health, support lymphatic flow, boost your mood, and support your overall health. Stay active throughout the day by taking a stroll in the park, stretching regularly, dancing to your favorite songs, playing with your kids or pets, and finding creative ways to incorporate movement. A standing desk or treadmill desk may be a great idea. Exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes five days a week and move your body regularly. I recommend getting 10 to 15K steps in a day if you can. Add resistance and strength training to your routine. 

Remove Toxins

Toxin overload can increase chronic inflammation and hormonal dysfunction. I recommend reducing your exposure to environmental toxins. Use a high-quality air filtration system for better indoor air. Drink purified water to avoid toxins from your tap water.  Avoid conventional cleaning, hygiene, body, and beauty products as they are loaded with chemicals. Choose natural, organic, and homemade options instead. Reduce the use of plastic and avoid BPA completely. Choose glass, bamboo, wood, organic cotton, silicon, and other natural alternatives instead of plastic. Avoid overly processed food products that can contain artificial ingredients. Choose organic food whenever possible.

Improve Your Gut Health

Your gut health is connected to all areas of your body, including your hormonal health. Improving your gut health is critical for improving your symptoms and regaining your health. Along with a gut-friendly anti-inflammatory diet, I recommend that you take a high-quality probiotics supplement to support your gut microbiome balance. For further gut-supporting supplements and a specific gut-health protocol, I recommend working with a functional medicine practitioner, like us.

Try Thyroid-Supporting Nutrients

You may also try to add some thyroid-supporting nutrients to your regimen:

Selenium

Selenium is a great nutrient for thyroid function. It may help to protect your thyroid from too much iodine exposure. It may also be important for the conversion of T4 into T3. Selenium may also help to reduce inflammatory activity, which may reduce the risk or symptoms of autoimmune thyroid disease (12). The best part of selenium is that you don’t even need to supplement. Food form is usually better. Only two Brazil nuts a day should cover your selenium needs. Fish and organ meat are also great sources.

Iodine

Iodine is absolutely critical for thyroid hormone synthesis (13). Being a woman at child-bearing age, pregnancy, and being vegan may increase your risk of deficiencies. Children are also at a higher risk. Seaweed, fish, eggs, and beef liver may be good sources of iodine. Iodized table salt has also become popular in the past decades to reduce deficiencies. 

However, too much iodine can also be a problem, especially if there is a selenium deficiency present too. It’s important that you only supplement with iodine if you have an actual deficiency and use a thyroid-specific supplement with a proper iodine-selenium balance.

I recommend that you start with your diet first instead of reaching for expensive supplements. I recommend that you work with a functional medicine practitioner and get some blood testing done before any supplementation. We can help you spot your actual nutrient deficiencies and specific needs. We can figure out what you may benefit from beyond your diet. This will prevent you from spending money on supplements that you may not need and only using the ones that actually support your health and well-being. 

Cod Liver Oil and Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for your immune system, bone health, muscle health, brain and mental health, and other areas of your health (14). Vitamin D deficiency may also increase your risk of hypothyroidism (15). Sunshine is the best way to boost your vitamin D levels. However, with our indoor lifestyle, cold climates, and fear of harm from UV damage, most of us don’t meet our needs from sunshine alone. 

Cod liver oil is a fantastic source of vitamin D, A, and E, and omega-3 EPA and DHA. These nutrients may all help to support your immune health and reduce inflammation. For some people, cod liver oil supplementation is enough. Others may require additional vitamin D supplementation.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that may also help to protect your body (16). Lemon, lime, oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and other citrus are great sources of vitamin C. However, citrus may be triggering histamine intolerance. Other great and low-histamine sources of vitamin C include berries, pineapples, kiwi, bell pepper, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower.

Curcumin and Resveratrol

Curcumin is the active compound of the spice turmeric. Resveratrol is a polyphenol found in the skin of grapes, red wine, berries, and pistachios. They offer antioxidant, immune-supporting, and anti-inflammatory benefits that may help to reduce the risk and symptoms of autoimmunity (17, 18). Thus they may help with autoimmune thyroid issues (19, 20). You may benefit from consuming food rich in curcumin and resveratrol. You may also benefit from supplementation.

Iron

Iron deficiency may increase the risk of issues with thyroid hormone production It may reduce thyroid peroxidase activity in the thyroid. However, too much iron can also become an issue. Too much iron may increase the risk of thyroid issues and iron toxicity (21). 

Don’t take iron supplements, unless you actually need it. Consume iron-rich foods, including beef, liver, oysters, clams, and venison. Get your iron levels tested. If your doctor finds iron deficiency, you may benefit from iron supplementation, usually only short-term.

Zinc

Zinc is a powerful mineral that is essential for your immune health and hormonal balance. Zinc plays a role in the conversion of T4 to T3 and supports normal T4 and T3 levels (22). Food rich in zinc include oysters, red meat, poultry, and lobsters. Broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, kale, and garlic also contain plenty of zinc.

Try a 30-Day Thyroid Reset

The 30-day Thyroid Reset Plan is an all-natural treatment plan, which includes a highly effective and easy-to-follow 30-day reset diet with foods that resolve estrogen dominance and support healthy thyroid function. My book, The 30-Day Thyroid Reset Plan: Disarming the 7 Hidden Triggers That are Keeping You Sick, outlines this plan carefully. It also includes dozens of delicious thyroid-supporting recipes.

Get the Thyroid Reset Kit

If you are serious about your thyroid health, I recommend my Thyroid Reset Kit. This bundle includes a copy of The 30-Day Thyroid Reset Plan, Liver Love, Ultimate Thyroid Support, a thyroid-friendly Paleo Protein Shake, and topical thyroid-supporting Glutathione Plus.

Check Out the Health Babes’ Guide to Balancing Your Hormones

To learn more about your hormones and learn how to improve your hormonal health naturally, I recommend our book (co-authored by Dr. Krystal Hohn and myself) The Health Babes’ Guide to Balancing Your Hormones: A Detailed Plan with Recipes to Support Mood, Energy Levels, Libido, and More. This book is not only full of information but with an easy-to-follow plan and easy-to-make, delicious hormone-friendly recipes.

Final Thoughts

Thyroid problems are on a rise. In order to repair your body and improve your thyroid health, you need to tackle one of its root causes, estrogen dominance. Following The 30-Day Thyroid Reset Plan and using appropriate supplements can help you to regain your health naturally. 

If you are dealing with thyroid problems, I invite you to schedule a consultation with us. We can help to identify the root cause of your condition and recommend a personalized treatment plan to repair your body and regain your health and well-being. Schedule your consultation here.

 

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