Estrogen: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

by Cheryl Myers | May 4, 2021

Estrogen is magic. It turns little girls into grown-up women. Hips widen, breasts develop, ovaries kick into gear, and the cycle of reproductive life begins. Without estrogen, there would be no babies and humanity would grind to a halt. Estrogen colors the way we think, the way we perceive pain, our memories, how our heart beats, and even the quality of our hair and fingernails. You cannot talk about women’s health without talking about estrogen.

However, many people are surprised that estrogen is crucial for men’s health, too. It interacts with testosterone on everything from erectile function to the ability to make sperm. It also plays a role in mood and thinking. The difference is that men have a lot of testosterone, and a little estrogen, and women are the reverse: more estrogen and less testosterone.

Lack of estrogen can cause heart disease, weight changes, osteoporosis, depression, uncomfortable vaginal changes and increased urinary tract infections. This is a very partial list.

The Estrogen Family

As I said, estrogen is magic. However, magic can be good or evil. For every Glinda, there is a Wicked Witch of the West. The goal for optimal women’s health should be more Glinda, and much less Wicked Witch.

Estrogen has three major types, called estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). These subtypes occur in different forms, too, so it’s a big, diverse family. And like many families, some of the members are helpful and productive, while a few can be problematic or even dangerous.

Estrogens change form throughout their life cycles and follow a variety of metabolic paths. When most estrogen is metabolized down the best path (2-hydroxy), estrogen stays in its safer and more beneficial form. However, if the balance shifts and more estrogen is metabolized via the problem path (16-hydroxy), they can cause problems and increase the risk for hormonally related cancers.

Also, environmental estrogen mimics, known as xenoestrogens, are commonly found in endocrine-disrupting herbicides, pesticides, plasticizers and even the bisphenol-A (BPA) in plastic bottles trick the body into acting as if they are estrogen and are subsequently metabolized via problematic pathways. That may be why we see a link between BPA exposure and breast cancer. Dysfunctional estrogen metabolism is also linked to endometriosis, uterine fibroids, menstrual migraines and serious PMS (premenstrual syndrome) or perimenopause symptoms.

Broccoli and Cauliflower to the Rescue?

Diindolylmethane or DIM is an estrogen pathway powerhouse. The precursor to DIM is found in cruciferous vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy and broccoli, but you would have to eat two pounds of raw broccoli to get a medicinal dose of DIM. The clinically studied form of DIM is complexed to enhance absorption, called BioResponse (or BR) DIM.

DIM is the most potent natural compound for keeping estrogen in its safest form and guiding it to the best metabolic pathways. DIM does not increase or decrease overall estrogen; it merely assures that it is directed to the 2-hydroxy metabolic pathway. I envision DIM as a traffic police officer, directing traffic away from road construction and toward the safest and smoothest lane.

Research at the University of California at Berkley demonstrated that DIM had a significant anti-tumor effect on endometrial cancer cells. DIM also shows promise that it may prevent cervical cancer in women infected with the human papilloma virus, commonly known as HPV.

Curcumin and Women

Curcumin is a strong anti-inflammatory and fights free radical damage. Both inflammation and oxidative damage set up a spiral of circumstances that can lead to tumor formation, because they cause normal cells to become cancerous. Curcumin stops the body from overexpressing various inflammatory markers that fuel cancer growth, including interleukin 1b (IL-1b), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a). In the case of breast cancer, there is research that shows that curcumin stops the growth of MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Curcumin also has direct anticancer activity via a wide variety of genomic pathways.

Another area of interest in which curcumin is very effective is with endometriosis. Curcumin has several published studies showing that it decreases the proliferation of abnormal uterine tissue and helps to reduce the associated cramping and pain. It has also been shown to reduce adhesions.

Many of the human studies on curcumin have utilized enhanced absorption curcumin, such as Curcumin Phytosome (Meriva), or BCM-95 Curcumin, which is complexed with turmeric essential oil.

Grape Seed Extract

Grape seed extract has been shown to partially inhibit an enzyme (aromatase) that convers androgens into estrogen. Breast tissue usually has higher levels of aromatase. A study published in the journal Cancer Research discussed the valuable potential of grape seed extract as their research showed that it inhibited aromatase activity and reduced growth in MCF-7 breast cancer cells—the same cell growth inhibited by curcumin.

Grape seed extract also has been shown in studies to prevent cancer cells from connecting to blood vessels (anti-angiogenesis), depriving them of oxygen and nutrients. A natural protein associated with the development of blood vessel growth is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Scientific research has shown that grape seed extract’s ability to inhibit aromatase may also be particularly useful in preventing and treating endometriosis. Endometriosis does not always respond well to conventional therapy, and some of the estrogen-blocking drugs used in its treatment can have very serious side effects. Finding natural interventions for endometriosis could greatly reduce suffering and risks for future surgeries.

Grape seed extract contains compounds called polyphenols. A subgroup of polyphenols is called oligomeric proanthocyanidins, or OPCs. These are the very special heavy lifters for grape seed’s benefits. However, it is important to know that OPCs come in a variety of sizes, and only the smallest OPCs are absorbable. The largest OPCs, called tannins, are not absorbed at all. The best benefits are from products that are tannin-free to assure optimal absorbability.

Iodine

It may surprise you to learn that iodine can be useful in situations where dysfunctional estrogens are causing problems. The ovaries and uterus have rapid uptake of iodine. The ovaries have the second largest amount of iodine in the body, after the thyroid gland. They require iodine to make estrogen. Inadequate iodine can cause higher levels of estrone and estradiol and low estriol levels, and this imbalance is implicated in an increased cancer risk for hormonally active tissue like uterine, ovary and breast.

Low thyroid function can also cause issues with menstrual irregularities, heavy periods and even infertility. Therefore, using supplemental iodine to support healthy thyroid hormone production can be a way to improve all these health issues.

Iodine blends can be quite effective. Using potassium iodide with molecular iodine widens the spectrum of activity, and adding sodium iodide (the most soluble form of iodine) can increase overall absorption.

More for Women’s Health

There are so many more supplements that are very useful for health concerns that affect women predominantly. For example, women are more prone to autoimmune diseases and osteoporosis. Women have twice the risk as men of major depressive disorder. But regardless of gender differences, women’s health is human health, and the basics will always apply: an excellent multivitamin and mineral formula, probiotic, omega-3 product, and often, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) are some of the most important building blocks for a healthy foundation. VR

References:

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Leong H, Firestone GL, Bjeldanes LF. Cytostatic effects of 3,3’-diindolylmethane in human endometrial cancer cells result from an estrogen receptor-mediated increase in transforming growth factor-alpha expression. Carcinogenesis. 2001 Nov;22(11):1809-17.

Sepkovic DW, Raucci L, Stein J, et al. 3,3’-Diindolylmethane increases serum interferon-γ levels in the K14-HPV16 transgenic mouse model for cervical cancer. In Vivo. 2012 Mar-Apr;26(2):207-11.

Sepkovic DW, Stein J, Carlisle AD, Ksieski HB, Auborn K, Bradlow HL. Diindolylmethane inhibits cervical dysplasia, alters estrogen metabolism, and enhances immune response in the K14-HPV16 transgenic mouse model. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009 Nov;18(11):2957-64.

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Cheryl Myers is an integrative health nurse, author, and an expert on natural medicine. She is a nationally recognized speaker who has been interviewed by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Prevention magazine. Her many articles have been published in such diverse journals as Aesthetic Surgery Journal and Nutrition in Complementary Care, and her research on botanicals has been presented at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the North American Menopause Society. Myers is the head of scientific affairs and education for EuroPharma, Inc.