You might have heard of the famous sex hormone, estrogen, that is found in both men and women. It is a powerful hormone that regulates your menstrual cycle, balances the cholesterol in your body, protects the bones, and largely affects your brain, skin, heart, and tissues. Basically, it's amazing. 

However, when your estrogen levels fluctuate, your body feels it. It is the lowest during your period and highest in the middle. When the estrogen levels in your body drop, your period becomes irregular, you have trouble sleeping, and experience a low sexual desire, along with mood swings and dry skin.

It is highly common for estrogen levels to drop when women experience menopause. Symptoms may include hot flashes, increased sweating, and…you guessed it, vaginal dryness. This is also why most women above 50 have low bone mass- it is a side effect of low estrogen.

Even though there are lots of hormone medicines readily available to treat low estrogen in the body, it is essential to make some lifestyle changes. Don’t worry, you won’t have to go on a strict diet!

Include Healthy Food in Your Diet

Incorporating phytoestrogen-rich foods or simply said, plant-based foods in your diet can help raise estrogen levels in the body. When these plant-based foods enter the body, they help make up for estrogen deficiency.

Foods with high levels of phytoestrogen include:

• Soybeans
• Hummus
• Chickpeas
• Dried Apricot
• Prunes
• Dates
• Herbal tea
• Flax seeds
• Tofu
• Hummus
• Garlic

Start Taking Supplements

Vitamins and minerals play an important part in creating and activating estrogen in the body. The extra nutrients present in supplements also help to repair and regenerate damaged cells. The upshot of all this leads to a healthier, longer life with fewer health complications.

 Supplements that help activate estrogen levels include:

• B vitamins
• Vitamin D
• Boron
• DHEA
• Vitex berry
• Primrose oil
• Red clover

Lifestyle Changes

• Quit Smoking

Smoking too much has been linked to negative effects on the endocrine system within the body. This alters the body’s ability to produce estrogen, leading to a deficiency. Active smoking amongst pre-menopausal women has been found to cause menstrual dysfunction, infertility, and earlier menopause.

• Weight-Bearing Exercises

You might have heard that exercise is great and while that is true, excessive exercise and cardio can cause estrogen levels in the body to drop, especially for those who have a low body fat level. A solution is to switch to weight-bearing exercises such as planks, tricep dips, or make use of dumbbells if you don’t want to use your body weight. This will cause the body to naturally produce estrogen while making you feel healthier as you notice how toned your arms and legs look! Remember, a healthy body always equals healthy skin. 

• Eat Soy

Soy is a super unique food that contains a high concentration of plant estrogen that is similar to that found in the human body. While it has weaker effects than natural estrogen, it can still cause a spike in estrogen levels. The isoflavones in soy bind to the estrogen receptors in the body. Since estrogen affects everything from breast cancer to sexual reproduction, it is essential to make sure you don’t have an estrogen deficiency.

• Cut Down on Sugar

I mean, who are we kidding? We all know that sugar is terrible for the body. Studies show after a (yummy) sugar meal, the insulin levels in the body start to spike. This lowers an important protein, specifically the sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBC) in the body. SHBC is the star element that binds with estrogen. However, when estrogen levels in the blood are low, causing hormones to get misbalanced.

Caution

If you experience intense hot flashes, mood swings, painful sex, or depression, make sure to consult your doctor. Having a high level of estrogen in the body is also possible. Symptoms could include bloating, irregular periods, anxiety, and memory problems. The bottom line is while vitamins, minerals, and a healthy diet are great, never overdo anything or go crazy. We promise a balanced lifestyle will yield the best results!