How Oestrogen could be Derailing your Hormones, Love Life and Future Health

If you’re experiencing more than your fair share of rage, have a libido so dry, it makes the Sahara look wet; feel like your boobs are your mortal enemy before your unpredictable or haemorrhaging like period, which may or may not show up; have struggled with your fertility; are packing on the peri pounds; or are worried about the history of cancer in your family, or just in general, I urge you to read to the end…

Without convoluting the intricate dance of hormones even further (because let’s face it, it can feel so overwhelming and everyone seems to have an answer - apart from your actual doctor!), the simplest way to explain it is: there’s good oestrogen and bad oestrogen and the bad oestrogen can make you really unwell, detrimentally impacting everything from your relationships to your actual life.  There’s no use sugar coating it, so I won’t: cancer of the breasts, ovaries and uterus rely on oestrogen to grow, so when the bad stuff is left to misbehave and cause havoc, you could really find yourself in a pickle.

Bad oestrogen can derive from your food, plastics, household products, health and beauty products, pollution to name but a few.  God! Even your carpet or the work’s photocopier could be trying to kill you. The truth of the matter is, you can try and live as clean as possible but avoiding toxic oestrogen completely is impossible. However, all is not lost and there is something you can do!

At WillPowders, we are massive advocates of eating organic, or if this isn’t possible, choosing and preparing your food in a way that limits your chances of consuming bad oestrogen.  We have researched hacks, tips and tricks to mitigate some of the risk and even gone as far to develop a supplement that can support your body in ridding itself of toxic oestrogen. Why? Because it is so harmful and it can perpetuate the growth of cancer cells.  At the end of the day, what good is looking great on the outside if there is war raging on the inside? 

In my research, I came across the Women in Balance Institute, as well as a bit of ‘go to’ guide when it comes to navigating life and avoiding Xenoestrogens (“foreign” oestrogens, substances that are close enough in molecular structure to oestrogen that they can bind to oestrogen receptor sites within the body).  Whilst there is great advice and lists of what to do and what not to do, it’s such a shame that men don’t seem to get a sniff or a mention.  Toxic oestrogen affects both sexes - men can get breast cancer too, you know!

DIM (Diindolylmethane) helps to convert oestrogen into its beneficial form and Calcium D Glucarate, which supports the detoxification of oestrogen in the liver. 

The Benefits of Supplementing with DIM:

DIM is a bit of a powerhouse player, so much so, more and more research is being conducted to determine the efficacy of it after many favourable medical trials pertaining to the treatment of reproductive cancers. One study surmised that ‘this bioactive compound has significant experimental evidence for bioactivity in breast chemoprevention’; another medical study noted the effect that DIM had on cell proliferation, ultimately meaning it inhibited tumour development; and perhaps the most hopeful study of all found that BRCA carriers who supplemented with DIM had a significant decline in Fibroglandular tissue (fatty breast tissue). ‘High breast density is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and can also make it more challenging to detect tumours via traditional screening methods’. 

‘Extra fat in the body doesn’t just sit there, it’s active, sending out signals to the rest of your body. It can affect growth, metabolism and reproductive cycles. These signals can tell cells in our body to divide more often, which can lead to cancer’

Now we all know that the liver is an unsung hero…..The liver plays a crucial role in metabolising and eliminating oestrogen from the body. By supporting liver health, we can enhance the detoxification process.

Much like DIM, there has been much research into the effects of taking Calcium D-Glucarate and these are some of the findings: 

Now, whilst I am paid to write blogs in favour of the WillPowders’ products, I have integrity and a conscience. Knowing how fervently WillPowders believe and only formulate science backed supplements, is perhaps why we get on so well; I ain’t no marketing pushover. The point is, I am not someone who can take to my laptop and write willy nilly, knowing that my words have the ability to influence, so I conducted my own Oestrogen Detox experiment.

Like many women, I have spent most of my adult life looking for a solution to my raging and imbalanced hormones, which, frankly, have made me feel utterly dire for the majority of my lady life. 

Other than when I was trying to get pregnant, I have never been someone who knows the exact day my period is due.  Why? Because I suffer from endometriosis, which was discovered during a laparoscopy after an ectopic pregnancy, and the pain I feel before my period often has me doubled over and thinking about my last will and testament. My endometriosis has been like my period alarm clock and when it kicks in, I know the flow is imminent. However, after taking Oestrogen Detox (supplementing with nothing else other than Collagen, MCT Keto Creamer and MCT Oil) for a month to test its efficacy before writing this blog, my period took me completely by surprise this month.  I slept through my pain clock and was late to the period party.  It was like a holiday for my uterus and pain receptors. 

Not only this, 2 weeks before my period, I normally hate my husband and I barely tolerate my child (motivated to keep him alive because that’s what society expects me to do, and I don’t want social services knocking on my door - isn’t that just the most horrendous confession, but I’m determined to keep it real here!). The truth is, I just want to hide away and avoid having to talk to anyone in case I say something I’ll regret later. It’s like I become possessed and even though I’m aware it’s my hormones toying with my usual placid personality,  my tolerance for the male species ceases to exist and both son and husband live in fear of my unpredictable rage.  Well, not this month!  I have loved them for the whole 31 days and I haven’t felt the need to drown them in the washing up bowl (an actual recurring period dream!).  Not once has my husband asked the dangerous question of “are you due on?” My genuine hope is that the sit down conversations with my husband where I explain how he needs to behave in order to survive the next 2 weeks are a thing of the past because Oestrogen Detox is in my armoury now. 

The general ‘my blood feels poisoned’ symptom, which is a literal description of how I feel for most of the month has completely gone and I no longer feel like my boobs are trying to make me throw in the towel! I have often resorted to wearing two bras in the attempt to strap the blighters down and relieve myself of the feeling that I’m carrying two exploding bombs around with me.  I quite simply feel liberated from the toxic oestrogen that I didn’t know I had, and which was coursing around my body, making me feel like a hormonal grenade. 

Without sounding like a vain superficial, my favourite result of taking Oestrogen Detox is that I’ve dropped half a stone in a month.  I’ve always carried my weight on my bum and thighs, but I’ve never had a tummy- until two years ago!  The days of feeling pretty flat tum smug, even after giving birth to a pelvis shattering 9.9lb boyo, are but a mere memory, a memory I would quite like to make a reality again.  Well, I’m on my way because I can see visible shrinkage around my middle and I like it.  

Both the DIM and Calcium D- Glucarate in Oestrogen Detox work in complementary ways to enhance the body's natural detoxification processes, aiding in the elimination of excess or harmful forms of Oestrogen and achieving a balanced oestrogen profile, which is vital for overall health and well-being. By understanding the sources of bad oestrogen, incorporating beneficial compounds like DIM and Calcium D- Glucarate, and further supporting liver function with natural supplements like Rise & Shine, we can positively impact hormonal health - finding that hormonal sweet spot, if you will, and saying goodbye to demonic toxic oestrogen that resides within all of us. 

Unlike the US, who are leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the world in their research into the effects of oestrogen dominance, we are lagging behind considerably.  Not only is this horrifically irresponsible, given the impact toxic oestrogen can have on our biological responses to life, it is heart wrenching because of the unnecessary suffering it can cause. 

As always, if you are considering hacking your hormonal health with natural supplements, but are reluctant to interfere with your oestrogen metabolism without the support of your doctor, make what could be the best appointment you have ever made today and demand for your hormone levels to be tested.  We have put together ‘How to speak to your doctor’ guides to support you in asking the right questions and asking for the right investigations. Don’t be afraid to stand your ground - keep asking until you get the answers you need because you and your hormones deserve the best care.