Let’s talk about how to fix estrogen dominance and why you probably need to in perimenopause and menopause. Because even though your estrogen is dropping, your progesterone is often dropping at a more drastic rate. This creates a situation known as estrogen dominance.
Estrogen dominance in menopause makes everything more difficult. It amplifies symptoms like weight gain, mood swings, hot flashes, and disrupted sleep. But the good news is you can take actionable steps to restore balance and feel like yourself again.
In this article, you will learn:
Why estrogen dominance happens in menopause.
Key symptoms of estrogen dominance during menopause.
How to detox the liver and gut to rebalance estrogen levels.
Let’s dive into understanding estrogen dominance during the menopausal transition.
Estrogen Dominance In Menopause
Before perimenopause, estrogen dominance often leads to increased PMS symptoms like bloating and headaches. Then, as menopause approaches, estrogen dominance starts to look a little different.
Starting in the early days of perimenopause, you may still get your period, but you won’t ovulate, or release an egg for fertilization that month. Most of your body’s progesterone production happens only after ovulation — so this causes a dramatic drop in progesterone levels.
Without progesterone around to balance things out, estrogen often takes over the show and becomes the dominant hormone.
This imbalance leads to a cascade of symptoms that can greatly affect your quality of life.
Symptoms Of Estrogen Dominance Menopause
Some of the common symptoms of estrogen dominance during menopause include:
Hot flashes and night sweats
Weight gain and bloating, especially around the abdomen. This is particularly problematic because adipose tissue (fat) is believed to produce estrogen, leading to even more estrogen dominance.
Mood swings and anxiety. Hormonal imbalance affects neurotransmitters, increasing feelings of irritability and worry. Plus, progesterone has a calming effect on the body and brain. Without ample amounts of it, anxiety can take over.
Sleep disturbances. Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep may worsen with fluctuating estrogen levels and low progesterone.
If you recognize any of these symptoms, keep reading because there are ways to address the imbalance and find relief.
Why Estrogen Dominance Happens During Menopause
Estrogen dominance during menopause may seem impossible — since overall estrogen levels begin to decline as you hit perimenopause. But it’s not just about how much total estrogen you have circulating, it’s about how balanced that estrogenic presence is with other hormones, particularly progesterone.
Here’s why your overall estrogen may decline and yet you still have estrogen dominance:
As I explained earlier, progesterone drops precipitously in perimenopause. Progesterone counterbalances estrogen, and this leads to a relative dominance of estrogen, even when its levels are lower than they were in your younger years.
After menopause, fat cells can become little estrogen production centers. That means excess body fat could amplify estrogen production, which exacerbates the situation.
Chemicals in plastics, cosmetics, and cleaning products mimic estrogen and disrupt hormonal balance. So the more external estrogens enter your system, the higher estrogen dominance rises.
Chronic stress, poor sleep, and a diet high in processed foods can worsen estrogen dominance. Stress in particular raises cortisol, which can suppress progesterone production and create further imbalance. Cortisol also encourages weight gain, which leads to fat accumulation — which then leads to even more estrogen.
Detoxing for Estrogen Dominance
Detoxification is one of the most powerful tools to address estrogen dominance, especially during menopause. When your body has more estrogen circulating than it needs, it may be because the estrogen can’t get out of your system.
There are two ways excess estrogen leaves your body:
The liver
The gut
Both the liver and gut play critical roles in processing and eliminating excess estrogen from the body. And if either one is “backed up” and can’t properly process estrogen, the estrogen just gets sent right back into the bloodstream to circulate some more.
Therefore — supporting the gut and the liver properly can help restore balance and reduce symptoms naturally.
Here’s how to make sure your gut and liver have what they need to do their jobs properly.
Supporting The Liver
The liver is the primary organ responsible for metabolizing estrogen. When liver function is impaired—due to poor diet, alcohol consumption, or environmental toxins—estrogen can recirculate in the body instead of being excreted.
Here are some of my favorite natural estrogen detox supports:
Other Hormone Detox Strategies
In addition to supporting your liver and gut detox capabilities, there are a couple of other ways to support menopause detox.
- Hydration
Drink plenty of water to support kidney function and overall detoxification.
Sweating
Regular exercise or sauna use encourages the elimination of toxins, including excess estrogen. In fact, studies indicate that exercise can impact estrogen levels. (5) Plus, if you can lose some body fat, you will lose some of those estrogen-generating fat cells as well. And of course, you’ll support your heart, bones, and brain too!
Natural Detox Cleanse Drink
One of my all-time favorite ways to support the liver and gut is with a daily natural cleanse drink.
And that’s exactly why I formulated my Mighty Maca® Plus with a whole host of estrogen-detoxifying superfoods for the liver and fiber for the gut Mighty Maca® Plus
It’s a simple way to get support detoxing estrogen from the body, especially during menopause.
There are over 30+ all-natural ingredients in Mighty Maca Plus, including liver support superstars milk thistle, turmeric, and cruciferous veggies. It also includes a special fiber blend that helps ‘move things along’ and out of the body for stellar gut health.
When it comes to a good detox drink to flush your system and help with menopausal symptoms, nothing beats Mighty Maca Plus.
Check out our 1700+ glowing reviews here.
How To Fix Estrogen Dominance Naturally
Estrogen dominance in perimenopause and menopause is one of the main drivers of uncomfortable symptoms, but understanding the problem is the first step to getting relief.
To recap, here’s how you can start addressing estrogen dominance today:
Recognize symptoms like weight gain, mood swings, and sleep disturbances.
Understand the root causes, including declining progesterone and lifestyle factors.
Support your liver and gut with detox-friendly foods like broccoli, milk thistle, and fiber. Try my Mighty Maca Plus for an easy way to do that here.
Remember, balancing your hormones is a journey, and small, consistent changes can yield big results over time.
You’ve got this, Girlfriend.
