Low Estrogen: 7 Possible Causes & Tips To Boost Estrogen Levels

Estrogen is one of the main female reproductive hormones. Estrogens (yes, there is more than just one kind) are responsible for reproduction, building up the uterine wall for the menstrual cycle, stimulating the growth of the egg follicle, and developing breast tissue.

Estrogen is released during the follicular phase of your cycle and it helps you feel energetic and feminine.

In their 40s and 50s, most women notice a significant drop in estrogen as they

enter perimenopause and menopause– but it can be an unexpected issue for younger women as well.

If you are experiencing symptoms of low estrogen prior to perimenopause you should take a closer look at what is contributing to this. Hormone testing might be a good option to identify the root cause.

Signs You Have Low Estorgen

• Hot flashes

• Anxiety

• Vaginal dryness

• Fatigue/sleep issues

• Low libido

• Weight gain

• Light or shorter periods

• Painful sex

• Depression

• Moodiness

6 Possible Causes Of Low Estrogen

Perimenopause/Menopause:

As you age and enter into perimenopause/menopause your estrogen levels will begin to decline.

Undereating:

Undereating can deprive your body of the necessary nutrients needed for adequate hormone production and balance.

Over Exercising:

Over-exercising is perceived by your body as a stressor and can drive up cortisol and ultimately impact other hormones including estrogen. When you combine undereating with over-exercising hormonal imbalances are bound to happen and can make reaching your wellness goals an uphill battle.

Nutrient Deficiency:

Lacking key nutrients in your diet like healthy fats and carbs is another common contributor. Often times I'll have clients come to me feeling awful, struggling to lose weight. They have in many cases restricted calories or carbs and this is leading further hormonal chaos in their body. Healthy fats from our food are needed for our bodies to produce sex hormones like estrogen. Carbohydrates are essential for hormonal balance -the key is to choose the right carbohydrates to help your body thrive.

Stress:

Whether you are going through a stressful period in your life or unintentionally adding stressors to your body like undereating, overtraining, or dealing with blood sugar dysregulation the end result is your body will produce more and more cortisol to help navigate that stress. Over time the overproduction of cortisol can have a cascade effect and impact other hormones including estrogen.

Post Birth Control

If you have just recently come off of hormonal birth control it can impact your hormones and contribute to symptoms temporarily.

Tips To Boost Estorgen Levels

• Eat plenty of veggies, especially cruciferous vegetables.

• Eat regular well-balanced meals that include protein, fibre, and healthy fats to support stable blood sugar.

• Choose carbohydrates from whole food sources like fruits and veggies and reduce the amount of processed and refined foods you eat. Low estrogen can make you more insulin-resistant, meaning it can be more difficult to tolerate carbohydrates.

• Include flax in your diet. It contains phytoestrogens which can help increase. estrogen naturally.

• Restorative exercises like walking, yoga or pilates are a great way to naturally boost estrogen levels. Intense exercise can actually impact your estorgen levels keeping them low as it will drive up cortisol.

• Add in a magnesium supplement which will help with stress and estrogen metabolism.

Ready to get some support? We can work together to get to the root cause of your imbalance so that you can spend your energy on the changes that will bring your hormones back into alignment.

Here are some ways we can work together.

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