60: Estrogen Dominance: Causes, Symptoms, and How to Finally Fix It

 Struggling with heavy periods, mood swings, or stubborn weight? It might be estrogen dominance. In this deep-dive episode, I’m breaking down exactly what estrogen dominance is, what causes it, and why so many women deal with this frustrating hormone imbalance. You’ll learn the three types of estrogen dominance, how conventional labs often miss it, and the real root causes behind your symptoms — including stress, gut health, mineral deficiencies, and detox issues. Plus, I’ll walk you through my 3-step method for correcting estrogen dominance and share real answers to your most common questions. If you suspect your hormones are out of balance, this is the episode you need to hear. 

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Transcript

Hey, hey! Welcome back to the podcast. I’ve been so excited all week to sit down and record this episode because we’re diving into a topic that comes up all the time in my practice — estrogen dominance.

What Is Estrogen Dominance?

First, let’s break down some basics. We actually have three types of estrogen in the body:

• Estradiol (E2): The strongest and most active form, made mostly in the ovaries.
• Estrone (E1): A weaker form of estrogen.
• Estriol (E3): The weakest form, important especially during pregnancy.

When we talk about estrogen, most people are referring to estradiol. This is the one primarily responsible for building up the uterine lining in preparation for pregnancy.

I want to emphasize right away: estrogen itself is not the enemy. We absolutely need estrogen for:

• Bone health
• Insulin sensitivity
• Healthy weight management
• Neurotransmitter balance
• Sleep, mood, concentration, and memory
• Vaginal health (pH and lubrication)
• Cardiovascular health

The problem comes when estrogen gets out of balance.

The Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance

When estrogen becomes dominant relative to progesterone, it can lead to:

• Heavy or painful periods
• Breast tenderness or fibrocystic breasts
• Mood swings, anxiety, or depression
• Acne and breakouts
• Fibroids
• Headaches or migraines
• Weight gain or weight loss resistance
• Higher risk for gallstones, clotting issues, or endometrial cancer

The Three Types of Estrogen Dominance

1️⃣ High estrogen with low progesterone
2️⃣ High estrogen with normal progesterone
3️⃣ Both estrogen and progesterone within normal range, but estrogen trending high and progesterone trending low

Even if both hormones are technically “normal,” the ratio between them can still leave you in a state of estrogen dominance.

What Causes Estrogen Dominance?

There are many reasons someone may develop estrogen dominance, and often it’s a combination of factors:

• Obesity
• Insulin resistance or diabetes
• Chronic inflammation
• Chronic stress
• PCOS
• Perimenopause hormonal shifts
• Poor detoxification
• Endocrine disruptors (toxins from personal care, cleaning products, plastics, etc.)
• High alcohol intake
• Gut dysbiosis (imbalanced gut bacteria)
• Excess DHEA, testosterone, or estradiol supplementation

How We Approach Correcting It

The first goal is to identify the root cause (or causes), because often there are multiple factors at play. Here’s my 3-step method I use with my clients:

1️⃣ Nourishment, Blood Sugar & Minerals

• Eat enough — under-eating can be just as harmful as overeating.
• Build balanced, blood sugar-stabilizing meals.
• Support minerals (minerals directly impact hormone production and balance).

2️⃣ Nervous System & Stress Support

• I don’t just say “stress less” — I teach my clients actual tools to regulate their nervous system.
• Managing stress resilience is critical because stress directly impacts cortisol, which in turn affects estrogen and progesterone.

3️⃣ Gut & Liver Detox Support

• Support healthy bowel movements to prevent reabsorption of excess estrogen.
• Focus on liver support by reducing toxic burden (personal care, plastics, processed foods).
• Use targeted supplements to assist detox pathways once diet & lifestyle foundations are in place.

Why Testing Is So Valuable

Symptoms alone don’t always tell the full story. This is where functional lab testing becomes invaluable. In my practice I use:

• DUTCH testing — tells us exactly where estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and their metabolites are.
• HTMA testing — evaluates minerals, which directly affect hormone balance and detox capacity.

When we have data, we aren’t guessing anymore — we know exactly what to target.

Rapid Q&A Recap

I also answered some of your fantastic listener questions at the end of this episode. Here’s a quick summary:

• Can you have estrogen dominance even if labs are “normal”? YES. Your ratio matters more than one single lab number.
• What actually causes estrogen dominance? Could be overproduction of estrogen, not enough progesterone, or poor estrogen metabolism.
• Why am I doing everything right but still feel off? Under-eating, over-exercising, stress, and nervous system dysregulation can all stall your progress.
• Can you fix estrogen dominance for good? Yes, but it requires time, testing, and a personalized approach.

If you want to explore whether this might be part of your hormone picture, you can apply to work with me using the application linked in the show notes.

Don’t forget to also grab my free Hormones 101 Secret Podcast if you’re new around here — it’s a great starting point to understand your hormones better.