Peri-menopause for many women, is marked by erratic reproductive hormonal fluctuations and imbalances that can be both irritating and alarming. Oestrogen, the dominant reproductive hormone in women, is usually kept in check and balanced by another reproductive hormone, progesterone. When fluctuations or an imbalance occurs and oestrogen begins to dominate progesterone, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your oestrogen levels are high. During peri-menopause, you can still be oestrogen dominant with low levels of oestrogen if your progesterone levels are lower still.

Transitioning through peri-menopause

The peri-menopause phase, which may last for a number of years, eventually transitions into menopause. This transition can begin for a woman in her late 30’s or early 40’s. Exposure to ‘endocrine disrupters’ that mimic the activity of oestrogen in food and water or in the environment, favour an imbalance between oestrogen and progesterone, adding more fuel to the fire. Oestrogen dominance over time is potentially dangerous and can occur when there is:

• an imbalance between oestrogen and progesterone
• too much oestrogen, including the type of oestrogen produced
• excess oestrogen not being detoxified effectively through the liver

Peri-menopause symptoms

Perimenopause symptoms related to oestrogen dominance can be felt physically, mentally and emotionally. The number, frequency and severity of symptoms will be different for each woman, and for every oestrogen dominant symptom, there is a balancing and normalising progesterone effect:

Symptoms of oestrogen dominance	Balancing effects of progesterone
Weight gain & increased body fat	Burns fat to produce energy so helps reduce weight & fat stores
Impaired blood sugar control & disturbances	Normalises blood sugar control
Interferes with normal thyroid function	Assists healthy thyroid hormone function
Accelerates growth of cells in uterine lining (endometriosis, fibroids)	Maintains normal healthy uterine lining
Increases breast stimulation (fibrocystic or painful breasts)	Protects against fibrocystic & painful breasts
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) syndrome	Helps reduce oestrogen dominance
Decreases sex drive	Increases sex drive
Increased blood clotting (painful, heavy periods)	Normalises blood clotting
Increased risk of hormonal cancers	Reduces risk of hormonal cancers
Depression	Natural anti-depressant
Fluid retention	Natural diuretic
Hot flushes & night sweats in perimenopause	Reduces impact of menopausal symptoms

Top 6 herbs and nutrients for peri-menopause symptoms

• Broccoli sprouts promote healthy oestrogen metabolism and support liver detoxification pathways.
• Rosemary leaf is a potent antioxidant that improves liver detoxification for enhanced oestrogen metabolism.
• Mary’s thistle supports liver function generally and for healthy hormone production and detoxification.
• Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that protects the body from dangerous oestrogen metabolites and assists healthy detoxification. Inflammation is a key factor in promoting increased oestrogen levels.
• Quercetin competes with oestrogen for receptor sites, helping to reduce oestrogen dominance by preventing oestrogen production in other areas of your body.
• Vitex provides progestogenic activity to help support healthy hormone balance.

Mr Vitamins recommends

Herbs of Gold Hormone Balancing Supplements

Find out more and shop online for these Herbs of Gold products below

• Oestro Balance
• St Mary’s Thistle 35 000
• Vitex 1000

For more advice come into Mr Vitamins and 'ask a Naturopath' to recommend the right product for you.