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Are you suffering from heavy or painful periods, irritability, water retention, menstrual migraines, cravings, acne or sore boobs?! Perhaps in that week before your period you feel like a completely different person and can go from feeling super anxious one minute to angry and irritable the next.
If so, you could have a problem with excess oestrogen...
Our bodies need oestrogen for sure, it helps to regulate the menstrual cycle and optimise fertility, but you need it in the right amounts!
Excess oestrogen is one of the most common hormonal patterns I see in my clinic among women and it can often be the result of a nutrient deficiencies, impaired detoxification, poor gut health or low progesterone.
But how can you find out if you have a problem with excess oestrogen? Well, this is just one of the reasons why I love recommending the DUTCH test to clients...
This comprehensive, at-home hormone test gives us a pretty good insight into how well your body is dealing with oestrogen (along with many other hormones) and, unlike a blood test, it shows us how well you are breaking it down (which can often be a driver in symptoms such as mood issues, low energy and heavy periods).
Here are just a few examples of how high oestrogen may present on this test...
Example 1:
When I interpret a client's DUTCH test, one of the first things I look to assess is her oestrogen, and what this is compared to progesterone. This woman's oestrogen levels are through the roof and yet her progesterone is below range, which are contributing to her problematic periods and anxiety.
Example 2:
This test shows exactly how your oestrogen is being broken down in the body and how it is being metabolised. This can be super important if you want to know your cancer risk (breast/cervical/uterine) as certain pathways of oestrogen are non-protective and associated with high levels of DNA damage and inflammation.
For example, those women who favour the 4-OH-E1 (red) pathway are at a higher risk for breast cancer as this pathway can lead to DNA damage in the breast tissue.
Example 3:
This woman's methylation activity is also quite low, suggesting that she is not breaking down oestrogen effectively. This can manifest as anxiety, fatigue, PMS, headaches and digestive issues. Methylation is also KEY for fertility, specifically when it comes to folate absorption which is a crucial nutrient for egg quality.
Want to find out more?
If you're experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in this post, it might be time to consider the DUTCH® test. This test can help identify the underlying cause of your symptoms so you can stop GUESSING, and start addressing it!
To find out more about the DUTCH test, what other markers it looks at, and why I recommend it over a blood test for testing hormones, have a read of my blog here.
Alternatively, feel free to book a free 30 minute discovery call here. I look forward to chatting with you soon!