Beating Estrogen Dominance: The Key To A Healthy Sex Drive

If you think that your sex life could use a lot of improvement (and you’re worried that your partner thinks so too). You should be making sure you are not suffering from estrogen dominance. The key to a healthy sex drive is to keep estrogen levels in healthy ranges, something that is becoming harder and harder the older you get.

Estrogen you say? Yes, even men have the female hormone estrogen and excess levels can lead to undesirable effects. You see, if you’re a man, too much estrogen often get in the way of your libido and sexual performance.

What is estrogen?

This hormone is commonly associated with the female body, but is present in both males and females. Females naturally have higher levels of estrogen than men, but they also have small amounts of testosterone, same as men have small amounts of estrogen. High levels of testosterone in men helps to keep estrogen levels down and make men manly. Estrogen is still important in men because it plays a vital role in sexual function and bone mineralization. It also plays an important role in the development and maintenance of tissues and their growth.

However, problems arise when estrogen becomes more dominant than testosterone in men.

What is estrogen dominance?

This condition is characterized by estrogen levels that remain higher than normal. When there is estrogen dominance, it means that the ratio between testosterone and estrogen is not within the ideal range of 10:1.

How do you end up with estrogen dominance?

Here are some factors that can lead to this condition:

Too much exposure to phytoestrogens and xenoestrogens.

Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like and/or estrogen-promoting compounds present in plants. Xenoestrogens are artificial estrogen-like  compounds.

Both xeno- and phyto-estrogens mimic the action of the estrogen hormone in the body.

Phytoestrogens may be present in certain foods such as:

• Soy
• Yam
• Fenugreek
• Barley
• Rice bran
• Beer

Xenoestrogens are present in most artificial pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. They are also found in meats, dairy, meat products and dairy products from commercially-, conventionally-raised animals. This is because some of them are injected to promote growth in the animals, and other kinds can be absorbed through the animals food.

Too much body fat

Testosterone in men undergoes a process called aromatization and this is what creates the small amounts of estrogen in men. Aromatization  converts testosterone into estrogen. This process happens within the fat cells, so in other words, if you have excess fat in the body (obesity), there will be more sites for aromatization.

This will lead to higher baseline estrogen production and potentially  estrogen dominance. Obesity often creates a downward spiral when it comes to hormones. Higher estrogen levels promote the storage of more fats, which will become more sites for aromatization and even further promote higher estrogen levels.

Too much stress

A lot of people do not realize the significant impact of stress in the body. It’s not limited to poor sleep quality and feeling tired all the time. Chronic high stress levels can also cause hormonal imbalances. Stress causes the body to produce more of the stress hormone  cortisol. This is a normal reaction to help the body better deal with the stress. This is ok because it’s part of the body’s way of trying to adapt  to the changes in the environment. What makes it bad however, is when stress levels never cease and continue to stay high for extended periods of time.

When cortisol stays in the body for long periods of time it can cause some serious changes. Progesterone, another sex hormone and the precursor of cortisol, is used up in the cortisol-production process. However, Progesterone has a role to play in keeping estrogen levels in check. Depleted progesterone due to prolonged high cortisol production allows estrogen levels to proliferate unchecked and wreck havoc in the body.

What happens in estrogen dominance?

As you should have realized by now, too much estrogen is bad news. One of the problems that happen early on is increased fat storage and water retention. This will then promote even higher estrogen levels and more fat gain if something is not done about it.

Other common problems that stem from estrogen dominance are:

• Lethargy
• Loss of muscle mass or accelerated muscle breakdown
• Less desire for sex
• Erectile dysfunction
• Hair loss
• BPH (enlarged prostate)
• Anxiety and mood problems
• Aggression

What to do about estrogen dominance

Reclaim your sex drive and manhood by following some simple lifestyle and dietary guidelines: 

• Restrict simple sugars
• Eat plenty of healthy fats and protein (at least 30% of calories as fat)
• Exercise and sweat regularly
• Eat plenty of vegetables
• Make sure you get 7-9 hours of sleep
• Enjoy adequate relaxation time

All these suggestions should help bring your estrogen levels back to its normal levels. If you have a serious case of estrogen dominance, lifestyle changes might not be enough. You should then look into incorporating  supplements that block estrogen and seek medical attention if needed.

Supplements that keep estrogen under control:

You can help your body regain normal sex drive and normalize estrogen levels consuming certain helpful nutrients and herbs. These are:

Tongkat Ali

Tongkat Ali, also called Longjack, is a mainstay in most testosterone-boosting supplements on the market. It is also a popular male enhancement ingredient used for centuries in traditional medicine. Tongkat ali is native to Malaysia and research has found that it can help block estrogen in the body. Its effectiveness is comparable to a commonly used prescription medication called Tamoxifen (a SERM type drug), but without the side effects.

Calcium-D-gluconate (CDG)

This compound is found in many fruits and vegetables such as apples, cruciferous vegetables, grapefruit and oranges. CDG works by removing excess estrogen and toxins from the body via numerous chemical processes.

Zinc

This mineral is often overlooked but is very important for men’s health. It is mainly an immune-booster but it also helps in dealing with estrogen dominance. It acts by blocking estrogen receptors, which would decrease the negative effects of high estrogen levels. It also helps by blocking aromatase enzymes that are needed for the aromatization process. 

Zinc is abundant in the following foods:

• Oysters
• Spinach
• Beef
• Shrimps
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Chrysin

This is another compound that inhibits the aromatization process. This compound can be found in foods such as mushrooms, chamomile and passionflower. If you take it as a supplement, make sure it is in combination with Black Pepper extract to make sure it is bioavailable.

If you want to reclaim your manhood and your libido, start by beating estrogen dominance. The key to a great sex life is to keep your hormones in balance through a healthy lifestyle.

Author Bio:“Alex Eriksson is the founder of Anabolic Health, a men’s health blog dedicated to providing honest and research backed advice for optimal male hormonal health. Anabolic Health aspires to become a trusted resource where men can come and learn how to fix their hormonal problems naturally, without pharmaceuticals. Check out www.anabolichealth.com to learn more about Alex and his work. You can also find him on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.”