Estrogen Dominance: Why It’s Not Just a Weight Gain Issue

Heavy periods, large blood clots, painful periods, acne, breast tenderness, intense PMS, or changes in where you store body fat can sometimes be signs of what is commonly referred to as estrogen dominance.

It’s a term you may have heard online but may not fully understand  what it actually means, why it happens, or what you’re supposed to do about it.

Let’s clear it up.

Firstly, if you have signs of estrogen dominance, it is not your fault.

And secondly, it’s important to understand that weight gain is not necessarily the root cause. In fact, changes in how and where your body stores fat can sometimes be part of the hormonal picture rather than the cause of it.

Yet the fatphobic diet industry and unrealistic beauty standards have made us believe that almost every hormonal problem comes back to our weight and that losing weight is the answer.

What is Estrogen Dominance? 

It is a hormonal imbalance in women where estrogen levels are relatively higher to that of progesterone. 

But what if we looked deeper?

If weight isn’t the root cause, what could actually be contributing to estrogen dominance?

1. Low Progesterone & Estrogen Dominance

   
   

Estrogen and progesterone are two of the main hormones involved in the menstrual cycle. While both are important, progesterone rises significantly after ovulation.

The corpus luteum, the temporary structure that forms in the ovary after ovulation, is the main source of progesterone during this part of the cycle.

So, if you don’t ovulate, you don’t get this normal rise in progesterone. This can create a situation where estrogen is relatively higher compared to progesterone, even if your estrogen levels themselves are not unusually high.

And this relative imbalance can contribute to some of the symptoms commonly attributed to “estrogen dominance.”

Not sure what ovulation is or whether you’re ovulating? You can learn more about it here: [https://www.undietwithnamrata.in/]

2. Gut, Liver & Estrogen Clearance

   
   

Whatever estrogen is no longer needed by the body is processed by the liver and sent to the gut to be eliminated.

But when your gut microbiome is not healthy, this process can be affected.

An enzyme produced by certain gut bacteria, called beta-glucuronidase, can cause some of the estrogen that was meant to be eliminated to be reabsorbed instead.

This means more estrogen can be recirculated back into the body, potentially contributing to higher estrogen levels and symptoms associated with “estrogen dominance.”

This is why your gut health can play an important role in how your body processes and eliminates estrogen.

3. Aromatase enzyme & Estrogen Levels

   
   

Estrogen can be made from androgens (another group of sex hormones) through an enzyme called aromatase.

Think of aromatase as a pathway that converts some androgens into estrogen.

When aromatase activity is higher, more androgens can be converted into estrogen. This can contribute to a higher estrogen-to-androgen balance.

This is one reason why factors that influence aromatase activity,  including insulin resistance and inflammation can also influence your hormonal balance.

4. Insulin Resistance & Hormonal Imbalance

   
   

When your body becomes less sensitive to insulin, it has to produce more insulin to keep your blood sugar levels under control.

Higher insulin levels can affect your reproductive hormones, including increasing androgen levels and disrupting ovulation. And when ovulation is affected, progesterone can also be lower , bringing us back to the estrogen-to-progesterone balance we spoke about earlier.

This is one reason why insulin resistance can play a role in hormonal symptoms and what is commonly referred to as “estrogen dominance.”

And this doesn't only affect women. Changes in estrogen-androgen balance can also occur in men. In fact, increased estrogen activity is one of the factors involved in gynecomastia (enlarged breast tissue in men).

So, what does this mean for you?

1. Look for the root cause instead of just treating the symptoms.

If you have some of the signs we discussed, get the right blood work and symptom analysis done to understand what could actually be going on.

For example, if low progesterone is contributing to your symptoms, continually focusing on losing weight is unlikely to address the root of the problem.

2. Once you understand your root causes, create a plan that works with your life,  not against it.

Your food, lifestyle, stress, sleep and emotional wellbeing all matter. The goal is not to give you another list of things to “fix” or overwhelm you with rules.

3. Give your body time.

Hormonal changes don't happen overnight. Depending on the underlying cause, it can take several months to see meaningful changes in your periods and other symptoms.

You don't need to keep changing your approach every few weeks because you haven't seen an immediate result.

4. Stop making your weight the centre of the conversation.

You can work on your health without constantly trying to make your body smaller.

Healing your relationship with your body and food is not a distraction from hormonal health, it is an important part of it.

5. Take a holistic approach.

Your food choices and health behaviours don't exist in isolation. They are influenced by your habits, patterns, emotions, environment and the things you've learned about food and your body over the years.

If we don't address these deeper layers, you can have the “perfect” diet plan and still feel confused, restricted or uncomfortable in your own body.

I hope this shifts the way you think about hormones.

You don't have to approach your hormones from a place of fear, constantly trying to lose weight, control your food or “fix” your body.

Move out of the weight and diet mindset and start looking at the whole picture,  your physiology, your food, your habits, your emotions and your relationship with your body.

Because real nutrition isn't guesswork, a copy-pasted diet plan or another list of foods you should and shouldn't eat.

It's about understanding your body, your patterns and your needs and creating an approach that works for the whole of you.

That is exactly what makes you human.

If this is the kind of approach you've been looking for, you can learn more about my 1:1 nutrition coaching program, Undiet with Namrata, here: Undiet with Namrata | Nutritionist. And if you've read this and feel like it's time to look at your health beyond weight and symptoms, you can book a 1:1 clarity call with me here: Book a clarity call

Written by Namrata Manyal Agicha

About Namrata

I am a Registered Dietitian and Clinical Nutritionist and have worked in this space for 8 years. I founded Undiet with Namrata in 2021. While I practised conventionally for the first few years, I gradually realised that women's health, hormones and digestion go far beyond food.

Our patterns, habits, family dynamics, environment, diet culture and relationship with food can all influence the way we make choices and experience our bodies.

This is what led me to create

The Joyful Nourishment Signature Program,  a 6-month 1:1 coaching program designed to help you heal your relationship with food and yourself while working on your digestion, hormones and overall wellbeing.