Essentially Fabulous! How to Attack Hormone Imbalance Using Organic Essential Oils

Hormonal imbalance is a condition that is unique to each individual and therefore requires personalized treatment—what works for one person may not work for another. A doctor will likely prescribe those with a hormonal imbalance (such as menopause) prescription drugs and a hormone therapy treatment course, however this is no longer a favored treatment by the most doctors and patients due to its long-term health risks. The good news is for those who prefer to go natural, there is no doubt that using a combination of essential oils and a body detox will leave you feeling fabulous while battling the symptoms of menopause.

Are We Experiencing Hormone Havoc?

Contrary to the medical mindset, menopause is not a hormone deficiency disease. Menopause is the result of industrialization and the recurring chemicals (known as xeno-estrogens) in our environment. An unhealthy lifestyle, including changes to our diet and lack of exercise, are caused by our hectic pace of life and wreak havoc on our hormonal system.

The Effects of Xeno-Estrogens

Harmful chemicals in our food, beauty products, cosmetics, air and water supplies are creating a toxic environment within our bodies which lead to disruptions in our delicate hormonal balance. As a result of xeno-estrogens in our environment, there are cases of women as young as their mid-30s entering menopause.  But it is not just mature women who are experiencing the devastating effects- this toxicity is also progressing young girls into womanhood as young as 8 years old (with the average age in the USA being 12).

What are Xeno-Estrogens?

Xeno-estrogens are synthetic estrogens or estrogen-like compounds. They are found in dairy products, meat (including chicken and beef), soy-based products and personal care products.  They leach from the plastics we store our foods in, the Teflon we cook in and even the cans our processed foods come in.

Pesticides and fertilizers have also contributed xeno-estrogens to our water, air and soil reserves-- as you can see our world is full of these estrogen-like compounds. While we can never eradicate them from our environment, we can avoid things that will cause further upset to our hormone imbalance, especially while going through menopause.

Xeno-Estrogens and Menopause

Most of the symptoms associated with menopause are the result of estrogen dominance- the excess of estrogen compounds in our bodies.  This imbalance of estrogen to progesterone can cause problems such as:

• decreased sex drive
• irregular or abnormal periods
• mood swings or depression
• weight gain (estrogen turns energy into fat)
• osteoporosis

Scary stuff, but rest assured that you can help your body fight estrogen dominance by rebalancing your hormones and detoxifying your body. Here are the key steps to balancing your hormones:

1. Reduce stress
2. Reduce chemical-laden personal care products
3. Reduce toxicity from synthetic estrogens
4. Increase progesterone levels
5. Treat symptoms of imbalance with essential oils
6. Lymphatic massage

In addition to balancing your hormones, a body detox program is essential. Detoxification can include steps such as changing the foods you eat, doing an internal cleanse and partaking in homeopathic healing treatments such as lymphatic massage. What Happens During A Detox?

There are two phases that take place in the body as you start to cleanse.

* Phase 1: Fat-soluble toxins are converted to water-soluble substances.  If this is process is not adequately accomplished, it leads to free radical production in the body.

* Phase 2: Conjugation is the combining of water-soluble substances with another compound to be released through the kidneys (as with chelation).  This must be accomplished quickly, and requires adequate fuel: antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Supplementation During Detoxification

When laden with chemicals, the body needs a helping hand to aid in the detox process. Cleansing and hormonal support nutritional supplements can give your body extra aid efficiently flush toxins. Medical Foods by Metagenics is a supplement that provides a balanced source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that will allow the body to ease through these two phases.

Meta I 3 C is a naturally occurring compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cabbage. Through its ability to promote the breakdown of estrogen to its beneficial, protective metabolite—2-hydroxyestrone—indole-3-carbinol may be safe and effective way to help achieve beneficial balance in estrogen metabolism.

Indole-3 Carbinol

(I3C) over Diindolylmethane (DIM)

Both I3C and DIM do the exact same thing, converting estrogen into beneficial metabolites, with clinical evidence to support them. DIM, however, is poorly absorbed, making it necessary to use special forms available on the market that enhance its bioavailability.

Glutathione

Glutathione is also the most critical and integral part of your detoxification system.  Toxins cling to glutathione molecules, which then carries them into the bile and the stool -- and out of your body. For those who have been exposed to chemicals such as xeno-estrogens, we can see the importance of having enough Glutathione in the system.

Glutathione is a powerful yet very simple molecule that is produced naturally in your body.  It is a combination of three simple building blocks of protein needed for good health and maintaining body function.  Normally glutathione is recycled in the body, except when the toxic load becomes too great. You can raise your Glutathione up to 300% by using supplements such as Protandim.

Cleanse Your Body With Essential Oils:

Essential oils are versatile which makes them a great way to help detoxify your body- use in the bath, as a face spritzer or massage oil for excellent results. Massage therapy is not only relaxing and restorative; it allows your body to excrete toxins up to 200 times faster than on its own.

Important Essential Oils For Hormone Rebalancing and Detoxifying

Limonene is a compound found in particularly high levels in citrus oils. Limonene increases glutathione levels in the body making things like lemon, grapefruit and orange essence great detoxifiers, especially for petrochemical substances. Use grapefruit oil as massage oil for an ultra- clarifying, cellulite-busting treatment.

It has also been found that simply inhaling the aroma of citrus oils will balance hormones.  Their fragrance stimulates the endocrine system (most notably the hypothalamus) which has a role in governing hormone balance.

Invest In A Purifying Blend

The therapeutic benefits of using a purifying blend are endless, but some of the major advantages are:

• Balanced emotional and physical excesses such as resentment, jealousy, overeating, and alcohol and drug addictions
• Enjoy a cleansed blood and lymphatic system while flushing out toxins.

Try This At Home

A ready-made, high grade therapeutic purifying blend to aid in your cleansing and rebalancing regime is the Elizabeth Van Buren Purifying Easy Blend. This soothing blend of essential oils includes Juniper, Grapefruit, Angelica Root, Lemongrass, Lemon, Rosemary, Cypress, and Fennel in a moisturizing Jojoba oil base.

Essentials Oils to Promote Progesterone

Reducing excess estrogen in the body is important for good health, but don’t forget about the importance of having enough progesterone. Thyme, as well as oregano oil, will support progesterone production and help to balance estrogen compounds in the body.

For a balancing boost of progesterone production, simply place 1-2 drops of the oil on the bottom of the feet. Do not over-use oregano! Use daily for 10 days, and then give your system a rest.

Quick Tips For Managing Menopause Symptoms:

For hot flashes, peppermint oil can be massaged into the bottom of the feet or the back of the neck.  You can also mix it with water and spritz it.

Other oils to consider are geranium, citrus oils such as wild orange, grapefruit and lemon, and clary sage.

Reduce Hot Flashes Naturally:

Add 11 drops Geranium and 7 drops Lemon to warm bath water for a soothing soak. You can also use 1 oz Jojoba Oil and massage it into the body to relieve hot flash symptoms, and remember to avoid caffeine and alcohol for best results.

Banish Night Sweats:

Add 10 drops Grapefruit to 10 drops Geranium and massage into the body.

Fight Fatigue:

Apply peppermint oil over the liver and adrenal glands.

Rev Up Your Libido:

Try ylang ylang, ginger, peppermint, clary sage. 

Menopause Relief Essential Oils Shopping List:

If you are looking to combat the symptoms of menopause, the following essential oils are worth purchasing:

Geranium

Rose

Chamomile

Grapefruit

Rosewood

Orange

Clary Sage

Lavender

Fennel

Peppermint

How To Buy The Best Essential Oils

When buying essential oils, research is the key to getting the best results. With fewer than 2% of all essential oils in the USA being true therapeutic grade, it’s no wonder many people experience allergic reaction, or little to no results.

Only purchase oils that are 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade and have been GC/MS tested. This will ensure that your oils are authentic, pure and not mixed with any synthetic ingredients. Try Elizabeth Van Buren Essential Oils for GC/MS tested, high grade essential oils that will leave you feeling energized and healthy.

Lifestyle Tips to Keep Hormone Balance in Check

In addition to adopting a healthy diet and exercise regime, remember these tips to ensure you treat your body right, and keep your hormone levels in check:

• Never heat food in plastic containers, always use glass instead.
• Get rid of plastics- drink water from a tap filter or if you must have bottled, use glass.
• Do not drink water in plastic bottles that have been left in the car or frozen in the freezer.
• Eat natural, whole foods as much as possible and cut out processed and packaged foods from your diet.
• Use natural beauty products- this includes shampoo, cosmetics, body creams and hair dyes.

Kassie Kuehl is a respected leader and educator in natural health and beauty care. The founder of Kasia Organic Salon and many result orientated "beautiful health" products, and experts in ammonia free hair color.  Kasia remains on the cutting edge of all-natural, chemical free, and organic professional hair, skin, and body products and services.

To become an Informed Beauty, contact Kassie at 612 824 7611, or visit www.kasiaorganicsalon.com.

References:

1. http://www.gritman.com/EO_Papers/Menopause4.html
2. PEDIATRICS Vol. 111 No. 1 January 2003, pp. 110-113

Age at Menarche and Racial Comparisons in US Girls

William Cameron Chumlea, PhD^*,Christine M. Schubert, MS^*,Alex F. Roche, MD, PhD, DSc^*,Howard E. Kulin, MD, Peter A. Lee, MD, PhD,John H. Himes, PhD, MPH, Shumei S. Sun, PhD

1. “Hormone therapy: Is it right for you?” Author: Mayo Clinic Staff Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hormone-therapy/WO00046

Hormonal Balance with Essential Oils

Essential Oils and Hormonal Balance

When discussing hormones, it is critical to remember that each individual is unique.  There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach. When looking at lab results, be cautious of the result of    "normal".  The real issue is, "How do you feel?"

Menopause mindset?

Contrary to the medical mindset, menopause is not a hormone deficiency disease.

The current problems associated with hormone havoc ad menopause are the result of industrialization and the chemicals (xeno-estrogens) in our environment, as well as an unhealthy lifestyle, including changes in our diet associated with modern life.

Most of the symptoms associated with the result of estrogen dominance.  This imbalance of estrogen to progesterone can cause problems like:

• decreased sex drive
• irregular or abnormal periods
• mood swings or depression
• weight gain (since estrogen turns energy into fat)
• osteoporosis (because progesterone is needed for osteoclast formation)

Common phenomena today, and the result of xeno-estrogens in our environment. There are cases of women as young as their mid-30s entering menopause.  Internally, this is a primary toxicity-induced issue.  This same toxicity is progressing young girls   into womanhood as young of the age of 8.

Xeno-estrogens are synthetic estrogens or estrogen-like compounds

Caution to: Dairy products, chickens and meats, soy-based products and personal care products.  They leach from plastics we store our foods in, the Teflon we cook in and even the cans processed foods come in.  They are also plentiful in the chemicals we put on our lawns, those used in farming, which have contaminated our air, water and soil.

Avoiding these xeno-estrogens to balance hormones:

* Reduce stress

* Reduce chemical-laden personal care products

* Reduce toxicity from synthetic estrogens

* Increase progesterone levels

* Treat symptoms

* Lymphatic massage

Reduce Toxicity

There are two vital phases of this detoxification:

* Phase 1: Fat-soluble toxins are converted to water-soluble substances.  If this is process is not adequately accomplished, it leads to free radical production in the body.

* Phase 2: Conjugation is the combining of water-soluble substances with another compound to be released through the kidneys (as with chelation).  This must be accomplished quickly, and requires adequate fuel: antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Cleansing and Hormonal Support Nutritional Supplements

For a correct approach and program to detoxification, Medical Foods by Metagenics will give the body what it needs in a balanced source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that will allow the body to ease through these two phases.

Break it down! Proper supplementation can be an enormous help.  For this, Meta I 3 C is a naturally occurring compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cabbage. Through its ability to promote the breakdown of estrogen to its beneficial, protective metabolite—2-hydroxyestrone—indole-3-carbinol may be safe and effective way to help achieve beneficial balance in estrogen metabolism.

Indole-3 Carbinol

(I3C) over Diindolylmethane (DIM)?

Both I3C and DIM do the exact same thing, converting estrogen into beneficial metabolites, with clinical evidence to support them. DIM, however, is poorly absorbed, making it necessary to use special forms available on the market that enhance its bioavailability.

Assistance with Protandim Raises Glutathione 300% which  is most powerful and a very simple molecule that is produced naturally all the time in your body.  It is a combination of three simple building blocks of protein

Normally glutathione is recycled in the body -- except when the toxic load becomes too great.  And that explains why we are in such trouble.

Glutathione is also the most critical and integral part of your detoxification system. All the toxins stick onto glutathione, which then carries them into the bile and the stool -- and out of your body.

Essential oils that help with detoxification:

Limonene is a compound found in particularly high levels in citrus oils; and limonene increases glutathione levels in the body, making citrus oils great detoxifiers, especially for petrochemicals (which are loaded with xeno-estrogens).

It has also been found that the aroma of citrus oils will balance hormones.  Their fragrance has a direct effect on the endocrine system, especially the hypothalamus (which has a role in governing hormone balance).

- EVB PURIFYING BLEND -

Therapeutic Benefits: A great detoxifying blend.

• Balances emotional and physical excesses such as resentment, jealousy, overeating, and alcohol and drug addictions.
• Cleanses the blood, lymph, and emotions of toxins.

Ingredients: Juniper, Grapefruit, Angelica Root, Lemongrass, Lemon, Rosemary, Cypress, and Fennel in a Jojoba oil base.

Essentials Oils to promote Progesterone

Thyme, as well as oregano oil will also support progesterone production.

Directions:   place 1-2 drops of the oil on the bottom of the feet.  Do not over-use oregano. Use 10 days, and then give your system a rest.

Managing Menopause Symptoms:

For hot flashes, peppermint oil can be massaged into the bottom of the feet or the back of the neck.  You can also mix it with water and spritz with it.

Other oils to consider are geranium, citrus oils, like wild orange, grapefruit and lemon, as well as clary sage.

Recipe:

Hot Flashes

Avoid coffee and alcohol

11 drops Geranium

7 drops Lemon

To Warm Bath Water

To 1oz Jojoba Oil to massage onto body

Night Sweats

Add 10 drops Grapefruit

10 drops Geranium

For fatigue, apply peppermint oil over the liver and adrenals

To improve libido, try ylang ylang, ginger, peppermint, clary sage.

Essential Oils associated with Menopause:

Geranium Rose

Chamomile   Grapefruit Rosewood    Orange

Clary Sage      Thyme       Lavender

Fennel         Peppermint

Massage therapy! Massage is not only relaxing and restorative; it allows your body to excrete toxins up to 200 times faster than on its own.

Receive $20 OFF A FIRST TIME MASSAGE AT KASIA ORGANIC SALON!

STOP INTO KASIA ORGANIC SALON AND

'SCENT AND SAMPLE' YOUR ESSENTIAL OIL THERAPEUTIC BLEND!

Kassie Kuehl is a respected leader and educator in natural health and beauty care. The founder of Kasia Organic Salon and many result orientated "beautiful health" products, and experts in ammonia free hair color.  Kasia remains on the cutting edge of all-natural, chemical free, and organic professional hair, skin, and body products and services.

To become an Informed Beauty, contact Kassie at 612 824 7611.

Estrogen's Two-Way Street

November 2001 Issue of Nutrition Science News New research pinpoints how nutrition may prevent estrogen's carcinogenic activity by directing metabolites down favorable pathways

By Dan Lukaczer, N.D.

The continuing controversy over the health benefits and risks of estrogen is a complex and evolving story. Part of the reason is because estrogen is a much more complicated substance than originally believed. Although most people think of estrogen as a single entity, these hormones are actually three biochemically distinct molecules the body produces naturally—estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). These three estrogen molecules have different activities that make them more or less "estrogenic." The estrogenic activity often determines the mutagenic or carcinogenic potential of an estrogen.

It is widely believed that cumulative estrogen exposure is the most critical breast cancer risk factor. Breast cancer risk increases with early menarche, late menopause, long-term use of birth control pills, and estrogen replacement therapy.1 When women gain weight, grow taller, have fewer children (and have them later in life), they increase their lifetime exposure to estrogen, and its associated risks.

Researchers are gaining new insights into the processes through which E1, E2, and E3 are metabolized, detoxified, and excreted. These estrogens break down or are detoxified into estrogen metabolites—daughter compounds—called 2-hydroxyestrone, 4-hydroxyestrone, and 16-hydroxyestrone. These metabolites can have stronger or weaker estrogenic activity—and thus increase a woman's risk of breast, uterine, and other cancers—depending on how they are metabolized.

We know estrogen metabolism depends on three factors: a woman's genetic makeup, lifestyle and diet, and environment. Therefore, understanding estrogen metabolism, and the things we can do to affect it, offers significant opportunities to reduce cancer risks, particularly of breast and uterine cancers.

Estrogen Metabolism

In premenopausal women, the ovaries produce the estrogen estradiol (E2), which converts into estrone (E1), both of which must eventually be broken down and excreted from the body. This breakdown occurs primarily in the liver, and the excreted metabolites flow out in the bile or urine. Estradiol and estrone undergo this breakdown through a process called hydroxylation, an enzymatic activity in which the parent estrogen is transformed by the addition of a hydroxyl (OH) group at specific positions on estrogen's molecular ring.

Estrogen molecules are composed of carbon ring structures that are named numerically. Estradiol has 17 carbon atoms and can be hydroxylated at particular points on that ring. Considerable research has shown that major metabolites of estradiol and estrone are those hydroxylated at either the C-2 or the C-16 positions. Hydroxylated metabolites at the C-4 position also are present, but in lesser amounts. We might think of this process as parent estrogens (estradiol and estrone) begetting daughter estrogens (C-2, C-4, and C-16 hydroxyestrones and hydroxyestradiols). The problem is, some of these are the proverbial good daughters and some are bad daughters. I'll describe how the "bad" daughters can cause significant trouble.

What makes an estrogen good or bad? That has to do with the biological activity, or potency, of that estrogen. Estrogens are important in a host of cellular activities that affect growth and differentiation in various target cells. This is normal and beneficial, but too much estrogenic stimulation can have a negative effect. Therefore, properly metabolizing and excreting estrogens is crucial. This is how the daughter compounds differ substantially. If these estrogens are metabolized into the 2-hydroxylated estrone and estradiol, they lose much of their cell proliferative and estrogenic activity and are termed "good" estrogen metabolites. Studies show that when 2-hydroxylation increases, the body resists cancer, and that when 2-hydroxylation decreases, cancer risk increases.

However, the C-4 and C-16 hydroxylated estrone and estradiol metabolites are different from C-2 because these metabolites have more estrogenic activity than their mother compound.3 Research strongly suggests that women who metabolize a larger proportion of their estrogens down the C-16 pathway, as opposed to the C-2 pathway, have elevated breast cancer risk,4 and that the daughter estrogens metabolized down the C-16 route may be associated with direct genotoxic effects and carcinogenicity.5

Predicting Cancer Risks

In one recent large trial of 10,786 premenopausal women at the State University of New York at Buffalo, researchers found that those who went on to develop breast cancer had significantly less 2-hydroxyestrone and more 16-alphahydroxyestrone metabolites than women who did not. Following women for 5.5 years, they found that participants with increased levels of 2-hydroxyestrone had a 40 percent decrease in the occurrence of breast cancer.6

In a longer-term study on postmenopausal women, women with the highest C-2:C-16 ratio (a higher ratio means more C-2 and less C-16, proportionally) had 30 percent less risk of developing breast cancer than women with lower ratios.7 With this information, it would seem useful to discover what, if any, dietary or lifestyle modifications could guide estrogens down the C-2 pathway.

Estrogens are metabolized by a series of oxidizing enzymes in the cytochrome P450 family. These are the detoxification enzymes that break down all manner of drugs, hormones, and environmental toxins into generally less harmful metabolites. By closely studying this family of 30 or so enzymes, scientists have discovered how the parent estrogen compounds are modified in the C-2, C-4, or C-16 pathways. Researchers found that if particular enzymes within this family, namely cytochrome P450 1A1 and 1A2, are activated or stimulated, then more parent estrogens are metabolized into C-2-hydroxylated compounds.8 However, if cytochrome P450 3A4 and 1B1 are activated, then more C-4 and C-16 are produced9. The C-16-alpha version tends to damage DNA and cause abnormal cellular proliferation, while the C-2 metabolite has less estrogenic activity.2-4 If the proportion of C-16-alpha-hydroxyestrone can be decreased while the C-2-hydroxyestrone is increased—changing the ratio between the two—cancer risk could be reduced.

Nutrition And Estrogen

Epidemiological studies suggest the protective effects of soy protein on breast cancer rates in Asian countries where soy is a dietary mainstay.10 While soy protein is a complex mixture of nutrients and phytochemicals, it appears that part of its benefit is related to the isoflavones genistein and daidzein. Studies suggest that they change the way estrogens are metabolized, therefore changing the C-2:C-16 ratio. In studies on both pre- and postmenopausal women, it has been shown that isoflavones increase the beneficial C-2-hydroxyestrone at the expense of the C-16-hydroxyestrone, therefore increasing the C-2:C-16 ratio.11,12

It appears that isoflavones found in other plants might also have beneficial effects. Kudzu (Pueraria lobata), a vine found in the southern United States, contains unique isoflavones. It was found that one of kudzu's isoflavones—puerarin—induced cytochrome P450 enzymes 1A1 and 1A2, among others, which pushed estrogen through the beneficial C-2-hydroxylation metabolic pathway.13

Lignans found in fiber-rich foods such as seeds and grains, and in particularly high concentrations in flaxseeds, contain phytochemicals that, when acted upon by bacteria in the gut, are converted to the metabolites called enterolactone and enterodiol, which appear to have similar effects as isoflavones. Researchers have demonstrated in animal and cell studies that lignans have chemoprotective effects, and they may influence estrogen production and metabolism.14,15 Studies also have shown that women with breast cancer, or at risk for breast cancer, have low excretion levels of urinary lignans. In cell-culture studies, lignans have been shown to inhibit estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cell proliferation.14 When flax was supplemented at five and 10 grams per day for three seven-week periods in a group of 28 postmenopausal women, the levels of C-2 hydroxyestrone increased in the urine, which increased the ratio of C-2:C-16.15 This suggests that flax may have a beneficial effect on estrogen metabolism.

The Phytonutrient I3C

The results of epidemiological studies on cruciferous and mustard family vegetables (Brassica genus)—including bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, rutabaga, and turnip—suggest that diets high in these vegetables lower the breast cancer rate. Increasing the amount of cruciferous vegetables in the diet can increase the C-2: C-16-estrogen ratio.16 The vegetables' phytochemicals seem to have a specific estrogen-modulating effect, and indole-3-carbinol (I3C) may be the most important phytonutrient in this regard.

Eating broccoli, kale, or other crucifers releases I3C, which is transported to the stomach. I3C is not the only indole formed17 but is probably the most important and well studied.

In the stomach, I3C is converted into many active compounds, one of which is diindolylmethane (DIM). Although DIM appears to be one important metabolite of I3C, most of the past and ongoing studies are performed on I3C itself. This is because I3C breaks down into a number of indole products, aside from DIM, which also may have estrogen-modulating activity.18,19 Cell-culture studies and human clinical trials have shown that I3C at doses of 200–400 mg/day can influence estrogen metabolism and promote formation of 2-OH-estrone, and therefore may be useful in breast cancer prevention.20,21 Current U.S. research studies are under way on I3C and women at increased risk for breast cancer.22

There is some controversy with I3C and when it should be administered. Most studies with I3C suggest it is best used as a preventive agent for women at high risk. Supplementing with I3C after cancer is present is less clear as far as benefit, as animal studies have been conflicting on this issue.23,24

Environmental Effects

Researchers who completed a large study last year concluded that the environment plays a much larger role in cancer development than most people realize. For example, more than 44,000 pairs of twins were assessed for a possible cancer connection in each pair. If inheritance played a major role, there would have been a strong health and disease correlation in both twins, but inherited factors for breast cancer were estimated at 30 percent, at most. Researchers concluded that inherited genetic factors make a minor contribution to cancer susceptibility, and that environmental factors play the principal role.25

The World Health Organization recently reported that breast cancer has become the most common cancer in women throughout the world.26 D. Lindsay Berkson, in Hormone Deception (Contemporary Books, 2000), reports on the accumulation of synthetic molecules in the environment from pesticides, plastics, and a variety of other sources that mimic the effects of the "bad" estrogens and add to cancer risk. Even if a woman doesn't have cancer in her family, with this ever-increasing environmental burden of estrogen-mimicking molecules, she needs to think about cutting her risk: what to do about internal and external environments. There is credible scientific evidence to suggest that consuming certain foods and phytonutrients may have a favorable effect on the risk of estrogen-related cancers.

The Estrogen Dilemma

Dan Lukaczer, N.D., is director of clinical research at the Functional Medicine Research Center, a division of Metagenics International Inc., in Gig Harbor, Wash. Metagenics supplies medical foods and supplements, including those containing lignans, isoflavones, and I3C, to health care practitioners.

References

1. Yager JD. Endogenous estrogens as carcinogens through metabolic activation. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 2000;27: 67-73.

2. Bradlow HL, et al. 2-hydroxyestrone: the 'good' estrogen. J Endocrinol 1996;150 Suppl:S259-65.

3. Gupta M, et al. Estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities of 16 alpha- and 2-hydroxy metabolites of 17 beta-estradiol in MCF-7 and T47D human breast cancer cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 1998;67(5-6):413-9.

4. Kabat GC, et al. Urinary estrogen metabolites and breast cancer: a case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1997;6(7):505-9.

5. Bolton JL, et al. Role of quinoids in estrogen carcinogenesis. Chem Res Toxicol 1998;11(10):1113-27.

6. Muti P, et al. Estrogen metabolism and risk of breast cancer: a prospective study of the 2:16 alpha-hydroxyestrone ratio in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Epidemiology 2000;11(6):635-40.

7. Meilahn EN, et al. Do urinary oestrogen metabolites predict breast cancer? Guernsey III cohort follow-up. Br J Cancer 1998;78(9):1250-5.

8. Bradlow HL, et al. Multifunctional aspects of the action of indole-3-carbinol as an antitumor agent. Ann NY Acad Sci 1999;889:204-13.

9. Huang Z, et al. 16-alpha-hydroxylation of estrone by human cytochrome P4503A4/5. Carcinogenesis 1998;19(5):867-72.

10. Vincent A, Fitzpatrick LA. Soy isoflavones: are they useful in menopause? Mayo Clin Proc 2000;75(11):1174-84.

11. Xu X, et al. Effects of soy isoflavones on estrogen and phytoestrogen metabolism in premenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1998;7(12):1101-8.

12. Xu X, et al. Soy consumption alters endogenous estrogen metabolism in postmenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000;9(8):781-6.

13. Guerra MC, et al. Comparison between Chinese medical herb Pueraria lobata crude extract and its main isoflavone puerarin antioxidant properties and effects on rat liver CYP-cataly-sed drug metabolism. Life Sci 2000;67(24):2997-3006.

14. Mousavi Y, Adlercreutz H. Enterolactone and estradiol inhibit each other's proliferative effect on MCF-7 breast cancer cells in culture. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 1992;41(3-8):615-9.

15. Haggans CJ, et al. Effect of flaxseed consumption on urinary estrogen metabolites in postmenopausal women. Nutr Cancer 1999;33(2):188-95.

16. Fowke JH, et al. Brassica vegetable consumption shifts estrogen metabolism in healthy postmenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000;9(8):773-9.

17. Stephenson PU, et al. Modulation of cytochrome P4501A1 activity by ascorbigen in murine hepatoma cells. Biochem Pharmacol 1999;58(7):1145-53.

18. Liu H, et al. Indolo[3,2-b]carbazole: a dietary-derived factor that exhibits both antiestrogenic and estrogenic activity. J Natl Cancer Inst 1994;1758-65.

19. Wong GY, et al. Dose-ranging study of indole-3-carbinol for breast cancer prevention. J Cell Biochem Suppl 1997;29:111-6.

20. Telang NT, et al. Inhibition of proliferation and modulation of estradiol metabolism: novel mechanisms for breast cancer prevention by the phytochemical indole-3-carbinol. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1997;216(2):246-52.

21. Michnovicz JJ, et al. Changes in levels of urinary estrogen metabolites after oral indole-3- carbinol treatment in humans. J Natl Cancer Inst 1997;89(10):718-23.

22. Osborne MP. Chemoprevention of breast cancer. Surg Clin North Am 1999;79(5):1207-21.

23. Bailey GS, et al. Enhancement of carcinogenesis by the natural anticarcinogen indole-3-carbinol. J Natl Canc Inst 1987 May;78(5):931-4.

24. Xu M, et al. Post-initiation effects of chlorophyllin and indole-3-carbinol in rats given 1,2-dimethylhydrazine or 2-amino-3-methyl-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoline. Carcinogenesis 2001;22:309-14.

25. Lichtenstein P, et al. Environmental and heritable factors in the causation of cancer—analyses of cohorts of twins from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. N Engl J Med 2000;343(2):78-85.

26. Davis DL, et al. Rethinking breast cancer risk and the environment: the case for the precautionary principle. Environ Health Perspect 1998;106(9):523-9.