Supplements such as Calcium-D-Glucarate and magnesium can help to lower estrogen levels and reduce breast tenderness. Eating high fiber foods and cruciferous vegetables can also help to reduce estrogen levels.
High estrogen levels can cause breast tenderness and put women at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Taking supplements to lower estrogen and eating foods to help metabolize estrogen are preventative measures.
Breast tenderness is one warning symptom to pay attention to that may indicate high estrogen levels. It is always best to get tested by a doctor to see if estrogen levels are too high.
The primary liver detoxification pathway that metabolizes hormones, including estrogen, is the glucuronidation detox pathway.
Another primary route of estrogen metabolism is through the COMT gene. The COMT gene requires the methyl donor SAMe and magnesium to metabolize estrogen. Thus, SAMe and magnesium are crucial nutrients that help to reduce estrogen levels.
Foods to lower estrogen and reduce the risk of breast cancer
Vegetables of the brassica family such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage reduce estrogen metabolites that act as breast tumor promoters.
Indole 3 carbinol found in many plant foods have been shown to manipulate estrogen metabolism beneficially. Vegetables such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, collards, cauliflower, kale mustard greens, and turnips are all sources where indole-3-carbinol is derived from.
Eating foods high in fiber and low in fat can also help to lower estrogen levels. Asian women who ate their traditional low-fat, high-fiber diets have lower blood estrogen levels before and after menopause. These women had lower rates of breast cancer compared to western women.
In one study, twelve healthy premenopausal women consumed a very low-fat, high-fiber diet. For two months, these women only received 10% of their calories from fat and ate 25-35 grams of dietary fiber per day.
After two months, there was a significant reduction in serum estrone and estradiol levels. This study shows that increasing fiber intake while concurrently eating a low-fat diet can lower estrogen levels.
Glucaric acid is a substance found in the highest concentrations in fruits and vegetables such as oranges, apples, grapefruit, and cruciferous vegetables.
D-glucaric acid is used to make up calcium-d-glucarate, which has been shown to inhibit the enzyme beta-glucuronidase. Elevated beta-glucuronidase activity is associated with an increased risk of hormone-related cancers such as breast cancer.
How to lower estrogen levels with supplements
Calcium-D-Glucarate supports the glucuronidation pathway in the liver. Glucuronidation is one of the primary routes that estrogen is metabolized in the liver.
The supplement Calcium-D-Glucarate also prevents bacteria in the gut from deconjugating estrogen that has already been detoxed and bound in the liver.
Magnesium is the co-factor for the COMT gene, which is another route in which estrogen is metabolized. Taking magnesium can help to lower estrogen by supporting the metabolism of estrogen through the COMT gene.
Magnesium is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies and is required for over 300 functions in the body. It is vital to get enough of this essential mineral, especially if estrogen levels are high along with breast tenderness, PMS, and cramps.
DIM+13C by Seeking Health contains indoles which are naturally occurring compounds found in cruciferous vegetables. DIM is a byproduct of indole-3-carbinol that helps support the normal hormone metabolism of estrogen.
References:
High-fiber diet reduces serum estrogen concentrations in premenopausal women
Brassica vegetable consumption shifts estrogen metabolism in healthy postmenopausal women
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