I recently received a question from a woman in Wisconsin and I thought my response would be helpful to other women out there. This particular individual is a breast cancer survivor and estrogen receptor positive, so she was seeking ways to lower her estrogen levels.
There are a few different ways that you can naturally lower your estrogen levels. First of all, make sure you’re getting at least 25 grams of fiber per day in your diet because extra fiber helps you excrete (remove) excess estrogen through your intestines.
Secondly, the more fat you have (especially belly fat), the more estrogen you make. Therefore, it’s important to eat a diet that limits refined carbohydrates and saturated fats so your weight can stay at an optimal level. Exercise also helps you build lean muscle mass and will reduce the amount of fat you have.
Lastly, it is important to support your liver so your body is better able to metabolize (break down) your estrogen. You can do that with an herb called milk thistle and a supplement called indole-3-carbinol. Limiting your alcohol intake will also support your liver by allowing it to focus on metabolizing other things like estrogen.
Additionally, I shared with this reader the importance of vitamin D as she continues to stay in remission from her cancer. Studies show that low vitamin D is associated with a higher risk of many cancers including breast cancer. I recommend having your physician test your vitamin D levels regularly and make sure your level is between 60 and 100, and this goes for all women, not just cancer survivors. I also suggest taking a pharmaceutical grade vitamin. You should be on at least 2000IU per day and could go as high as 10,000IU per day if your levels remain low.
I hope you find this information helpful.
Tags: breast cancer, estrogen, Vitamin D
