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| Medicine
is a collection of uncertain prescriptions, the results of which
taken collectively, are more fatal than useful to mankind. Water,
air and cleanliness are the chief articles in my pharmacopeia.
- Napoleon Bonaparte |
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Menorrhagia
Due
to High Estrogen Levels
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read my Disclaimer
and Terms of Use before viewing this article.
There are a
number of possible causes of menorrhagia. It is a condition
that should always be checked out be a doctor as known
causes include fibroids, cancer and bleeding disorders
such hemophilia and von Willebrand disease. However, in
my experience, doctors may not always be aware of some
of the nutritional causes of the disorder. As such, they
may recommend drug or surgical options before exploring
less costly and less risky treatments for their patients.
When I mentioned to one of my gynecologists years ago
sensed my bleeding problems were linked to my diet, he
told me that there "was no possible way" for
my diet to influence my menstrual cycles. At the time
I thought he was incorrect, but I didn't have the Internet
back then and all of it's online medical databases to
back me up.
Since that
conversation with the gynecologist years ago, I've learned
that my diet has everything to do with my menstrual cycles.
In fact, it seems to be the number one influence. When
I was younger I learned that I had bleeding problems due
to a vitamin K deficiency. Menstrual bleeding problems
run in both sides of my family. At least two, and I suspect
more females relatives whose medical histories I'm not
aware of, even had to have hysterectomies for uncontrollable
menstrual bleeding. However,
I've been able to keep my problems under control through
pretty simple diet changes.
Initially I
found that I could stop my bleeding from eating a big
salad every day with lots of leafy green vegetables, as
these are high in vitamin K, the vitamin needed to coagulate
blood. A deficiency of vitamin K is a well documented,
yet not well known, cause of menorrhagia. I also took
an acidophilus tablet occasionally, as this is the bacteria
that help synthesize vitamin K internally. Avoidance of
antibiotics and salicylates was also important. (For more
information on this subject click on the link at the top
of this page for information on vitamin K deficiencies
and other overlooked causes of menorrhagia.)
As I got older,
however, I noticed that I would still have problems with
menorrhagia despite my salad eating. So it seemed as if
there must be a different cause this time around. Eventually
I found that there was. At this time in my life my problems
stemmed from too high estrogen levels, a condition also
linked to breast cancer. My iron levels were very low
at this time because of the bleeding, so my doctors were
having me take iron pills. In hindsight, I think this
was making my bleeding worse. After a lot of research,
this is what I found:
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My
blood was actually coagulating too much now instead
of not coagulating easy enough like it had when I was
vitamin K deficient. I found this out from looking at
the "out of range" section on one of my blood
tests. This provided me with a good clue as to what
was going on, as women who take hormone replacement
therapy, are at higher risk of blood clots. So this
was my first clue that my body was making too much estrogen.
Even though I wasn't taking HRT, I think I had the same
problem. My estrogen levels were just too high because
of my diet.
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My
second clue was that I was putting on weight easily.
I had been thin most of my life before, but now, since
I corrected my vitamin K deficiency, I was having a
hard time losing weight. I found out that estrogen makes
it easier to gain weight. I also found many studies
linking vitamin K, blood clotting and high estrogen
levels.
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I
looked up the effects of taking iron on the Internet
and in my collection of health books. What I found was
that too much iron can cause deficiencies of other nutrients
such as vitamin D. Interestingly a lack of vitamin D
(the sunshine vitamin) has been linked recently in a
number of studies to higher estrogen levels and breast
cancer. Another interesting study I found was that children
who suffered from iron deficiency anemia also tended
to be low in vitamin D. So by taking iron alone for
my anemia, and not in conjunction with other supplements,
I may have inadvertently been worsening an existing
vitamin D deficiency. From reviewing research on online
medical databases, I found many interesting links between
a lack of sunshine, vitamin D deficiency, breast cancer
and high estrogen levels.
After doing this
bit of research, it seemed clear I needed to lower my estrogen
levels and increase my intake of vitamin D (or get more sunlight
to help my body manufacture more vitamin D). This did work,
and my bleeding problems stopped again, this time from making
very different diet changes from when I was vitamin K deficient.
The changes I made this time were to:
- I started getting
more exercise out in the sunshine. Both sunlight on the
skin and exercise have been linked in a variety of studies
to lower estrogen levels. It's also a good way to lose weight
from having the higher estrogen levels. On rainy days I
would take a teaspoon a cod liver oil, one of the few foods
that which supplies the RDA of vitamin D.
- I decreased
the amount of fat in my diet, especially saturated fat.
Saturated fat has been linked to blood clots and higher
estrogen levels. Instead I switched to olive oil, which
tends to thin the blood.
- I ate more fruits
and non-leafy green vegetables and high fiber grains.
- I started eating
wheat or spelt, a form of wheat, again. One of my natural
health books referred to wheat as an "estrogen blocker".
I wasn't sure that was true, but by experimenting with my
diet I think the author was correct.
- I cut back on
taking acidophilus supplements and foods containing high
amounts of vitamin K.
- I ate more foods
containing vitamin E. Vitamin E, as a nutritional antagonist
of vitamin K, tends to thin the blood. In the past I'd avoided
ingesting foods with vitamin E in order to stop my bleeding,
but I may have gone too far in my diet and created a vitamin
E deficiency which then caused other health problems. Vitamin
E deficiencies have been linked to being overweight, to
high estrogen levels and blood clots -- all conditions I
was having problems with after cutting back on vitamin E.
Doctors have long noted a link between obesity and blood
clots, but I've never heard a logical reason for this connection.
Knowing what I know now, I suspect a common factor between
the two types of problems may be a vitamin E deficiency.
I don't know if
these changes will help other people with menorrhagia due
to high estrogen levels, but I personally found them very
helpful in getting my bleeding problems under control.
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If
we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment
and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have
found the safest way to health.
Hippocrates
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If
we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment
and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have
found the safest way to health.
Hippocrates
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