Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and naturopathy
Did you know that premenstrual syndrome, commonly known as PMS, affects between 50 and 70% of women who have menstruation? Natural solutions, you interested?
Many women live with premenstrual symptoms bothersome for years thinking that it is normal, painful menstruation are inevitable components of a woman's life. I often hear: "I'm like my mother, my sister, my aunts, I have PMS, it's family." Although it is common, the presence of SPM expresses an imbalance and should be treated to prevent further possible imbalances.
I decided to write this article because I meet a lot of women in consultation with several health problems that often began with premenstrual syndrome in adolescence. I often say that I would have liked to see them before, at the beginning of their hormonal imbalance in order to avoid other problems. I throw from the heart to all the girls who start menstruating, who have PMS problems, do not wait several years before seeing a naturopath approved.
Premenstrual symptoms may occur 7 to 14 days before menstruation: low energy, irritability, depression, headache, breast pain, decreased libido, back pain, bloating, edema, especially fingers and ankles changes in appetite, sugar cravings, acne ... etc.
Because all hormones are interrelated with each other, several hormones may be involved in PMS. For example, the thyroid gland can operate at idle or cortisol levels may be too high (cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands, it is the stress hormone). Imbalances are common in women with premenstrual syndrome.
But more often during PMS, it indicates an increase in the level of estrogen in the blood and thereby reducing the level of progesterone. The ratio estrogen / progesterone is high. The level of estrogen depends mainly on how estrogen is metabolized and eliminated in the body, and it is the liver that makes this work.
In addition, several factors influence the production, metabolism, and estrogen balance: poor diet, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, a high insulin level, taking the contraceptive pill, overexposure to toxic chemicals in pesticides or exposure to hormones given to animals for human consumption.
See in more detail what happens
Estrogen metabolism is eliminated by the liver metabolic phase I (hydroxylation) and phase II (methylation and glucoronidation). In the hydroxylation step, there are good metabolites (2-hydroxyestrone / 2-OH) and worse (16x-OH or 4-OH). Metabolite 2-OH estrogen is good because it has a low estrogenic activity, unlike metabolites 16x-OH and 4-OH with a persistent estrogenic activity that can promote the growth of unhealthy tissue. In reality, a woman that metabolizes estrogen metabolite via 16x-OH has a higher risk of developing breast cancer. 1
In other words, I often explained in consultation metabolic pathways are like highways to eliminate our toxins, but if these highways are congested for several reasons (lack of nutrients, overloaded liver, imbalance of intestinal flora ... etc. .), then the hormones take other routes, accumulate on different estrogen receptors that are found throughout the body (breast, uterus, ovary, bone, etc..) and cause PMS.
So if the liver is mortgaged, overworked, tired, then the mechanism will eliminate evil and idle. In addition, the balance of the intestinal flora is also important in the detoxification of estrogen, because they will be excreted in the feces. If the gut flora is unbalanced, some bacteria may prevent the excretion of estrogen causing a surplus of them. In summary, liver and gut health are paramount to avoid premenstrual symptoms. For naturopath approved premenstrual symptoms are warning signs of a malfunction which will identify the causes. The first question that I see most often in consultation is a problem detoxification of estrogen, but be aware that there may be other causes such as a lack of progesterone, a high prolactin levels, hypothyroidism, stress, depression or a nutritional deficiency.
Many women live with premenstrual symptoms bothersome for years thinking that it is normal, painful menstruation are inevitable components of a woman's life. I often hear: "I'm like my mother, my sister, my aunts, I have PMS, it's family." Although it is common, the presence of SPM expresses an imbalance and should be treated to prevent further possible imbalances.
I decided to write this article because I meet a lot of women in consultation with several health problems that often began with premenstrual syndrome in adolescence. I often say that I would have liked to see them before, at the beginning of their hormonal imbalance in order to avoid other problems. I throw from the heart to all the girls who start menstruating, who have PMS problems, do not wait several years before seeing a naturopath approved.
Premenstrual symptoms may occur 7 to 14 days before menstruation: low energy, irritability, depression, headache, breast pain, decreased libido, back pain, bloating, edema, especially fingers and ankles changes in appetite, sugar cravings, acne ... etc.
Because all hormones are interrelated with each other, several hormones may be involved in PMS. For example, the thyroid gland can operate at idle or cortisol levels may be too high (cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands, it is the stress hormone). Imbalances are common in women with premenstrual syndrome.
But more often during PMS, it indicates an increase in the level of estrogen in the blood and thereby reducing the level of progesterone. The ratio estrogen / progesterone is high. The level of estrogen depends mainly on how estrogen is metabolized and eliminated in the body, and it is the liver that makes this work.
In addition, several factors influence the production, metabolism, and estrogen balance: poor diet, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, a high insulin level, taking the contraceptive pill, overexposure to toxic chemicals in pesticides or exposure to hormones given to animals for human consumption.
See in more detail what happens
Estrogen metabolism is eliminated by the liver metabolic phase I (hydroxylation) and phase II (methylation and glucoronidation). In the hydroxylation step, there are good metabolites (2-hydroxyestrone / 2-OH) and worse (16x-OH or 4-OH). Metabolite 2-OH estrogen is good because it has a low estrogenic activity, unlike metabolites 16x-OH and 4-OH with a persistent estrogenic activity that can promote the growth of unhealthy tissue. In reality, a woman that metabolizes estrogen metabolite via 16x-OH has a higher risk of developing breast cancer. 1
In other words, I often explained in consultation metabolic pathways are like highways to eliminate our toxins, but if these highways are congested for several reasons (lack of nutrients, overloaded liver, imbalance of intestinal flora ... etc. .), then the hormones take other routes, accumulate on different estrogen receptors that are found throughout the body (breast, uterus, ovary, bone, etc..) and cause PMS.
So if the liver is mortgaged, overworked, tired, then the mechanism will eliminate evil and idle. In addition, the balance of the intestinal flora is also important in the detoxification of estrogen, because they will be excreted in the feces. If the gut flora is unbalanced, some bacteria may prevent the excretion of estrogen causing a surplus of them. In summary, liver and gut health are paramount to avoid premenstrual symptoms. For naturopath approved premenstrual symptoms are warning signs of a malfunction which will identify the causes. The first question that I see most often in consultation is a problem detoxification of estrogen, but be aware that there may be other causes such as a lack of progesterone, a high prolactin levels, hypothyroidism, stress, depression or a nutritional deficiency.
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