If you’re a long-time acne sufferer chances are you’ve heard testosterone and other androgens trigger acne by over-stimulating oil glands. But these aren’t the only hormones responsible for acne. Often times stubborn acne is caused by estrogen dominance, which is a health condition that occurs when estrogen levels are too high or when progesterone levels drop too low to keep estrogen in check.
Estrogen dominance wreaks havoc on the body, it is extremely common in both males and females, and it often goes undiagnosed. Read on to discover more about this troublesome condition, how it causes acne, and what you can do to banish stubborn acne for good.
Causes and Symptoms
Common causes of estrogen dominance include chronic stress, obesity, toxin overload, environmental estrogens (xenoestrogens), and a diet high in processed foods, fat, meat, and/or dairy. Common symptoms include acne, excess belly fat, fatigue, mood swings, loss of libido, sexual dysfunction, insomnia, headaches, and foggy thinking. Female-specific symptoms include PMS, irregular periods, bloating, endometriosis and fibrocystic or swollen breasts. Male-specific symptoms include fatty breast tissue (man boobs), erectile dysfunction and an increased risk for prostate cancer.
Dietary Guidelines for Reversing Estrogen Dominance and Abolishing Acne
If you want to reverse stubborn acne and other estrogen dominance symptoms, you should start by vastly reducing or eliminating your consumption of meat and dairy. Animal products are loaded with toxic estrogens and their consumption is a major cause of estrogen dominance. You should also reduce your intake of fat and eliminate vegetable oils from your diet because fats trigger the production of pore-clogging sebum.
Ideally, you should consume a wholefoods plant-based diet that includes a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, spices and unprocessed whole grains. When you eat this way, you will provide your body with all of the essential nutrients for healthy skin. Wholefoods are also beneficial because they are naturally high in fiber, and fiber helps to reduce acne-causing estrogens, androgens and toxins.
The Miracle Estrogen Dominance Fighting Nutrients
Diindolylmethane (DIM) and its related extract Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C) are naturally occurring phytochemical nutrients. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Bok Choy are the most concentrated dietary sources of DIM and I3C. These two nutrients help to detoxify and convert the harmful estrogens that cause estrogen dominance into helpful estrogen types such as 2 OHE. High doses of these two phytochemicals, in combination with the diet outlined above is the absolute best way to reverse estrogen dominance.
The Ultimate Supplement
You would have to consume a whole lot of cruciferous veggies in order to receive a clinically effective dose of DIM and I3C. For optimal ease and benefit, we therefore recommend you take a DIM and I3C supplement such as the internationally acclaimed EstroBlock Pro. EstroBlock Pro is superior to most other DIM and I3C supplements because it contains a much higher dose — one serving provides concentrations that are equivalent to what is found in two pounds of raw cruciferous vegetables. Also, EstroBlock Pro was formulated by a team of leading physicians, hormone therapists and acne experts, and they balanced the naturally-derived ingredients in a specific way to ensure optimal absorption and efficacy.
*This article was based off the book “Acne Be Gone For Good,” by Nick Delgado, ABAAHP, Ph.D., and Sonia Badreshia-Bansal, MD.
