Estrogen Imbalance Could Be the Culprit؟Are Hormones to Blame for Your Flabby Abs

Are Hormones to Blame for Your Flabby Abs?

If you’re over 30 and struggling with a tubby tummy, you may suffer from estrogen dominance, warn the authors of From Belly Fat to Belly Flat (HCI, 2007). The condition results from the body’s natural slowdown of progesterone production and leads to weight gain between the navel and the hips, according to Dr. C.W. Randolph, a gynecologist who founded the Natural Hormone Institute of America, and Genie James, a women’s health care consultant.

The body needs adequate levels of the hormone progesterone to maintain bones, regulate sleep, sustain libido, and prevent depression. Progesterone also helps temper estrogen – the hormone responsible for puberty and reproductive function. This causes the body to store fat around the abdomen, but it makes it harder to burn off extra pounds and lower the metabolism in general.

Randolph discovered the relationship between progesterone and ab flab by accident when female patients complained of symptoms such as depression, hot flashes, mood swings, loss of sex drive, and bloating. He prescribed a three-part holistic regimen to even out the progesterone-estrogen imbalance that starts in the 30s and kicks into high gear during menopause. “Patients told me that not only did their health improve and they felt better, but also the extra inches around their abdomen were melting away,” Randolph says.

The pharmaceutical industry is making billions from drugs such as Zoloft and Prozac, a less drastic, holistic plan can often alleviate depression just as effectively – and trigger weight loss, according to Belly Flat. “A lot of people ask us, ‘Why hasn’t my doctor told me about this?’” James says. “The answer is ignorance. The pharmaceutical companies have huge budgets to market their drugs, but there’s no marketing force to go into the field and tell doctors about the holistic approach.”

Belly Flat outlines a three-part plan to stop estrogen from locking in those extra pounds and causing other bodily mischief. Here are the basics:

1. Eat Foods that Reduce ‘Bad’ Estrogen
Load up on healthful vegetables. Brussels sprouts, broccoli, radishes, turnips, parsley, asparagus, and spinach top the list of plants that contain indole-3-carbinol. This substance helps decrease the “bad” estrogens estrone and estradiol, both of which can accelerate excessive cell growth. “Good” estrogen, called estriol, is produced in large amounts during pregnancy and may reduce the threat of breast cancer. The only other way to get estriol is through compounding pharmacies. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any estriol-containing compounds.

Next on the menu come citrus fruits, which contain d-Limonene, a substance that detoxifies bad estrogen. Insoluble fiber – found in barley, couscous, brown rice, carrots, celery and zucchini – is also important because it attaches to extra estrogen in the digestive tract, making it easier to excrete the pesky hormone.

To weaken estrogen activity in the body’s cells, Belly Flat recommends lignans, naturally occurring chemicals found in sesame seeds and ground or milled flaxseed, which can be added to salads, yogurt and smoothies. Lignans put the brakes on estrogen activity by blocking the body’s estrogen receptors.
Randolph and James also encourage including non-fatty proteins, such as fish, in your diet to promote lean muscle tissue, another vital link in the dietary equation.
Avoid foods high in saturated fat, such as lard, cream, sausage and pork, which are associated with higher levels of estrogen circulating in the blood. Cut back on caffeinated beverages such as colas and coffee – also linked to elevated estrogen levels – as well as alcohol, which weakens the liver’s ability to break down estrogen. And eliminate refined foods, such as white bread and white rice because they trigger a release of insulin that throws hormones off balance.

2. Boost Progesterone with Bio-Identical Hormones
As the ovaries age, they produce less progesterone – the hormone that prevents estrogen from storing too many fat cells, acts as a diuretic to quell bloating and moderates the release of insulin, which lessens food cravings. Many doctors prescribe synthetic-hormone therapy to meet women’s need for supplemental progesterone. The problem, say Randolph and James, is synthetic hormones, such as those sold under the brand names Premarin, Ortho-Est and Activella, don’t interact properly with the body’s hormone receptors.

Bio-identical hormones, on the other hand, are made only from plant material, which means they create progesterone identical to what the body produces naturally. In scientific terms, bio-identical hormones offer 100% “relative binding affinity” (RBA). They come as pills, drops, lotions and creams, and a one-month supply costs as little as $30.

But pharmaceutical companies can’t patent bio-identical hormones, so according to Randolph and James, they up their profits by selling more expensive, synthetic ones that don’t work as well.

3. Supplements Balance Hormones
Years of research led Randolph to a select group of nutritional supplements he believes work well to support weight loss and defeat estrogen dominance. Among them are vitamins E and B (including folate), which reduce estrogen levels in the blood; chitosan, a substance made from crustacean shells that suppresses the appetite and inhibits absorption of fat molecules; and calcium D-glucarate, which banishes estrogen-like toxins from the bloodstream. Be sure to talk to you doctor before adding supplements to your diet, and stick closely to the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of each supplement.

Belly Flat warns of xenoestrogen, a chemical form of estrogen that can enter the human body from the outside environment. Pesticides, plastics and petrochemicals found in hairspray and nail polish removers are sources of xenoestrogen, as are meat and dairy products that come from farm animals injected with steroids. “The vegans we work with find our program much easier to follow than omnivores,” James says.

The program also reduces extra fat on women’s thighs and hips. And Belly Flat can also help get rid of the spare tire many men acquire after age 40, when their progesterone production slows down.

From Belly Fat to Belly Flat rounds out program guidelines for taking bio-synthetic hormones and dietary supplements with dozens of recipes for salads, sandwiches, side dishes, and entrées that promote a healthy hormone balance.

Will It Work for the Long Term?
Is the book’s hormone-balancing diet sustainable? Randolph and James say their patients have kept excess weight off easily over the years using the Belly Flat plan. “We hear people say that it’s inevitable you’re going to look like a pear or a potato as you age,” James says. “We’re spreading the word that you don’t have to.”

The plan focuses on lifestyle changes rather than crash dieting to get rid of unwanted inches and mood swings that can send anyone running to the nearest Taco Bell. Plus, the authors devote an entire chapter to tips for maintaining the Belly Flat lifestyle.

Will the focus on estrogen prove to be just another fad? Not according to Randolph.

“In the 80’s when women first started waiting until age 40 to have kids, numerous studies came out showing that the aging ovary cannot make much progesterone, but it can make a lot of estrogen,” he says. “These women trying to get pregnant had to be supplemented with progesterone. So this is no fad. The information has been around for years.”