20 Natural Methods To Increase Estrogen Level For Mothers-To-Be

Hormones are chemical substances produced by the endocrine gland and transported usually by the blood to all parts of the body or sites where their effects are felt. Many of the visible (and even invisible) changes that you see in males and females are hormone-mediated and different hormones are responsible for different responses and changes in humans. Some hormones are, however, specific to males while some are uniquely feminine. Estrogen is a female steroid hormone but males also produce it at a very low level. It is commonly called female sex hormone alongside progesterone. Among other functions, estrogen regulates the development of female secondary sexual characters. Being a hormone that it is, estrogen is produced by the endocrine gland and transported to all parts of the body; however, its effects are not felt in all parts of the body. Typically, before hormones can carry out their functions in the body, they have to meet with and bind to their receptor sites. Unless this binding takes place, their effects would not be witnessed. As for estrogen, the receptor sites are located in 3 female body tissues which are the breast, ovary, and uterus. As a woman, you know just how important these three tissues are to you. The breast is not just a sexual object but also essential for lactation, that is, milk production. Also, for fertility to take place, your ovaries must be up and be doing. That's where the eggs are produced. You need the eggs to ovulate. Similarly, fertility isn't complete without the uterus. That is where the fetus is housed for 9 months. It is the shedding of the uterine lining (endometrium) because pregnancy has failed to occur that is called menstruation. This too can be affected where the uterus isn't at its best. Therefore, it shouldn't be difficult to understand why estrogen is termed a female sex hormone. It takes an active role in female reproduction. And that means that where there is an abysmal decrease or increase in estrogen levels in the body, there just might be a problem somewhere. Naturally, the body has a mechanism in place for regulating the estrogen levels at each point and in each individual but it does happen that sometimes, something goes wrong and you have to supplement your estrogen levels artificially; that is, outside of your body. However, where this becomes necessary, it is better to consult with your doctor and choose a natural method of shooting up your body's estrogen to erase the possibility of complications. 20 of such natural methods of raising your estrogen level are here discussed but before that, let's beam our searchlight more on the functions of this hormone called estrogen.

Perhaps before rolling out the various functions of estrogen, we should state that there are three types of it. The first is estrone known as E1. The second is estradiol known as E2, while estriol (E3) is the third. The levels of these three types of estrogen differ in females depending on which stage they are. During the reproductive years, estradiol takes prominence but at menopause, more of estrone is found most in the serum. However, during pregnancy, estriol takes prominence. As it is, the quantity of estriol far surpasses that of the other two but even at that, it is the weakest. For a pregnant woman, estriol remains the most important estrogen needed while for non-pregnant female folks, they need more of estradiol. That said, here are the biological functions of estrogen.  It helps in developing secondary sex features such as a widened hip, fat distribution, breast development, pubic hairs, etc, in females.  Estrogen helps to thicken the lining of the uterus thus preparing it for pregnancy  The hormone is helpful in lubricating the vagina thereby reducing pain during coitus. Estrogen also helps to thicken the wall of the vagina.  It decreases bone resorption while it increases its formation.  Estrogen equally plays a role in protein synthesis in that it increases the production of binding proteins.  It increases triglyceride and decreases fat deposition.  Estrogen increase helps women to ovulate by increasing the release of the luteinizing hormone responsible for the release of eggs.  Estrogen upsurge raises sexual desire in females especially in the presence of androgen.  Being a steroid hormone, estrogen is often used as a contraceptive pill to prevent pregnancy from occurring.

You may have to get an estrogen supplement (from natural source though) if you are witnessing any of the following signs and/or symptoms.  Sex is becoming painful mainly because the vagina is not well-lubricated.  Incessant fatigue. That is, you easily get exhausted even without doing much work.  Your period is no longer regular or has ceased.  You are experiencing headaches on a regular basis.  Your breast is becoming extremely tender.  Hot flashes. That is a strange but intense feeling of warmth from within.  You enter depression every now and then.  You are experiencing an increase in urinary tract infections as a result of your urethra becoming thin.  You are finding it hard to concentrate and you experience mood swings too often.  You experience osteoporosis. That is your bone fractures very easily. Any of these can be a sign that you are estrogen deficient. However, most of them can also arise due to other reasons outside estrogen deficiency. That's why consulting a doctor before adopting any estrogen increase or supplement plan. Your doctor would assess your blood to confirm that your estrogen levels are high or not. However, if you're sure based on tests and you're already witnessing any of the above signs, you can proceed to use any of these 20 methods to increase your estrogen level naturally.

These methods broadly depend on changing your lifestyle as well as diet. Any of them should get you the desired result. Here are they.

Soybean products such as tofu and soy milk contain a special substance called genistein. This genistein is capable of mimicking estrogen effects, especially when ingested in a large quantity. However, its intake does not substantially increase your hormone level but it does subside some of the effects associated with estrogen decrease. Other soy products which you can incorporate into your food include edamame, tempeh, miso (small quantity), and foods made from soy flour. For a vegetarian or vegan, this approach soy product is very apt.

The effective working of your endocrine gland is partly depended on the quality of food you eat. Sometimes, you need no injection or supplement to increase your estrogen level than simply reviewing what you eat and the time you eat them. As a rule, feed more on fresh fruits and vegetables and cut down on junks and alcohol including sugar intake. Take a lot of water every day to keep your body hydrated and do away with foods high in fat. Granted, these things would not directly produce more estrogen in you but would put your endocrine system at its best to produce enough estrogen needed by your body.

There are concerns in some quarters that excessive exercise can lead to estrogen drop in females. Well, that may be true because the brain can interpret the excessive exercise as stress. To this effect, keep the exercise moderate. A light jogging or running for 30 minutes a day should do. You can also do some light push up or rope skipping. All of these would optimize your endocrine system and get it at its best. In addition, exercise has been shown to help decrease the risk of breast cancer in women.

Females who take no more than two cups of coffee daily have been shown to have a higher level of estrogen than those who don't take at all. But it has to be stated that although caffeine intake through a coffee can increase your estrogen level, it has no direct link to fertility. What that suggests is that if your reason for seeking estrogen increase is so you can ovulate, taking coffee isn't your best bet. Organic coffee remains the best if you are opting for this method because you can be sure that it hasn't been sprayed with too much of chemicals. Again, your consumption of coffee should not exceed 400mg daily. It should be in moderation.

Phytoestrogens are present in certain plants and herbs such as legumes (soybeans, pinto, lima beans), fruits (prunes, apricots, cranberries), flaxseed, and certain vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower). They help to decrease the effects of estrogen deficiency and even menopause. Because there are concerns as to the relationship between infertility and phytoestrogens, you should not take it if you are trying to ovulate. Besides that, they are potent sources of estrogen substitutes, especially when consumed in high quantities.

Where you are having some premenstrual or menopausal symptoms, herbal teas or even tisanes can help in providing relief. It can also boost your estrogen levels. Usage is pretty easy. Just put the herbs in a cup and add water. After leaving it for like 10 minutes, you have the herbal tea. Taking this daily would surely help. Other categories of herbal teas that you may want to try out include green tea (contains phytoestrogens), red clover (contains isoflavones to decrease menopausal symptoms), and Dung quai used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Another food supplement that can boost your estrogen level is walnut. Taking it every day is highly beneficial and it has little or no side effects. Certain estimates state that a 100g of walnut contains about 26cmg of phytoestrogen which can help your estrogen levels.

The nicotine present in cigarettes has been implicated in a lot of female reproductive issues such as infertility, menstrual dysfunction, and premature menopause. As it is, smoking equally affects the endocrine system which is responsible for producing estrogen. A wise thing to do if you suffer symptoms of estrogen deficiency and you are a female smoker would be to quit smoking.

Certain medications, contraceptives, and even creams disturb the endocrine balance and thus, prevent it from properly carrying out its function. To keep your estrogen level in balance, you may have to get rid of these things. However, before doing so, check with your doctor to know when it would be right. But you should be aware that most oral contraceptives and hormone creams affect the endocrine system greatly.

Clean water with lemon taken daily help in detoxifying your system and improving your body's estrogen balance. You can also use apple cider vinegar in place of lime or lemon for the detoxification process. Other ways of detoxifying your system are to go on fruit fasting for a few days. These would get rid of the toxins preventing the proper functioning of your endocrine gland.

Too much of sugar in your body can cause hormonal imbalance and that may lead to a huge decrease in hormone production in your body. Rather than take refined sugar and beverages loaded with sugar, take fruit juices and feed on low-carb diets. Low carb diets include brown rice, whole grain, pasta, and non-starchy vegetables.

Not having enough sleep can shut down a lot of your body systems including the hormone-producing endocrine system. Sleep is our body's way of rejuvenating itself. For effective hormone balance, you should be in bed at most by 10 pm. There are indications that a lot of metabolism takes place between 10 pm and 2 am daily which becomes ineffective when a person is still awake at that time. Organize your schedule so it doesn't steal your sleep time. With enough sleep, you are unlikely to have estrogen shortage.

Dried fruits are reliable and rich sources of phytoestrogens but they should be taken in moderate quantities as they are known to house heavy calories. Example of dried fruits for estrogen increase includes dates, prunes, and apricots.

Usually, beans hardly get the attention it deserves when it comes to estrogen boosting. Apart from containing phytoestrogens, beans are rich sources of fiber which binds to excess cholesterol and get rid of them from the body. Examples include lima beans, peas, and pinto beans

Get these seeds and you get as much as three times the phytoestrogens you can get in soy products. However, you need to first grind them for easy absorption by the body. It has been revealed that if taken regularly, flaxseed can help mop up excessive cholesterol in the body. You can incorporate it into your diet by sprinkling it on your oatmeal or yogurt. If you often experience a dry skin too, flaxseeds also help to combat that and improve your liver function alongside.

Almonds contain a broom-like structure which has been discovered to significantly alter your estrogen level. You can get as much as 132grams of phytoestrogens by taking 100grams of almonds.

Millets contain lignans and are reputed for saving the body from hormonal cancer. Incorporating millet into your daily diet can increase your estrogen levels significantly. They are among the cheapest sources of estrogen supplements because they are relatively available.

Arguably the best food out there to raise your estrogen level, alfalfa has low carb and calories. It can be used as a salad topper or simply as sandwiches. And guess what? There are no side effects with it. Alfalfa sprouts also are rich in phytonutrients such that in addition to raising your estrogen level, it is nourishing to your body. It can be taken at any period of the day and you are not likely to take too much of it.

There is an extract from broccoli sprout called Di-indole methane that helps to neutralize metabolites from reactive estrogen and also aid the production of non-reactive ones. A daily 'dose' of 300mg would suffice.

The supplement for this is available over the counter and it would be good if you don't exceed the prescribed dosage. It equally increases estrogen level significantly.

There you have some of the natural ways you can boost your estrogen level without risking some serious side effects. Whether you are pregnant or trying to ovulate so you can become pregnant, boosting your estrogen level shouldn't be done arbitrarily. You should check with a physician first that the process is necessary. That said, you should know also that fertility isn't depended on you alone. Therefore, as much as you take all the steps on your path to make you become pregnant, your husband too has to go through some screening to ensure that he is medically fit. Finally, observe the grand rule of a healthy diet and lifestyle to keep your system in place. Usually, as opined by Hippocrates, your food should be medicine in itself. With a proper diet taken at the right time and quantity and a moderate daily exercise, you may not need to supplement to ovulate or become pregnant. Nature has got all these things covered.