Embracing Estrogen: Friend, Not Foe

In This Blog

Iron is fuel for energy.  Estrogen plays a role in red blood cell production and can influence how iron is metabolized. Yet during our reproductive years, monthly blood loss from menstruation --- governed in part by estrogen—can deplete iron stores, especially in females with heavy periods. Low iron can leave you feeling tired, foggy and weak. That’s why it’s important to ask your health care provider to measure your ferritin, or iron stores. If it’s determined that your ferritin is under 30, then you’ll need to supplement a good quality iron to resume feeling your best. Look for a product that’s easily absorbed, non-nauseating and non-constipating, like Pure Lab’s Carbonyl Iron. Each capsule contains 22.5 mg of well-absorbed, elemental iron, plus 100 mg of vitamin C, to maximize absorption potential. With an absorption of 69%, carbonyl iron has the highest capability of raising ferritin levels more rapidly than any other form of oral iron supplement. 

Calcium: Think of this mineral as estrogen’s partner in bone health. Estrogen helps regulate the activity of osteoblasts--- the cells that build bone. When estrogen levels are high, bones are better protected. But as estrogen declines, starting right before menopause, bone density loss accelerates—putting women at elevated risk for developing osteoporosis (porous bones). In turn, this increases bone fracture risk. That’s why estrogen needs all the help it can get from certain nutrients to buffer the bone loss that is part of hormonal changes. These nutrients include calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K2.  

There are several types of supplementary calcium in the marketplace, and most of them don’t come from once-living tissue. In fact, most of them are sourced from rock, making them poorly absorbed in the absence of special processing. On the other hand, Pure Lab’s Calcium Hydroxyapatite is sourced from bone meal, giving it the built-in benefits of multiple minerals and proteins.  Each capsule contains 250 mg of elemental calcium and 100 mg of phosphorus, along with trace minerals and bone-growth factors naturally present in the high-grade, BSE-free our Australian-sourced bovine bone meal.

Vitamin K2 is another key nutrient in bone maintenance because it directs calcium into the bones, instead of to where it shouldn’t go. This is especially important to realize starting at menopause because without estrogen production, calcium can begin migrating to soft tissues. Although it’s no substitute for estrogen, vitamin K2 is a talented vitamin that helps counterbalance the effects of declining estrogen by keeping calcium from depositing in soft tissues like the arteries where it may contribute to cardiovascular disease. How much do you need? Just 120 mcg per day of a good quality vitamin K2, in its most bioavailable form, MK7, should suffice. Whereas other Vitamin K2 products must be taken separately from mineral supplements and dairy products in order to be effective, Pure Lab’s Vitamin K2 MK7 is double-microencapsulated so it may be taken with mineral-containing supplements and foods without compromising absorption. It’s also soy-free.

DIM: DIM (diindolylmethane) is a compound that doesn’t add or subtract estrogen from your body; rather, it helps your body process it more efficiently. That’s why many women turn to DIM to help regulate hormonal shifts—such as PMS, perimenopause, or when dealing with estrogen dominance symptoms like bloating, breast tenderness, or mood swings. Some also use it as part of a proactive routine for breast health.

Here's where DIM shines: it guides estrogen down a pathway that favours estrogen breakdown and clearance in the liver, which can help the body maintain a more balanced hormonal state. Although cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, don’t contain DIM itself, here’s a neat fact: you can potentially make DIM in your own stomach when you digest these foods. However, for many individuals, these foods can cause uncomfortable gas and bloating. Even in supplementary form, DIM is not very stable in stomach acid, limiting its effectiveness unless it’s properly stabilized.  That’s why Pure Lab’s DIM 200 mg is designed to be acid-resistant for up to 30 minutes. Simply take it 30 minutes before a meal, once daily to receive the hormone-balancing benefits.

Estrogen is Not the Enemy. Unlike diamonds, estrogen doesn’t last forever. From puberty through menopause, estrogen’s role is to help our bodies thrive.  It’s vital to a woman’s well-being at every stage of life.  It’s crucial for energy, cognitive sharpness, healthy hair and skin, and strong bones. Rather than fearing its fluctuations, support the systems that help estrogen do its best work with nutrients that work with your estrogen, not against it:  iron, calcium, vitamin K2 and DIM. They can help us stay strong, energized and in ‘hormone harmony’---no matter what life stage you’re in---because when your hormones are supported, so are you.

References

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