I am a male, 19 years of age and I think I may have estrogen dominance. The reason I believe this is because I always broke out alot from soy and flax which are very high in phytoestrogens. Also, I break out from alcohol which is known to cause your body to produce more estrogen. I dont know exactly how all the hormones in the body work (dht, estrogen, protesterone, etc) but I think it is much more complicated than just raising testosterone to lower estrogen or what not. I would really appreciate any help on this topic. Some symptoms of estrogen dominance that I have are: irritability, depression, low muscle mass, decreased energy, weight gain. I know that these are all common symptoms that could really point to anything. But I feel that because my acne is so chronic and I have had such a tough time treating it, (paleo, b5, antibiotics, retin-a, green tea, resveratrol, juicing, msm, taurine, zinc, chromium.....etc etc etc the list could go on forever), maybe I should be approaching my problem differently. Has anyone had success treating estrogen dominance? If so, what did you do? Thank you ever so much.
Off te top of my head, I'd say do things to help your body flush excess hormones such as boost liver function and SHGB production. And lose body fat if you have an excess.. There's probably more info you can use in the hormone section of my good things thread although that has a lot specific to women.
yea i actually checked that out. On a side note, thank you so much for all the information that you have provided on this site, alternativista.Right now im hoping that eating broccoli or broccoli pills will help balance out my hormones.
i have tried alot of things for anti-androgens but none really worked. THose included green tea, lycopene, saw palmetto etc...
also, a quick question. Alot of acne sufferers here approach their condition with anti-androgens but since i have reasearched into estrogen dominance more, (which creates more dht in the body), do you think that they might be taking the wrong direction here? basically, instead of focusing on androgens, do you think we should focus on excess estrogen and such which will result in the reduction of androgens?
I am a male, 19 years of age and I think I may have estrogen dominance. The reason I believe this is because I always broke out alot from soy and flax which are very high in phytoestrogens. Also, I break out from alcohol which is known to cause your body to produce more estrogen. I dont know exactly how all the hormones in the body work (dht, estrogen, protesterone, etc) but I think it is much more complicated than just raising testosterone to lower estrogen or what not. I would really appreciate any help on this topic. Some symptoms of estrogen dominance that I have are: irritability, depression, low muscle mass, decreased energy, weight gain. I know that these are all common symptoms that could really point to anything. But I feel that because my acne is so chronic and I have had such a tough time treating it, (paleo, b5, antibiotics, retin-a, green tea, resveratrol, juicing, msm, taurine, zinc, chromium.....etc etc etc the list could go on forever), maybe I should be approaching my problem differently. Has anyone had success treating estrogen dominance? If so, what did you do? Thank you ever so much.
What are you eating? What is your life style like? Are you getting enough sleep? Do you get high levels of stress? Do you drink enough water?
All these affect hormonal balance. You'll probably have to change your life style and eliminate the variables to see if estrogen is the culprit here.
I used to eat a paleo diet but because of college I am only half paleo. I am getting plenty of sleep and I am not a stressful person. I drink tons of water each day. In fact i tried the method of drinking water only 2 hours before and after a meal, which worked great for a while but now im breaking out again. What variables are you speaking of. Im going to start progesterone cream soon I think. Even though it is marketed towards pre-menopausal woman, I am still going to use it.
I know it's hard to stick to paleo in a situation like college where you're short on funds and have very few cooking utensils, but it's definitely possible. I did it in a military barracks with only a microwave, so my meals were definitely not optimal, but still pretty good. If you have a hot plate, you have more options so consider yourself lucky :] Stock up on greens and sweet potatoes, even things like acorn squash which can be quickly steamed in the microwave. I know there's concern about nutrients being lost in the microwave, but it's better than nothing, and convenient in short time. Canned red salmon (skin and bones included) was my staple. You can boil a batch of eggs to last a week too. Get a good butter (Kerrygold is widely available and grass-fed), coconut oil, a good multivitamin, and fish oil to supplement. If you are having hormone problems, the best way to control them is by sticking to your diet. Refined carbs and sugars spike your hormones. Also make sure you're exercising about 30 minutes every day. Second to diet, it's the most effective way to control hormones.
ok so ive been looking more into this. broccoli and cabbage have always broken me out in the past and i now see that they are goitrogenic. Flax and soy are ALSO goitrogenic! hmmmmm......what does this mean exactly? Maybe i should start supplementing with iodine
Are you fatigued?
Try coconut oil both for fat burning and energy/thyroid. Make some coconut and cocoa fudge.
i actually already do that, i make a mixture of coconut oil, cocoa powder, liquid stevia, and peppermint oil and vanilla extract. its my healthy version of chocolate. I have tried eating alot of coconut oil in the past. It didn't do anything in terms of my acne. But i know that it is healthy so i will always eat it.
How would coconut oil help my thyroid?
I know it's hard to stick to paleo in a situation like college where you're short on funds and have very few cooking utensils, but it's definitely possible. I did it in a military barracks with only a microwave, so my meals were definitely not optimal, but still pretty good. If you have a hot plate, you have more options so consider yourself lucky :] Stock up on greens and sweet potatoes, even things like acorn squash which can be quickly steamed in the microwave. I know there's concern about nutrients being lost in the microwave, but it's better than nothing, and convenient in short time. Canned red salmon (skin and bones included) was my staple. You can boil a batch of eggs to last a week too. Get a good butter (Kerrygold is widely available and grass-fed), coconut oil, a good multivitamin, and fish oil to supplement. If you are having hormone problems, the best way to control them is by sticking to your diet. Refined carbs and sugars spike your hormones. Also make sure you're exercising about 30 minutes every day. Second to diet, it's the most effective way to control hormones.
i actually already do that, i make a mixture of coconut oil, cocoa powder, liquid stevia, and peppermint oil and vanilla extract. its my healthy version of chocolate. I have tried eating alot of coconut oil in the past. It didn't do anything in terms of my acne. But i know that it is healthy so i will always eat it.
How would coconut oil help my thyroid?
I'm interested in the answer, too. I have heard it will stimulate your thyroid, give you energy, and it will help to balance hormones. Is this true?
i actually already do that, i make a mixture of coconut oil, cocoa powder, liquid stevia, and peppermint oil and vanilla extract. its my healthy version of chocolate. I have tried eating alot of coconut oil in the past. It didn't do anything in terms of my acne. But i know that it is healthy so i will always eat it.
How would coconut oil help my thyroid?
I know it's hard to stick to paleo in a situation like college where you're short on funds and have very few cooking utensils, but it's definitely possible. I did it in a military barracks with only a microwave, so my meals were definitely not optimal, but still pretty good. If you have a hot plate, you have more options so consider yourself lucky :] Stock up on greens and sweet potatoes, even things like acorn squash which can be quickly steamed in the microwave. I know there's concern about nutrients being lost in the microwave, but it's better than nothing, and convenient in short time. Canned red salmon (skin and bones included) was my staple. You can boil a batch of eggs to last a week too. Get a good butter (Kerrygold is widely available and grass-fed), coconut oil, a good multivitamin, and fish oil to supplement. If you are having hormone problems, the best way to control them is by sticking to your diet. Refined carbs and sugars spike your hormones. Also make sure you're exercising about 30 minutes every day. Second to diet, it's the most effective way to control hormones.
yea ideally i would eat that type of diet, but i can't here. Its really impossible. I have done it before but it didn't totally clear me up. Only helped half way.
No diet is going to magically clear your skin in just a few months. It's about finding a diet and lifestyle that improves your life. Acne is not your life.
i actually already do that, i make a mixture of coconut oil, cocoa powder, liquid stevia, and peppermint oil and vanilla extract. its my healthy version of chocolate. I have tried eating alot of coconut oil in the past. It didn't do anything in terms of my acne. But i know that it is healthy so i will always eat it.
How would coconut oil help my thyroid?
I know it's hard to stick to paleo in a situation like college where you're short on funds and have very few cooking utensils, but it's definitely possible. I did it in a military barracks with only a microwave, so my meals were definitely not optimal, but still pretty good. If you have a hot plate, you have more options so consider yourself lucky :] Stock up on greens and sweet potatoes, even things like acorn squash which can be quickly steamed in the microwave. I know there's concern about nutrients being lost in the microwave, but it's better than nothing, and convenient in short time. Canned red salmon (skin and bones included) was my staple. You can boil a batch of eggs to last a week too. Get a good butter (Kerrygold is widely available and grass-fed), coconut oil, a good multivitamin, and fish oil to supplement. If you are having hormone problems, the best way to control them is by sticking to your diet. Refined carbs and sugars spike your hormones. Also make sure you're exercising about 30 minutes every day. Second to diet, it's the most effective way to control hormones.
yea ideally i would eat that type of diet, but i can't here. Its really impossible. I have done it before but it didn't totally clear me up. Only helped half way.
No diet is going to magically clear your skin in just a few months. It's about finding a diet and lifestyle that improves your life. Acne is not your life.
Best post i've read on here 
No diet is going to magically clear your skin in just a few months. It's about finding a diet and lifestyle that improves your life. Acne is not your life.
No, not magically. Biologically...? Very possible. And it depends on the person and the diet. Food replacement is a better term.
Acne is your life, in that it's a representation of life choices/diet/genetic predisposition/gut, liver, thyroid function, etc. However it doesn't have to control your life. I believe there is a solution for everyone's acne without the need for harsh creams or drugs. Finding the one for you may be a long and difficult road though (as it was for me). Being aware of as much as you can will definitely help in choosing what you try too, cause there is alot.
There are a few basic things everyone should be doing like consuming fermented vegetables, avoiding refined sugars (sucrose, high fructose syrups), vegetable oils, processed foods, etc. And some more arguable things to avoid like consuming unsprouted/unfermented grains, dairy, a majority cooked meats and cooked foods as your primary diet
Hell, maybe one food is causing you to break out. In which case it can be more difficult to narrow it down.
And maybe it's the chemicals you've been putting on your face since you first got a pimple. Maybe it's the stripping of your skin's natural defense layer.
Maybe it's the genetically modified food/herbicides that even many healthy eaters are still consuming...?
No diet is going to magically clear your skin in just a few months. It's about finding a diet and lifestyle that improves your life. Acne is not your life.
I have read alot of peoples post on here who have cleared through their diet in around 2 months. These usually include low sugar, low grain, low dairy, low soy diets with emphasis on vegetables and juicing and living supplements and the works. I have tried the wai diet which is supposed to show dramatic clearing in 2 weeks to a month. I did it for a month and saw no difference. I agree with you that diet won't "magically" clear acne, but I do believe that any wholesome diet elminating most grains, sugars, soy etc and focusing on things such as grass fed beef, organic vegetables, berries, coconut oils, olive oils, some fruits, should show a decent improvement in acne in at least 2 weeks. It only makes sense in my mind. I just don't find it practical to avoid "bad" foods completely for the rest of my life to maintain acne. I have not abandoned a healthy diet. I don't drink soda, fruit juices, soy, gluten. I emphasize fish vegetables some fruits, meat sometimes rice or quinoa. But honestly the restrictions of paleo/wai/candida diet are not practical for me at this point in life. I live in a city and I'm in college. Diet & nutrition will always be important to me.
No diet is going to magically clear your skin in just a few months. It's about finding a diet and lifestyle that improves your life. Acne is not your life.
No, not magically. Biologically...? Very possible. And it depends on the person and the diet. Food replacement is a better term.
Acne is your life, in that it's a representation of life choices/diet/genetic predisposition/gut, liver, thyroid function, etc. However it doesn't have to control your life. I believe there is a solution for everyone's acne without the need for harsh creams or drugs. Finding the one for you may be a long and difficult road though (as it was for me). Being aware of as much as you can will definitely help in choosing what you try too, cause there is alot.
There are a few basic things everyone should be doing like consuming fermented vegetables, avoiding refined sugars (sucrose, high fructose syrups), vegetable oils, processed foods, etc. And some more arguable things to avoid like consuming unsprouted/unfermented grains, dairy, a majority cooked meats and cooked foods as your primary diet
Hell, maybe one food is causing you to break out. In which case it can be more difficult to narrow it down.
And maybe it's the chemicals you've been putting on your face since you first got a pimple. Maybe it's the stripping of your skin's natural defense layer.
Maybe it's the genetically modified food/herbicides that even many healthy eaters are still consuming...?
Sure. Acne is usually a good indicator of your internal health, so I understand where you come from when you say that. My point is that diet and lifestyle take a long time to "work". And it's not just about what you put in your mouth. It's about the kind of activity you engage in, and your mental health. The way your see things. If you're capable of relaxing and enjoying your life. Obsessing over your skin makes your skin worse.
And also, you can have a damn near perfect diet and lifestyle and still suffer from acne, precisely from the reason you stated-topicals. What you use on your skin. I personally have massively sensitive skin, and many, even natural products can induce a nasty breakout.
My point isn't to say that acne is something to be ignored, but it's not something that should be on your mind 24/7, that keeps you on the computer for hours on end, that inhibits you from doing exactly whatever it is that you want to do.
