What Happens When Estrogen Levels Get Too High?
Most people don’t realize how strongly elevated estrogen can throw off the balance of other hormones – with direct consequences for body fat, energy levels, mood, and metabolism.
We’ve already looked at hormones like insulin and cortisol, which encourage fat storage, and others like growth hormone and IGF that support fat loss – especially during sleep.
But for long-term fat reduction, all hormones must work together. And too much estrogen can disrupt this balance – in both men and women.
High estrogen suppresses testosterone, reduces growth hormone, slows thyroid function, and lowers progesterone.
The result? More body fat, less muscle, worse mood, slower recovery, and decreased energy.
Let’s unpack what’s really going on here – and more importantly, what you can do about it.
The Hormonal Players: Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, and Thyroid
Estrogen is actually a group of three hormones that promote female traits and reproductive function – but men produce and need estrogen too.
Estrogen supports the reproductive system, brain health, bone strength (which is why low estrogen contributes to osteoporosis), and cardiovascular health. But it also encourages fat storage and raises levels of insulin and cortisol, which break down muscle and block muscle growth when too high.
Progesterone is best known as a hormone released during the menstrual cycle, but it plays a vital role for men too. It calms the body, promotes fat burning, and is a direct precursor to testosterone. Without enough progesterone, testosterone production drops.
Testosterone is essential for muscle growth and strength, libido, bone density, body composition, and energy.
It gives the body its defined structure — while estrogen creates curves, testosterone sculpts sharp definition.
Women also need testosterone (just like men need estrogen), albeit in smaller amounts.
Thyroid hormones regulate metabolism – how energy is created and used from carbs and stored fat.
The thyroid also supports the production and regulation of other hormones.
It needs two key building blocks: iodine and the amino acid tyrosine.
When Estrogen Levels Are Too High
Each hormone plays a vital role – but when levels get too high or too low, the system begins to break down.
And that makes it nearly impossible to build muscle or lose fat.
High estrogen doesn’t trigger a single reaction – it sets off a cascade of hormonal imbalances that slowly compound over time.
And the key link in this chain? Progesterone.
When progesterone levels drop, estrogen rises. When progesterone rises, estrogen falls.
This balance is critical – in both sexes.
In women, monthly hormone shifts already cause progesterone to dip and estrogen to rise, which can lead to bloating, mood swings, and water retention.
But when estrogen remains high for too long, those symptoms become chronic – low mood, constant puffiness, and a harder time managing weight.
Progesterone is also needed to create testosterone. So when it drops, testosterone drops too – taking mood, muscle, and metabolism down with it.
High estrogen also feeds into insulin and cortisol – the more of these we produce, the more estrogen goes up. And the cycle continues.
What’s worse: progesterone is used up to make cortisol.
That means the body converts a fat-burning hormone into a fat-storing one – all in response to stress.
Cortisol also suppresses testosterone. So as cortisol rises, testosterone falls.
And what drives this spiral?
Sugar.
Excess sugar spikes insulin, which triggers more cortisol. Cortisol drains progesterone. Less progesterone means less testosterone and more estrogen.
Estrogen causes more body fat – and more cravings for… sugar.
And so the cycle starts over.
Over time, estrogen builds up to the point that fat loss becomes nearly impossible.
In men, this can lead to gynecomastia – the development of breast tissue – which may not disappear even after fat loss.
Aromatase: When Body Fat Creates More Estrogen
Body fat doesn’t just store estrogen – it produces it.
The enzyme aromatase, which is made by fat cells, converts testosterone into estrogen.
So the more fat you carry, the more estrogen you make.
That estrogen leads to more fat storage – which leads to more aromatase – and even more estrogen.
It’s a vicious cycle.
To make matters worse, estrogen also stimulates the pancreas to release more insulin, leading to increased fat storage and… you guessed it – even more estrogen production.
And again: the primary driver behind all of this is high sugar intake.
But that’s not all – high estrogen also disrupts thyroid function.
Why High Estrogen = Low Thyroid
Thyroid hormones govern metabolism, energy production, fat burning, and overall vitality.
But they require iodine and the amino acid tyrosine to be made.
When either one is lacking, thyroid hormone levels drop.
And estrogen can make this worse in two big ways:
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It blocks thyroid hormone at the cellular level, preventing it from “communicating” with your cells to trigger fat burning.
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It causes the liver to produce thyroid-binding globulin (TBG) – a protein that latches onto thyroid hormones in the bloodstream, making them unavailable.
This leads to symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, hair thinning, low libido, and weight gain.
Worse: low thyroid means less estrogen clearance, because the liver needs thyroid hormones to break estrogen down.
And so the cycle continues:
More estrogen → less progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid
→ more cortisol, insulin, and fat
→ even higher estrogen… and so on.
This is estrogen dominance.
Progesterone: The Natural Estrogen Balancer
Progesterone restores balance.
It lowers blood sugar, insulin, and cortisol levels.
It improves insulin sensitivity, making your cells need less insulin, and it boosts thyroid function by reducing the excess TBG created by estrogen.
So, with more thyroid activity, you burn more fat.
And since progesterone isn’t being stolen to make cortisol, you have less stress and more testosterone production.
Estrogen increases anxiety, disrupts sleep, and raises inflammation.
Progesterone calms the body, lowers inflammation, and helps you sleep better.
It’s a complete reversal of the estrogen spiral.
So What Can You Do?
1. Prioritize Amino Acids Over Random Protein
To create hormones like progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid, your body needs essential amino acids.
Products like Daminoc deliver these in the perfect ratio – without the calories or hormonal disruption of incomplete protein sources.
2. Reduce Sugar – Especially Processed Carbs
Cut out added sugars and white flour. These spike insulin and set the whole estrogen-cortisol spiral in motion.
3. Increase Fiber Intake
Fiber helps remove excess estrogen via the gut and keeps blood sugar levels stable.
4. Support Magnesium Levels
Magnesium is calming and lowers cortisol – yet most people are deficient due to modern food processing.
5. Add Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 helps the body break down and clear estrogen from the bloodstream.
6. Ensure You Get Tyrosine and Iodine
Tyrosine (an amino acid) and iodine are essential for thyroid hormone production.
With Daminoc and the right iodine intake, your body can support thyroid function naturally.
I hope this breakdown helped you understand just how deeply interconnected your hormones are – and how critical it is to support them properly.