Ways to Raise Estrogen Levels for Hot Flash Relief

Estrogen is an important hormone due to the role it plays in supporting female sexual health. It also impacts a wide range of systems within the body, including the function of your cardiovascular system and bone health.¹

Women transitioning through menopause experience a significant decline in estrogen levels that can lead to the onset of numerous symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats. We know that changing hormone levels before, during and after menopause commonly cause hot flashes,² but is there anything we can do to reduce the severity of these symptoms? Keep reading to learn more.

Does Low Estrogen Cause Hot Flashes?

As noted earlier, shifting and then declining estrogen levels are often a direct cause of menopausal hot flashes. But how exactly do your estrogen levels affect hot flashes?

Research shows that hot flashes occur during menopause when lower estrogen levels cause the hypothalamus, which is where the temperature regulation zone in the brain resides, to become more sensitive to body temperature changes.³  Hot flashes can vary in intensity and frequency from one woman to the next, but it’s been found that around 80% of women will experience them during menopause.⁴

During menopause, enough estrogen isn’t being produced by the body naturally, which can initiate the onset of significant hormonal changes, causing symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.⁵ If you find that you’re uncomfortable and struggling to manage these disruptive symptoms on a daily basis, know that you don’t have to just deal with them. There are some solutions that you could consider exploring to help you to balance your hormones in an effort to manage your menopausal hot flashes and night sweats. Let’s take a look at a few, below.

Strategies for Boosting Estrogen Levels to Avoid Hot Flashes

If you are experiencing hot flashes caused by changing estrogen levels during menopause, and you’re not interested in exploring prescription treatment options, such as hormone replacement therapy, you may want to consider some of these alternatives.

Consume Foods High in Phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens are a type of compound found in plants that function in a similar way to estrogen in humans. Some studies have shown that these types of plant compounds may help combat some of the symptoms of menopause women may have, while also supporting heart and bone health.⁶

These nutrients are found in a wide range of foods, including:⁷

• Fruits such as apples, berries, and plums
• Vegetables, including beans, cabbage, and garlic
• Whole grains
• Soybeans and soy foods (i.e. tofu, edamame)
• Flaxseed
• Dark chocolate
• Red clover

By adding more of these foods into your diet, you may notice a reduction in some of your menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes,⁸ however, clinical studies are inconclusive regarding how effective phytoestrogens are for menopause symptom management, and more research needs to be done. You should also always speak with a healthcare provide before incorporating more phytoestrogens into your diet, as they may have hormonal side effects. We recommend this as a precaution and as your provider knows your medical history best.

Manage Hot Flashes with Certain Vitamins

When it comes to hot flashes and estrogen levels, you should also consider your vitamin intake. Every system within your body functions at a better level when there is a good balance of nutrients present. Whether you acquire them in the form of a dietary supplement (which is common for women to meet their daily requirements) or you consume them through foods in your diet, there are several vitamins that could help support estrogen levels:⁹

• Boron: a mineral that works to help your body to absorb estrogen and testosterone
• Vitamin B: helps your body to create estrogen and then use it in a more effective way
• Vitamin D: functions like a hormone in the body and can also help with the production of estrogen
• Vitamin E: could potentially help reduce hot flashes and sleep issues, however, more research needs to be conducted to verify this

As always, be sure to check in with your provider before starting any new vitamin or supplement as they can best advise what may be most helpful for you based on your needs. Please note that there is limited evidence regarding supplement use for hormone imbalance, so, it’s again imperative to speak with your healthcare provider first.

DHEA

Dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, is potentially another item to consider adding into your diet and routine if you are looking to boost overall estrogen production in a more natural way. DHEA is a hormone normally found in the body that is a necessary component for the production of estrogen. You can also take it as a supplement.¹⁰

For those women who are in menopause, taking DHEA may help to support improved estrogen (and testosterone) levels in the body, ¹¹ which theoretically could aid in reducing hot flashes – however, more research needs to be done to determine how effective DHEA is.

Lifestyle Changes

You may also be able to support your body’s natural production of estrogen by incorporating a few lifestyle changes.¹²

• Do your best to reduce your stress levels
• Establish a consistent sleep schedule to gain more and better-quality sleep
• Take appropriate steps to managing your weight

If you’re looking to reduce your hot flashes and you know that your estrogen levels are low, consider incorporating as many of these solutions as possible, or even just giving a few a try. Doing so may help to reduce the frequency or intensity of your symptoms, so you can feel more like yourself again.

If you find the above recommendations aren’t helping, always talk with your healthcare provider, as there are other options that may provide more significant relief for your symptoms.

Resources

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538260/
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hot-flashes/symptoms-causes/syc-20352790#causes
3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hot-flashes/symptoms-causes/syc-20352790#causes
4. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2110996
5. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/introduction-to-menopause
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6390141/
7. Https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781234/#:~:text=Phytoestrogens%20are%20present%20in%20many,number%20of%20botanical%20dietary%20supplements.
8. https://www.healthline.com/health/phytoestrogens#:~:text=These%20symptoms%20may%20continue%20after,phytoestrogens%20greatly%20reduced%20hot%20flashes.
9. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/3-ways-increase-estrogen-naturally
10. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dhea-supplements
11. https://www.webmd.com/diet/dhea-supplements
12. https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/how-to-increase-estrogen