How can I increase my estrogen levels naturally?

i'm a 24 yr old female with pcos (polycystic ovarian disorder). my gyn says that i have slightly elevated testosterone levels and low estrogen levels. im already on spironolactone (anti-androgenic drug) and high dose estrogen birth control.



i also take these natural supplements:

-spearmint tea x 2 cups a day

-soy protein 30 mg daily plus soy milk and tofu

-anise, black cohosh, fennel, raspberry, sage, sarsaparilla, squawvine, unicorn root and wild yam root

-im on a low carb diet with 75% raw foods



is there anything else i should do which will help me conceive?



thanks so much in advance (:

How can I increase my estrogen levels naturally?
Yoga might help to balance your endocrine system - I find that it's really good for that...



And then, did you know that yams/sweet potatoes have estrogen? Scientists think that's why African tribes for whom yams are a staple are incredibly fertile. :)
Reply:Two things come to mind from your list: 1) I'd actually be careful of my soy intake as it's a) cooling and suppressing to the sexual chi in the body, and 2) Look closely at the 75% raw foods diet. Yes, this diet, if done correctly, will make you very clean and very clear, but to make hormones in quantity, the body needs steady strong and reliable sources of protein and zinc. If by 75% raw, you're including oysters, shellfish and fish in that diet (which I highly doubt somehow...), good on ya, and way to go. The primary clues that you need to stop with the raw foods will be a) you'll start to freeze in the winter and quite literally find that no matter what you do, you cannot keep warm, b) you will begin to find yourself becoming cachexic, that is--so thin and in a condition where your body is literally starting to digest itself, that people will start to ask you if you are anorexic. c) You may find yourself having odd dreams of steak and chicken and standard American balanced meals w/ meat, starch (usually mashed potatoes w/ gravy) and 2 or 3 veggies plus bread, butter, milk and dessert. This can take a long time to occur, especially if you were pudgy or round to begin with and had a lot of "excess" to get rid of. I would remind you that anything taken to excess becomes its opposite. This is to say, a diet that started as a health increasing measure can indeed become a source of illness and disease if continued too strictly or too long. No Native American Tribe in North America practiced exclusive raw foods eating. And there's a reason for this: to live and to thrive primarily out of doors in North American, one needs to eat hearty, warming, build up foods, not cold, cooling, breakdown, raw foods. These are wonderful for you in the warm and hot weather, and you'll probably be quite fine for a few years, especially if you are inside during the cold weather. Watch out for year 7 of this or any other highly restrictive diet. Year 7 is when the body's natural stores of Vit B12 run out. Year 7 is when people in the raw foods and macrobiotic communities start to FREEZE in the winter times and literally NOT be able to keep themselves warm. It's when they start craving sweets uncontrollably (a sign of protein deficiency), start experiencing an inability to focus, concentrate and put out sufficiently meaningful work, and when their sexual energy pretty much goes to hell, so don't say I didn't warn ya...And I say these things to you as a woman who lived and worked professionally in the macrobiotic commuity from the age of 17 to about 25, and still to this day eats extremely healthfully. Change is imperative. I'm not saying don't keep up with your raw foods regime. I'm saying know what it will look like in the body when it's time to stop. Do not stay in one place dietarily EVER. I'd also look strongly at adding Vitex agnus castus to my list of herbs, as well as kelp and other seaweeds such as wakame, arame, hijiki, alaria, sea palm, dulse, agar agar, carrageenan, etc., etc. If you're needing to rebalance your hormones and are too high in androsteroids, look strongly at eating shiitake and maitake mushrooms, and fungi in general. These will help to break down old meat fats and energies in the body b/c of their extremely strong and medicinal yin qualities. I have some SERIOUS questions about using synthetic drugs and more especially synthetic estrogens in the body to try to create balance. I don't quite want to say, "It won't happen, you'll just pendulum swing the other way...but I'm very close to saying just exactly that to you." Sorry, no confidence vote w/ the high dose estrogens or the spironolactone...Big red flags and big yellow caution lights going off for me...Whatever you do, avoid milk, eggs all dairy and non-organic meats and chickens like the plague...Sounds like you're already well on your way there. There have been MANY reports of women wearing strings of myrrh beads finally having luck conceiving. I would also strongly recommend the services of a good acupuncturist/Chinese herbalist.
Reply:Flax has long been used as a natural estrogen replacement for women who need more estrogen. It is best to get whole seeds and grind up a tablespoon at a time so it is freshest. You can put it in water and drink it, or add it to a smoothy or protein shake. We even put it in our muffins here. Flax's natural estrogens are very good, plus Flax also is a great source for natural omega's .



EDIT: Forgot to say that a cheap coffee grinder is great for this. That is what I use, and it makes it really easy.