IS LOW ESTROGEN AND EARLY MENOPAUSE CAUSED BY HEAVY METALS?

Results from two studies suggest that exposure to heavy metals alters hormone levels in women and may cause earlier natural menopause.

The 2024 “Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation Multi-Pollutant Study” included over a 1000 women and investigated the association of urinary heavy with changes in hormone levels. The metals assessed included arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury and the hormones assessed included estrogen (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), etc.

The study found that increased levels of urinary heavy metals was associated with lower levels of estrogen and higher levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG); a hormone that inactivates reproduction hormones. The specific culprits were mercury, lead and cadmium.

The authors concluded that “Results from this prospective cohort study demonstrate that environmental heavy metal exposures, including cadmium, mercury, and lead, may disturb circulating levels of E2, FSH, and SHBG in midlife women.”

“ Environmental heavy metal exposures, including cadmium, mercury, and lead, may disturb circulating levels of E2, FSH, and SHBG in midlife women.”

Results from a 2021 study demonstrated similar findings. Premenopausal women were assessed for urinary heavy metals including arsenic, barium, cadmium, lead, mercury and others and then followed for an average of 4 years to assess menopause status.

Urinary arsenic and lead was associated with earlier menopause.

Their results show that on average urinary arsenic posed a 32% increased risk and urinary lead posed a 36% increased risk of early menopause.

The authors conclude that “This study suggests that arsenic, lead, and metal mixtures are associated with earlier natural menopause, a risk factor for adverse health outcomes in later life.”

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Devin Wilson, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and Owner of Valley Integrative Health, LLC in Ashland, Oregon. With over a decade of clinical experience including 2 years of training with a John’s Hopkin’s/Yale Medical Doctor, Dr. Wilson combines naturopathic and modern medicine along with cutting-edge therapies. His enduring goal is to help people re-establish, maintain and optimize their health using a patient-centered and holistic approach. Dr. Wilson has completed advance training in anti-aging therapies and bio-identical hormone therapy from one of the most respected anti-aging groups in the country, the American Academy of Anti-Aging (A4M). In addition, Dr. Wilson previously worked for one of the country’s premier stem cell and anti-aging clinic.

SOURCES:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9897061/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021004062