The Connection Between Fluoride, Ovarian Cysts, & Perimenopause

Highlights from my latest podcast episode exploring the Connection Between Fluoride, Ovarian Cysts, & Perimenopause

*Listen to the episode on the Rewilded Wellness podcast, available on: 

iTunes HERE 
Spotify HERE
On YouTube HERE 

Last year, I did an episode called "Let’s Talk About Nettles and Perimenopause." Nettles are prolific in the woods where I hike, and this is the time of year to collect them. If you’re adventurous, they have amazing benefits that everyone should learn about and use, so be sure to check out that episode if you haven’t yet.

In that episode, I talked about perimenopause as a rite of passage and provided a brief explanation of what it really means. I also covered irregular cycles and histamine, making it a good primer.

Just as spring represents nature's transition from dormancy to new growth, perimenopause marks our transition to a new phase of wisdom and power. The nettles I discussed last year emerge first in spring—they're resilient pioneers, breaking through despite challenges, much like we can be during this transition.

I wanted to revisit this topic from a different lens. As a 50-year-old woman, I’m still cycling and experiencing my own cycle challenges, which are really the compounded effects of living on this planet and being exposed to environmental toxins for so long. My body has struggled to catch up.

I think this is a big piece of what’s going on for many women, and it’s going to be different for all of us, as we each have our own compounding factors. I’ll talk a little about two of mine in particular, including certain genetic polymorphisms that I didn’t start supporting until my late 30s. Life can also be stressful, with many challenges that people face, so I think it’s important to chat about this.

I want to paint a picture—not that we’re all doomed to have a horrible experience, but it does make things challenging. There are wonderful things we can do when we start to recognize and learn what those compounding factors are.

What’s behind these confusing transition symptoms is really just a call to take much better care of ourselves than we have, and than modern infrastructure has allowed. It’s a call to reclaim and rewild our wellness.

I believe that perimenopause is a modern lifestyle issue exacerbated by contemporary life. Many women feel a lot of grief and frustration around this, and it’s important to allow for those feelings and to process them, as I discussed in my last episode. Ultimately, this is an opportunity for transformation—a chance to evaluate where we are based on the lives we’ve lived and make necessary changes.

What we're seeing collectively isn't just 'aging,' but our bodies responding to unprecedented environmental stressors. Our grandmothers may have experienced menopause, but the extended, symptom-heavy perimenopause many women face today is something different.

Today, I want to shine a light on something that's rarely discussed in conversations about women's hormonal health: fluoride exposure.

One of my seven pillars for the foundations of human health is water. I know, it seems obvious, right? The problem is that the water we’ve all been drinking has a lot of hidden issues that we are now facing.

I try to teach my clients that everything you drink should be mineral-rich. Part of the reason for this is that all natural fluids are mineral-rich, but our tap water has had these minerals removed. Additionally, it often contains harmful substances like chlorine and fluoride—two halogens that disrupt our minerals—as well as various metals.

And I’m sorry to say, no amount of castor oil packs is going to remineralize the body enough to remove these elements so you can stop relying on them in the first place. That’s not to say don’t use castor oil packs or that they don’t have benefits, but many women aren’t sure how much they’re helping because they have a significant body burden of other toxins that they may be unaware of or haven’t fully addressed.

The addition of fluoride to our municipal water supply and dental products presents a myriad of problems and can harm the body in many ways.

A particularly concerning connection I've researched is between fluoride exposure and ovarian cysts. This hits home for me in a deeply personal way. Let me share a story that illustrates how these 'invisible' environmental factors can manifest in very real, painful symptoms.

After I had my first son—who came into this world through an emergency C-section following a complicated pregnancy where I was hospitalized for preterm labor—my body went through tremendous stress. While pregnant, he was in a footling breech position, and I was 3 cm dilated, resulting in bed rest and medications to stop contractions. This led to severe constipation; I went nearly eight days without a bowel movement, creating significant toxicity and congestion in my system.

The early months of motherhood brought additional challenges. My son was born a few weeks early with an underdeveloped sucking reflex, which made breastfeeding difficult. Being small and slightly underweight, he needed to eat constantly. The physical and emotional stress was immense.

When my menstrual cycles eventually returned, something alarming happened. I experienced pain so severe during ovulation that I initially thought my appendix had ruptured. I was literally doubled over, unable to function through the excruciating pain. When I sought medical help, I was casually told, "Oh, you have mittelschmerz—that's normal."

Let me pause to explain what mittelschmerz is: it's a German term meaning "middle pain," referring to pelvic and lower abdominal pain that some women experience during ovulation. While mild discomfort might be common for some women, what I was experiencing was far from normal.

Despite my concerns, medical professionals seemed unconcerned. I had ultrasounds that weren’t particularly conclusive, leaving me to piece together my own understanding through researching my symptoms, tracking my cycles, and listening to my body's signals.

What I didn't know then—what I couldn't have known—was how the fluoride I'd been exposed to throughout my life, combined with undiagnosed mold exposure in my home, was creating the perfect storm for hormonal havoc. These environmental toxins were collectively impacting my detoxification pathways and depleting my mineral reserves, which in turn affected my hormonal balance and ovarian function.

This excruciating ovulation pain came and went for nearly 20 years after my son was born. Twenty years! That's two decades of my life dealing with monthly pain that I now understand was likely connected to ovarian cysts and inflammation triggered by environmental toxins, particularly fluoride's effects on my endocrine system.

Studies have shown that fluoride can concentrate in ovarian tissue, creating oxidative stress that damages normal follicular development. This oxidative damage, combined with disruption to the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, can lead to cyst formation and intensely painful ovulation.

I’m happy to say I’ve overcome these issues, but I wish I’d learned sooner what I know now. How many unnecessary years of pain could have been avoided? How many women right now are being told their symptoms are 'normal' when they're actually signals of environmental toxicity affecting their reproductive system?

This experience taught me something crucial: when our bodies speak to us through symptoms—especially cyclical ones tied to our hormones—they're often signaling deeper imbalances that deserve serious investigation rather than dismissal.

How Fluoride Worsens Perimenopause Symptoms

During perimenopause, your body is already dealing with natural hormonal fluctuations. Adding fluoride (or any halogen, for that matter) to the equation can amplify common symptoms in several ways:

1. Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: The pineal gland's role in temperature regulation can be compromised when it becomes calcified, potentially intensifying these common symptoms.
2. Irregular Cycles: Fluoride's disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis can further complicate the already variable cycle patterns of perimenopause.
3. Mood Disturbances: The pineal-melatonin pathway influences serotonin production, so disruption can exacerbate mood swings, anxiety, and depression.
4. Sleep Disturbances: Beyond the obvious melatonin connection, fluoride's effect on calcium signaling in the brain can further impact sleep architecture.
5. Accelerated Bone Loss: While fluoride was once thought to strengthen bones, research now suggests that excessive fluoride can actually create a more brittle bone structure—particularly concerning during perimenopause when bone protection becomes crucial.

The Impact of Halogens on Mineral Balance and Hormonal Health in Women

Halogens, such as fluoride and chlorine, can significantly disrupt the body’s mineral balance, particularly during perimenopause. Understanding how these elements interact with essential minerals—like calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc, and copper—can illuminate the common challenges women face during this transitional phase.

Calcium and Magnesium

1. Calcium Metabolism: Fluoride can interfere with calcium metabolism, particularly because it competes with calcium for absorption. This interference can lead to weakened bones and increased risk of osteoporosis, especially important for women who are already at higher risk due to hormonal changes during perimenopause. Low calcium levels can also exacerbate symptoms like muscle cramps and bone pain.
2. Magnesium’s Role: Magnesium is crucial for hormone balance and is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. An imbalance caused by fluoride exposure can lead to magnesium deficiency, which may result in increased anxiety, irritability, and sleep disturbances—common complaints during perimenopause. Low magnesium levels can also hinder the body’s ability to process calcium effectively, compounding calcium-related issues.

Sodium and Potassium

- Fluid Retention and Blood Pressure: As previously mentioned, high sodium levels due to poor detoxification can lead to fluid retention and elevated blood pressure, which can be particularly concerning for women experiencing hormonal fluctuations.

Zinc and Copper

- Hormonal Regulation: The balance between these two minerals is critical for effective hormonal regulation. Excess zinc can inhibit copper metabolism, leading to irregular menstrual cycles and increased PMS symptoms.

Sulfur

- Detoxification and Inflammation: High sulfur levels can hinder the body’s detoxification pathways, affecting overall hormonal balance and leading to symptoms such as weight retention and mood swings.

How Halogens Affect Mineral Absorption

Halogens can deplete or compete with essential minerals in the body, creating a cascade of imbalances:

- Interference with Mineral Absorption: Halogens like fluoride and chlorine can bind to minerals, making them less available for absorption. This can lead to deficiencies that impact overall health and can be particularly problematic during perimenopause when women are already experiencing hormonal shifts.

- Increased Toxicity: The accumulation of halogens in the body can exacerbate the toxic burden, further complicating detoxification processes. This can create a cycle where the body struggles to maintain mineral balance, resulting in a range of symptoms.

Understanding the effects of halogens on mineral balance is crucial for women navigating perimenopause. By recognizing how substances like fluoride can disrupt calcium and magnesium metabolism, as well as the balance of sodium, potassium, zinc, copper, and sulfur, women can take proactive steps to support their health. Addressing these imbalances can lead to improved hormonal health, better mood regulation, and a more comfortable transition through this important life stage.

The Impact of Fluoride on Sex Hormones: Estrogen and Progesterone

Fluoride, a common environmental toxin, can significantly disrupt hormonal balance in the body, particularly affecting sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone. Understanding these interactions is crucial for women, especially during perimenopause when hormonal fluctuations are already pronounced.

1. Mechanisms of Hormonal Disruption

Fluoride affects the endocrine system, which regulates hormone production and balance. Here’s how it specifically impacts estrogen and progesterone:

- Thyroid Function: Fluoride exposure has been linked to hypothyroidism, a condition characterized by low thyroid hormone levels. The thyroid gland produces hormones that play a crucial role in regulating metabolism and overall hormonal balance. When thyroid function is impaired, it can lead to decreased production of estrogen and progesterone. This is particularly concerning during perimenopause, where hormonal balance is critical for managing symptoms.

- Estrogen Receptor Activity: Some studies suggest that fluoride may interfere with estrogen receptor activity. This disruption could lead to altered cellular responses to estrogen, potentially resulting in increased estrogenic activity in some tissues while reducing it in others. This imbalance can contribute to conditions such as estrogen dominance, which is characterized by symptoms like irregular periods, weight gain, and mood swings.

- Progesterone Production: Progesterone is primarily produced by the ovaries during the menstrual cycle, particularly in the luteal phase. However, the adrenal glands also produce progesterone, especially in response to stress or when ovarian function declines, such as during perimenopause. Fluoride exposure may affect adrenal health, potentially leading to decreased progesterone production. This is why it’s important to support the adrenals first rather than going straight to hormone replacement therapy. Low progesterone levels can result in symptoms such as irregular cycles, anxiety, and difficulty with sleep, all of which are common during perimenopause.

2. Impact on Hormonal Balance in Women

The disruption of estrogen and progesterone levels due to fluoride can manifest in various ways for women, particularly during perimenopause:

- Menstrual Irregularities: As fluoride affects the balance of estrogen and progesterone, women may experience irregular menstrual cycles. This can include heavier periods, missed periods, or changes in cycle length.

- PMS Symptoms: Women may find that symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) become more pronounced, including mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and physical discomfort. This is often linked to the imbalance between estrogen and progesterone, where estrogen may dominate due to insufficient progesterone.

- Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: Fluctuations in estrogen levels can lead to vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats. This is often exacerbated by the overall hormonal imbalance caused by fluoride.

- Weight Gain and Metabolism Issues: Estrogen plays a significant role in regulating weight and metabolism. An imbalance, particularly with excess estrogen, can lead to weight gain, especially around the abdomen. This effect can be magnified by thyroid dysfunction linked to fluoride exposure.

- Mood and Cognitive Function: Estrogen is also involved in mood regulation and cognitive function. Disruptions in estrogen levels can result in increased anxiety, depression, and cognitive fog, which are common complaints during perimenopause.

3. Long-Term Implications

The long-term implications of fluoride exposure and its effects on sex hormones can be significant:

- Increased Risk of Hormone-Related Conditions: Chronic exposure to fluoride and the resulting hormonal imbalances may increase the risk of hormone-related conditions, such as uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and even certain cancers that are sensitive to estrogen levels.

- Impact on Fertility: For women in their reproductive years, fluoride exposure may negatively affect fertility by disrupting the delicate balance of reproductive hormones. This can result in challenges with conception and maintaining a healthy pregnancy.

- Overall Health: The cumulative effect of fluoride on hormonal health can contribute to a broader spectrum of health issues, including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular problems, and reduced quality of life.

Fluoride exposure poses a significant threat to hormonal health, particularly concerning sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone. By disrupting thyroid function, altering receptor activity, and affecting adrenal hormone production, fluoride can lead to a cascade of hormonal imbalances that manifest as various symptoms during perimenopause. Understanding these connections is vital for women seeking to manage their health and navigate the complexities of hormonal changes during this critical phase of life. Reducing fluoride exposure and focusing on supporting hormonal balance can be key strategies for improving overall well-being.

The Impact of Genetic Polymorphisms on Detoxification and Hormonal Health

Genetic polymorphisms can significantly complicate the challenges women face during perimenopause, particularly in their ability to detoxify effectively. Depending on the specific combinations of polymorphisms each person has, these genetic variations can lead to an accumulation of harmful substances in the body. This buildup can create challenges across multiple systems, particularly the mineral system, which is crucial for maintaining hormonal balance.

For instance, certain polymorphisms may impact how effectively the body processes and eliminates toxins like fluoride. When detoxification pathways are compromised, it can lead to a cascade of imbalances that exacerbate symptoms of perimenopause, including mood disturbances, irregular cycles, and sleep issues.

In my own experience, I have several genetic polymorphisms that have influenced my health throughout my life. It wasn't until my late 30s that I began to understand how these genetic factors were impacting my body, particularly in conjunction with environmental toxins. This lack of awareness can be common, and it’s important for women to recognize how these pieces fit together.

By connecting the dots between genetic polymorphisms, environmental exposure, and hormonal health, I help my clients better understand their unique health challenges. This awareness empowers them to take proactive steps in their wellness journey, addressing not only the symptoms but also the root causes of their discomfort.

As we delve deeper into these discussions, it becomes clear that understanding one's genetic makeup and its interaction with environmental factors is essential for navigating the complexities of hormonal changes and achieving overall well-being.

I believe that perimenopause, with the challenges and symptoms many women are experiencing, is a modern lifestyle issue—it’s not merely a natural phenomenon. It serves as a wake-up call for all of us, highlighting that the way we live is often out of sync with our biology. We can grieve this reality, but we can also make the necessary changes to move through this phase with greater grace and flow. By linking arms, raising awareness, sharing our stories, and supporting one another, we can rise above these challenges together.

This transition can occupy a significant chunk of a woman’s life, and it’s worth taking the time to care for our bodies and reconsider how we structure our lives.

How we navigate this period will ultimately impact the next leg of our journey after we make this transition. It’s wise to evaluate and assess our individual experiences so we can transform them into opportunities for growth and restoration.

The majority of women I work with are in this phase of life, facing various challenges like disrupted systems, mineral imbalances, detoxification issues, and hormonal disruptions. Ladies, we are confronted with an unfortunate reality. This is a crucial time for us to learn how to take deep care of ourselves and to be the change we wish to see in the world. We have the chance to set an example for the next generation, especially as the toxic burden continues to increase compared to what our grandmothers faced.

Coming to terms with these challenges often means recognizing the deep restoration we need to undertake. This is part of why I offer my Rewilded Wellness program, which provides support over six months. Together, we lay a foundation in a step-by-step manner, covering all our bases as gently as possible. Navigating this journey alone can feel overwhelming and confusing, leading to frustration—where you may find yourself starting and stopping, going all in, and then feeling triggered to the point of giving up. This is especially true given how our hormonal landscape can impact our mental, emotional, and psychological well-being.

In this program, I take a comprehensive look at your health history and the challenges you're currently facing. We’ll explore multiple functional assessments, with the HTMA and biome FX at the core. If you're open to it, I can also incorporate insights from your astrology chart and your genetic data/polymorphism . This holistic approach helps us identify potential leaks that need attention, complementing our mineral balancing and restoration work. It can also shed light on experiences you've had throughout your life that you may not have fully understood.

Many women dealing with chronic health issues find themselves in such overwhelm, navigating their own challenges that this depth of approach over six months creates incredible momentum. It establishes a solid foundation and teaches women how to understand all these moving pieces so they know how to support themselves moving forward.

If you’re interested in this level of support, you can learn more HERE. Feel free to book a discovery call to see if this is the best option for you right now.