Estrogen dominance is a theory about a metabolic state where the level of estrogen outweighs the level of progesterone in the body. This is said to be caused by a decrease in progesterone without a subsequent decrease in estrogen. The theory is popular among natural health practitioners, but is generally not recognized by mainstream medicine.
The theory was proposed by John R. Lee and Virginia Hopkins in their 1996 book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause: The Breakthrough Book on Natural Progesterone.[1] This book criticized estrogen replacement therapy and proposed the use of "natural progesterone" for menopausal women in order to alleviate a variety of complaints. It has also been promoted by Ronald Hoffman, who hosts the "Health Talk" radio show.[2] Lee's theories have been criticized for being inadequately supported through science, being primarily based on anecdotal evidence with no rigorous research to support them.[3]