Another source of estrogen in foods is animal estrogen. Products like eggs or milk contain high estrogen levels because they are produced in parts of the animal's body that regulate its hormones. Eating high estrogen foods can help people who suffer from various conditions related to low estrogen levels.
What foods cause high estrogen? Foods that reportedly increase estrogen include flax seeds, soybean products, chocolate, fruit, nuts, chickpeas, and legumes. Before we delve into why these foods are said to increase estrogen, we need to look at two important definitions; phytoestrogens and lignans.
Foods derived from animals are pretty innocuous. For example, per 8-ounce serving, milk has 15 ng of estrogen; butter, 141 ng; and eggs, 252 ng.
The foods you need to avoid include: flax seeds, dried fruits, sesame seeds, garlic, peaches, berries, wheat bran, tofu, tempeh, dairy products, meat, alcohol, grains, and legumes.
A great food source for balancing hormones is eggs, as they contain vitamin D and vitamin B6, which is beneficial for estrogen metabolism. Eggs are also a great source of HDL cholesterol, which is the healthy cholesterol your body needs for creating hormones.
Somehow many people mistakenly feel that eggs are no longer a healthy option, due to added hormones and steroids. The Real Truth: The myth about eggs containing added hormones is simply not true.
Egg, when consumed on a daily basis, can improve cognitive health as egg contains all the nutrients required for a great mind. It has vitamin B12, B6, Choline and Folate. These nutrients regulate the mood and memory of a person. It is also said that an egg contains 26% of a woman's daily recommended value of choline.
Exercise regularly. Research suggests that exercise can help to reduce high estrogen levels. Premenopausal women who engage in aerobic exercise for five hours a week or more saw their estrogen levels drop by nearly 19%. Cardio exercise helps the body break estrogen down and flush away any excess.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
Oats contain phytochemicals, including polyphenols and phytoestrogens. The polyphenols found in oats may help a man to experience an estrogen blocking effect. This would prevent their body from converting too many testosterone hormones into estrogen.
Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone have been detected in the eggs of domesticated fowl; however, the underlying mechanism of maternal hormone deposition during egg production remains unknown (Lipar, Ketterson, Nolan, & Casto, 1999).
What about some other foods? You might be surprised… In the same amount of eggs (1.1 pounds) there are 555 nanograms of estrogen.
Estrogen consumption is a primary concern, because the compound is identical in a chicken's body as it is in a human's body. Elevated levels of estrogen through consumption of chicken products has been connected to health problems later in life, like breast cancer and polycystic ovary syndrome.
Losing excess body fat is an excellent way to reduce circulating estrogen. Plus, weight loss can help protect against many chronic diseases, including hormone-sensitive breast cancer ( 13 , 35 ). Limit refined carbs and processed foods.
Health conditions: Some health conditions have an association with or lead to estrogen dominance. These include polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and certain cancers. Insulin resistance also increases estrogen levels.
B Vitamins
Vitamins B2 and B6, in particular, are associated with healthy estrogen levels. In a recent study, for example, researchers tracked levels of B vitamins to the risk of breast cancer in menopausal women.
B vitamins play an important role in the creation and activation of estrogen in the body. Low levels of these vitamins can lead to reduced levels of estrogen.
Magnesium promotes healthy estrogen clearance
By supporting the COMT enzyme (catechol-o-methyltransferase) in the liver, magnesium promotes the healthy excretion of estrogen (9). This may reduce the risk of the estrogen excess conditions (such as fibroids) associated with low COMT function (10).
Packed within cruciferous veggies are phytochemicals that block the production of estrogen, allowing them to be an effective addition to an anti-estrogen diet. This group of vegetables includes kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and arugula.
That said, they are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, so it's something to be aware of if you have heart disease or are at a heightened risk of developing it. For people with heart disease, limiting yolks and enjoying more egg whites could be a good option if you like to eat eggs daily.
The American Heart Association recommends up to one egg a day for most people, fewer for people with high blood cholesterol, especially those with diabetes or who are at risk for heart failure, and up to two eggs a day for older people with normal cholesterol levels and who eat a healthy diet.
Eating eggs leads to elevated levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as the “good” cholesterol. People who have higher HDL levels have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and other health issues. According to one study, eating two eggs a day for six weeks increased HDL levels by 10%.
Eggs are also loaded with cholesterol—about 200 milligrams for an average-sized egg. That's more than double the amount in a Big Mac. Fat and cholesterol contribute to heart disease. A 2021 study found that the addition of half an egg per day was associated with more deaths from heart disease, cancer, and all causes.