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.
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.
Cruciferous vegetables.
Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens, brussels sprouts, turnips, arugula and all the other wonderful, sulfur-rich foods in this plant family contain 3,3'-diindolymethane (DIM). DIM is chemoprotective, helps reduce high estrogen levels and supports phase 1 of estrogen detox in the liver.
Consuming 200 milligrams or more of caffeine per day-roughly equivalent to two cups of coffee-can either increase or decrease a woman's estrogen level, depending on her ethnic background and the source of the caffeine, a study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) finds.
Research shows that avocados can help reduce the absorption of estrogen and boost testosterone levels. They also improve heart health and aid in satiety. We need enough healthy fats to make hormones, and avocados are a great source of hormone building blocks.
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.
Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage are also great sources of phytoestrogens. “Phytoestrogens may be beneficial in regulating menopausal symptoms. For example, studies show that diets high in phytoestrogens result in reduced hot flushes in menopausal women,” says Burgess.
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.
Tomatoes, kiwi, citrus fruits, cantaloupe, peaches, artichokes, bananas, asparagus, corn and cauliflower all boast great levels of vitamin C and they possess the phytoestrogen power you might be looking for to boost your estrogen.
Eating a varied diet can provide the body with the nutrients it needs for progesterone metabolism. This includes foods such as cruciferous vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. Keeping a healthy weight, staying on a consistent sleep schedule, and managing stress can help to keep hormones balanced as well.
Dr. Peat recommends eating raw carrots for a variety of health issues. Carrots can help lower estrogen, combat bacterial growth, reduce inflammation, promote weight loss, and help excrete bacterial poisons called endotoxins. Reducing estrogen, inflammation and endotoxins can have many far-reaching downstream effects.
Replacing a diet high in red meat and processed and refined foods with a Mediterranean-style diet rich in whole grains, legumes, and fish may help you manage your estrogen levels.
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).
In terms of lowering estrogen levels, there is no surefire evidence that any particular drink can help women balance or lower their hormone levels. In saying that, research from the U.S. National Institutes of Health that drinking green tea daily could be linked to lower levels of estrogen in post-menopausal women.
Crucifers such as broccoli, kale, cabbage, bok choy, arugula, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussel sprouts have been shown to rid the body of harmful estrogen. Dark leafy greens are rich in micronutrients, vitamins such as vitamin K, A, and B vitamins, and trace minerals.
Blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries can all help to increase estrogen levels. As well as being rich sources of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, berries contain high levels of phytoestrogen lignans.
The other phytochemicals that are present in oats may help to produce similar effects as estrogen in the body, but without causing levels of the hormone actually to increase.
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.
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.