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20 Anti-Estrogenic Foods That Will Help You Overcome Estrogen
Imbalance
Ali Kuoppala, 03/06/2014
Heres a detailed list of 20 different foods that are known for
their ability to decrease estrogen levels through multiple
different pathways.
One could say that these foods base the foundation of an
anti-
estrogenic diet, but why should we eat an anti-estrogenic diet
when
we can eat anti-estrogenic foods along with androgenic
testosterone
boosting foods?
That would base the foundation for the ultimate
anti-estrogenic
androgenic testosterone boosting diet. Cool right?
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Without further rambling, heres the list of 20 anti-estrogenic
foods like I promised:
1. Pomegranates
Pomegranate is one pretty awesome fruit and I believe that
all
guys should eat bulk up with it.
It seems new studies about the health benefits of this magical
fruit
are coming every week now.
First, I found out about this study, where the researchers found
out
that after 2 weeks of drinking pure pomegranate juice, their
participants salivary testosterone levels increased by a nice
24% on
average.
The very same study also found out that both, systolic and
diastolic
blood pressure dropped by a very nice 20% on average.
Then this study found out that 3 solid years of drinking 1,7
oz
pomegranate juice daily, reduced arterial plaque by a
staggering
35% on human subjects.
Most recently researchers have also found out that certain
compounds in pomegranates are anti-estrogenic.
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Theres also this study where the researchers saw that
pomegranates inhibited aromatase enzyme (which is the enzyme that
converts
testosterone into estrogen).
So the next time someone asks you whats a healthy fruit, just
say pomegranates.
2. Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables are one of the staples in the
anti-estrogen
diet.
They all contain this compound called DIM (33 diindonylmethane)
which helps your body to remove estrogen trough liver.
DIM isnt even the only thing why cruciferous veggies are
anti-estrogenic. Many of them also contain huge amounts of
chlorophyll
(leaf green) which is also known for its estrogen reducing
effects
through improved liver health. Not to mention that most of
the
vegetables in the cruciferous family are also loaded with
plant
sterols (which furthermore lower estrogen).
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What are cruciferous vegetables?
Answer: Broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, artichokes,
cauliflower,
cabbage, bok choy, turnip, radish, watercress, and many more
3. Maca
Maca is used an herb, but basically its food, like a super
nutritious root vegetable, or a potato on steroids.
Its mainly used for testosterone boosting purposes, even though
theres some inconclusive evidence in those regards.
But one thing about Maca is for sure, and its the fact that it
has some estrogen lowering purposes.
Thats because Maca is also classified as a cruciferous
vegetable, which actually contains more estrogen lowering DIM
compound
than any other cruciferous veggie Im aware of.
(Beware all Maca tastes awful)
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4. Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the oils that all men should introduce
into
their diets.
For reasons such as the fact that olive oil has been shown to
convert
cholesterol more easily into testosterone inside the testicular
leydig
cells
And the fact that olive oil is loaded with plant sterols, which
are known for their ability to lower estrogen levels
Also olive oil is ridiculously high in this compound called
lutreopin, which in this study was seen to inhibit aromatase
enzyme
in the body (aromatase converts testosterone into estrogen).
So if youre not yet a fan of olive oil, then read this post, and
get yourself some organic extra virgin olive oil as soon as
possible.
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5. Mushrooms
Countless of mushroom varieties have been studied for their
anti-estrogenic effects.
For example, this study found out that white button mushrooms
have
aromatase inhibiting properties.
Then this study found out that Shiitake mushrooms destroyed
cancerous estrogen receptor cells while simultaneously
inhibited
aromatase.
Various other mushrooms have been studied for their estrogen
lowering properties.
Conclusion? Eat mushrooms.
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6. Red Wine and Grapes
Red grapes and the wine thats made out of them contain some very
powerful anti-oestrogenic properties.
For example: theyre loaded with and various other reservatrol
polyphenols which are known for their estrogen lowering
effects.
Reservatrol also increases testosterone and inhibits
aromatase.
Theres also this compound called proanthocyanidin which is
anti-estrogenic and cardio protective
And the skins are loaded with this flavonoid called ,
quercetinwhich is anti-estrogenic and increases nitric oxide
synthase
(meaning that it literally works like Viagra but in much
smaller
scale).
So if you drink alcohol, then few glasses of red wine may
actually be beneficial for your hormonal health. And if you
dont drink alcohol, then you should eat plenty of red grapes, or
at least supplement with reservatrol extract.
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7. Chia Seeds
Countless health bloggers and nutritional gurus are claiming
that flax seeds are awesome for guys.
And sure flax seeds are jam packed with omega-3s which are
anti-estrogenic
But nobody really talks about the fact that flax is one highly
estrogenic plant containing huge amounts of natural
phytoestrogens.
But where am I going to get my omega 3s if I stop consuming flax
seeds and flax seed oil?
Answer: Chia seeds.
Chia seeds are almost identical with flax seeds if we take a
look at
their nutritional profile, theyre both high in omega-3s and they
both have a lot of vitamins and nutrients packed in them.
The only difference between these two seeds is the fact that
chia
seeds are androgenic (androgens are male hormones), and flax
seeds
are estrogenic (estrogens are female hormones).
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So it would be wise to leave those flax seeds for your
girlfriend and
get yourself some real chia seeds instead, theyre for men. Flax
is for women.
NOTE: Chia seeds can absorb 12 times their mass of water in
them,
so if you soak them in water for about ten minutes. The seeds
turn
into a nice healthy pudding, one that actually tastes good.
8. Oats
Im not really a fan of grain products, as theyre highly linked
to inflammation and inflammation is linked to low T
But theres one grain that I still like to consume, despite the
fact that its a grain.
Oats.
Oats are filled with steroidal (which boost testosterone and
saponins
inhibit aromatase) and theyre also filled with plant sterols
(which do the same as saponins).
NOTE: If you want to be healthy, then limit your grain
consumption, but cut some slack to oats as theyre quite
beneficial even though its also a grain.
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9. Green Tea
Green tea is one tricky drink for sure
As in this study the extract made out of it strongly inhibited
aromatase enzyme
But then in this study, rats who drank huge amounts of green tea
had more aromatase enzyme in their bodies.
Also if I recall correctly Ive seen similar studies where small
amounts of green tea increased testosterone, and then catechins
other studies where larger amounts of green tea decreased
testosterone.
So green tea for sure has some inconclusive evidence, and it
cant actually be called anti-estrogenic in all aspects.
Based on those studies however, small amounts of green tea may
be
beneficial when lowering estrogen levels.
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10. Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits are also kind of a solid staple in the world of
anti-
estrogen diets.
And thats completely understandable as citrus fruits are rich in
flavonoids and antioxidants.
In fact, all the following compounds in citrus fruits are known
to
have some anti-estrogenic effects:
Calcium-D-Glucarate, quercetin, limonoids, naringenin, along
with
most likely multiple other compounds too
I like to make sure that my diet includes plenty of
grapefruits,
limes, and lemons, as they all taste pretty damn amazing and
are
extremely beneficial.
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11. Raw Nuts
Basically all kinds of nuts in their raw un-altered states
are
pretty healthy.
Theyre filled with monounsaturated fatty acids which are great
for your heart and testosterone production, and theyre also
ridiculously high in anti-estrogenic plant sterols.
So get yourself nuts, in all the varieties you can dream of,
then
introduce them into your diet.
Personally I like to stack up with this organic cold pressed
almond butter. Its the tastiest health food Ive ever had a
change to try.
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12. Onions
Onions can be used in multiple dishes. Throw them in with
your
meat, add them to sauces, pizzas, whatever you can imagine.
Why would I do that?
a) Onions taste pretty darn good.
b) In this rat study, onion juice tripled their testosterone
levels.
c) Onions are filled with , which is a flavonoid that
quercetin
decreases estrogen and increases nitric oxide (quercetin
actually has
quite many successful erectile dysfunction studies on its
belt).
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13. Turmeric
Turmeric has been praised to be one of the most healthiest
foods
in this planet.
It can be found in curcumin, and its for certain that youll find
plenty of this stuff in your curry.
Why is turmeric good for men?
a) turmeric increases testosterone levels by 257% in rats (the
dose
was pretty huge though)
b) turmeric is anti-estrogenic.
c) turmeric is naturally anabolic.
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14. Algae
Certain algae like spirulina and chlorella are most likely
very
anti-estrogenic foods.
(I see chlorella and spirulina both as a supplements to detoxify
the
liver, but if you ask a vegan theyll probably say that this
yucky shit is food, so what the heck, its in the list of
anti-estrogenic foods now).
What makes these algae anti-estrogenic?
1. Spirulina and chlorella (the best kinds of algae) are both
known
for their effects on detoxifying the liver, and when your liver
is
clean then it flushes out estrogen with a much better rate.
2. Spirulina and chlorella are both extremely high in
chlorophyll
(leaf green), which has anti-estrogenic properties.
The benefits are probably very similar in other algae too, but
Im only familiar with spirulina and chlorella, as Im not a vegan
and I dont really care that much about the green stuff to be
honest.
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15. Green Leafy Vegetables
In the sub-heading above I linked a study that showed how
chlorophyll (leaf green) is anti-estrogenic.
And although spirulina and chlorella are the richest known
sources
of leaf greens according to my knowledge
Theres still quite a lot of leaf green in leafy green plants too
(who would of have guessed?)
Most leafy green vegetables are also filled with natural
nitrates
(which increase nitric oxide, making your blood vessels larger
and
supple).
So thats why my diet includes plenty of the following leafy
green vegetables:
Spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage, and thats pretty much it. But
I do eat a ton of spinach thats for sure.
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16. Fermented Foods
Fermented foods are really good for your balls
and testosterone production (Im serious).
Its kind of a hard thing to explain why, because the whole world
of probiotics and bacterial cultures is pretty complicated.
But let me tell you one thing that might help you understand
why fermented foods filled with life bacteria are hugely
important in the diet of a modern human:
We have 10 trillion human cells in our body, yet we harbor
90
trillion bacterial cells. So were really only 10% human 90%
bacteria.
The big question is, why dont we eat foods with live bacteria
anymore? The primal male did, and he was healthy as fuck. Now
we
as modern men pasteurize everything and avoid all bacteria,
and
were sicker than ever. Maybe thats because we should really eat
bacteria?
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But lets not jump out of the subject:
Fermented foods with live bacteria are anti-estrogenic
because
theyre filled with organic acids, anti-oxidants, enzymes and
probiotics that enhance gut function and eliminatory channels
which helps your body to detoxify estrogen.
So drink that sauerkraut juice and get yourself some raw
unpasteurized yogurt!
17. Coconut oil
Coconut oil is good for testosterone production while
it also has some anti-estrogenic properties.
The best thing for sure is the fact that coconut oil enhances
the
conversion from cholesterol to testosterone inside your leydig
cells.
Coconut oil also stimulates the activity of 3beta-HSD and
17beta-
HSD enzymes which stimulate testosterone production (see the
study above).
The thing that makes coconut oil anti-estrogenic, is the fact
that the
oil (and whole coconuts too) is filled with sterols, which are
anti-
estrogenic and natural aromatase inhibitors (study linked
above).
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18. Garlic
Garlic is a superfood thats filled with some serious health
benefits
For one, when combined with vitamin C it drops blood
pressure
levels better than any known drug in the market.
And garlic has also been linked to increased testosterone
production.
The thing that makes garlic anti-estrogenic is the fact that its
loaded with quercetin (which is again the flavonoid that inhibits
aromatase enzyme activity in the body while also increasing your
erectile
strength).
So, eat garlic.
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19. Chives
Chives belong to the same family of Aliums as onions and garlic
do.
And its probably not that big of a surprise that chives have the
same anti-estrogenic benefits as onions and garlic both do
You see, chives are also loaded with natural quercetin
And like I have said few times already in this article,
quercetin was the flavonoid that inhibits aromatase enzyme in the
body, and
the aromatase enzyme was the enzyme that converts your
testosterone into estrogen.
Therefore: chives = anti-estrogenic.
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20. Dark Berries
Dark berries such as the blueberry, elderberry, black
currant,
and chokeberry have about 50% more antioxidants and
flavonoids in them than other berries.
Antioxidants and flavonoids like the anti-estrogenic quercetin
and
reservatrol
..Theres also something else in that dark skin of certain
berries:
Theyre ridiculously high in this fiber called
Calcium-D-Glucarate, which has an unique ability to bind into
estrogen molecules located
inside your intestines.
Calcium-D-Glucarate basically makes sure that those estrogen
molecules really do get out instead of being reabsorbed into
the
body.
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Conclusion
Got enough? There are 20 anti-estrogenic foods above for you
with science backing up each one of them.
Now use those foods in your diet, and if youre a true bad-ass,
you can combine the estrogen lowering foods with testosterone
boosting
foods, which creates something awesome.
Thank you for reading.