10 Foods to Balance Estrogen
Estrogen is a growth hormone responsible for the development and maintenance of the female reproductive system. It is released in high amounts during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle which is the first 2 weeks leading up to ovulation. Estrogen is released from the ovaries, fat tissue, and adrenal glands because it has a connection between fertility and body fat composition. The main functions include building up the uterine wall for the menstrual cycle, stimulating the growth of the egg follicle, developing breast tissue, stabilizing bone density, and controlling the metabolism of glucose and lipids.
Imbalanced levels of estrogen can be harmful because it can cause irregular periods,
tender breasts, PMS, bloating, constipation, anxiety, mood swings, and headaches. Over time, these symptoms can worsen and in some cases can lead to hormonal cancers. Estrogen and progesterone work on a balance, where a high level of one will cause a low level of the other. Here are the 3 patterns: high estrogen and normal progesterone, high estrogen and low progesterone, normal estrogen, and low progesterone. You never want your estrogen to be too high or too low because all your hormones work on a balance, and when one goes too high/low then other hormones have to make up for it.
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Foods to balance estrogen include:
1. Ground Flaxseed
Flaxseed contains dietary lignans which help to inhibit enzymes that are involved in estrogen metabolism, making it one of the foods to balance estrogen. By balancing out estrogen from decreasing high levels that may come from estrogen dominance, this will improve progesterone. Flaxseed also lengthens the luteal phase of your cycle, the luteal phase is the second half of the cycle after ovulation. This is why consuming flax seeds in the first half of the cycle is important so that it can lengthen the luteal phase in the second half of the cycle. The benefit of this is to improve ovulation and decrease premenstrual symptoms like tender breasts, headaches, and cramps. Additionally, flaxseeds can help with stress management. The stress response is controlled by cortisol, a hormone which can create imbalances in the other hormones like estrogen and progesterone. This is why flaxseed is one of the foods to balance estrogen.
2. Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, broccoli sprouts, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower which are all foods to balance estrogen. Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C) is the main compound in many cruciferous vegetables. A study found that participants who were given the I3C, had decreased concentrations of metabolites that would activate the estrogen receptor, which shows that it can lower estrogen naturally. I3C also encourages the breakdown of estrogen through the protective pathway called 2-OH instead of the inflammatory pathway 4-OH.
Sulforaphane is another compound found in cruciferous vegetables. At high levels, estrogen has been shown to be carcinogenic by converting into estradiol and estrone, and this process can occur in two different pathways. The promotion of this process will damage the DNA which will cause the carcinogenic effects. A study found that sulforaphane has protective effects against these pathways to inhibit estrogen-induced DNA damage and will lower estrogen naturally through detoxification.
DIM stands for diindolylmethane and it is a naturally occurring compound in cruciferous vegetables. DIM encourages the decrease of high estrogen levels through the protective pathway 2-OH. If estrogen levels are high and favoring the inflammatory pathway, DIM can help switch it to the less inflammatory pathway.
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3. Red Grapes
Red grapes are another one of the foods to balance estrogen. Studies have found grape seed extract to have a stabilizing effect on hormones due to the effect on aromatase which is an enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen. Additionally, other components in the grape seed extract compete with androgen binding sites to help keep them low while estrogen stays balanced.
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4. Avocado
Healthy fats are in avocados which makes it one of the foods to balance estrogen. It has been shown that healthy fat consumption, specifically polyunsaturated fats, in avocados, was associated with balancing progesterone and estrogen while decreasing anovulation. This means that avocados are one of the foods to balance estrogen because they help to increase ovulation which will signify fertility and optimal hormone levels.
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5. Salmon
Salmon is one of the few foods that contain optimal amounts of omega 3 fatty acids are a type of healthy fat, specifically polyunsaturated fats. Due to this, salmon is one of the foods to balance estrogen. Omega 3s can increase luteinizing hormone (LH), which can then boost progesterone production. Omega 3s have also been found to be beneficial in managing PMS symptoms, which are tied to lower progesterone levels.
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6. Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, essential fats, and protein making them one of the foods to balance estrogen. Zinc is a mineral that helps to preserve egg quality and promote ovulation. Researchers have found that when an egg is released, zinc discharge follows the egg into fertilization and promotes cell growth. Zinc also increases the formation of the corpus luteum, the sack that holds the oocyte or egg in the ovary, which helps to increase progesterone levels. The essential fats in pumpkin seeds are high in omega 3s, and as mentioned previously, are anti-inflammatory and decrease cramping from reducing prostaglandin activity. The protein benefit in zinc is noted from the essential amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is shown to help improve mood because it is a building block for serotonin, one of our feel-good neurotransmitters.
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7. Grass-Fred Beef
Another one of the foods to balance estrogen is grass-fed beef. The livestock animals on factory farms (not grass-fed organic) are produced to grow as big and fast as possible in order to produce the most amount of meat per animal. These animals are fed large quantities of feed and are additionally supplemented with antibiotics and growth hormones like estrogen to make them grow faster and bigger. A study found that though the estrogen level in these meat products does not match the amount of estrogen in oral contraceptives, the estrogen in the meat transfers at a significant amount to humans. This estrogen that transmits to humans can be a cause for estrogen dominance. Because of this, it is recommended to shop for grass-fed and organic meat when you can. These meat options are made from animals who were not mass-produced with hormones, and they were fed their preferred diet, which is grass. Additionally, grass-fed meat is packed with zinc, B12, and iron. All of these nutrients are important to balance hormones and the iron can assist with replenishing lost stores from the blood you lose in heavy menstruations caused by hormone imbalances.
Source: Journal of Oncology
8. Berries
Berries contain a host of antioxidants which is why they are one of the foods to balance estrogen. Oxidative stress damages cells and reduces their ability to function, especially when trying to conceive. Increased amounts of oxidative species cause the body to make an inflammatory response and to raise stress levels. Reactive oxygen species or ROS enters the body on a daily basis through many different avenues; these ROS have very high energy levels and can damage cell functionality. Our body responds by sending antioxidants to get rid of the ROS. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance in this system, either too many ROS or not enough antioxidants. Our body can make certain antioxidants on its own, but if we consume them through the diet this makes the antioxidants more readily available to get rid of the ROS and decrease oxidative stress. Managing this oxidative stress through consuming antioxidants from berries makes it one of the foods to balance estrogen.
9. Dandelion Root Tea
Another one of the foods to balance estrogen is dandelion root tea. This tea can be beneficial for balancing estrogen because it can greatly improve many PMS symptoms. Bloating and water retention is common with PMS, so when looking for a PMS relief tea for these symptoms, dandelion is a great choice. Dandelion acts as a diuretic, which increases water excretion, therefore reducing water retention that contributes to that puffy feeling or look. It also contains lactones and phenylpropanoids, which have been found to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Some studies have even shown that dandelion can have an anti-fatigue effect.
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10. Unsweetened Yogurt
Unsweetened yogurt is a probiotic food and one of the foods to balance estrogen. Yogurt is fermented dairy milk by adding live cultures into the milk that will ferment the sugar in the milk called lactose. This process will create lactic acid, and since the pH of the lactic acid is so much lower than the pH of normal milk, this will make the milk curdle to thicken as a yogurt texture. Yogurt is high in magnesium, calcium, protein, b vitamins, and phosphorus which all have positive impacts on hormone function, metabolism, and gut health. Natural yogurt is actually pretty bitter, unlike many yogurts you buy at the store which contain a large amount of added sweeteners. Greek yogurt is a more concentrated form of yogurt because it is strained more times and there is less liquid and less fat. Though the fat in yogurt is actually very important to absorb all of the nutrients and vitamins in it. Yogurt also has all of the great gut health benefits like sauerkraut, which helps to maintain a good gut microbiome to aid in hormone balance.
