Healthy living needs eating estrogen-rich foods. The hormones levels are important such as progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone lower with the onset of menopause. Estrogen recreates an essential role in cholesterol metabolism as it promotes good cholesterol levels and reduces bad cholesterol levels. Additionally, this hormone lowers the risk o heart attacks by making blood vessels relaxed.
What Is Estrogen and Why Is It Important?
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An estrogen is a group of the same hormones that are present in both women and males. In males, it is present in less concentration than in the female. It is a little hormone, which is responsible for making females behave like a female. It overuses the growth of women’s sexual characteristics and is created mainly in the ovaries. The ovaries release estrogen between cycles and menstruation. These two periods of increase in estrogen levels are alternated by a gradual fall in the levels during one month.
Estrogen is a necessary hormone because of its countless roles and functions in the body. Apart from managing menstrual cycles, it also manages the reproductive tract, cardiovascular system, urinary tract, secondary sexual characteristics, bones, hair, and skin.
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How To Know the Estrogen Requirement In The Body?
There are two ways you can know about estrogen need. One, by changing your habits of lifestyle. Control stress, because stress leads to estrogen levels imbalance. Strength training also helps as it boosts the levels of estrogen and testosterone also.
Secondly, you raise estrogen levels by eating the right foods as categorized below.
Estrogen Rich Foods
Seeds
Flax seeds are considered one of the best sources of estrogen and they inhabit the top position in the list of foods consisting of phytoestrogen. Also called linseeds, these are said to have three times more phytoestrogens than soybeans. Apart from consisting estrogen, they are also the best source of omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fiber and help to lower cholesterol levels in the body.
- Isoflavones – 22.5 mg
- Serving Size – 1 tablespoon
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 379,380 mcg
How To Add In Your Diet
Ground flaxseeds can be added to oatmeal, yogurt, or breakfast cereals. They can also be included in muffins and cookies before baking.
Sesame Seeds
These are very high in lignans, hormones that help to balance estrogen levels in a female’s body. They are also high in dietary fiber and many minerals and vitamins.
- Serving Size – 1 ounce
- Phytoestrogens (every 100 grams) – 8008.1 mcg
- Lignans – 11.2 mg
How To Add In Your Diet
One of the good ways to eat sesame seeds is to prepare a paste of them, called tahini, and use it as a dipping sauce. You can also include them in your salad, soup, or stir-fried vegetables.
Soy Products
Soy
Soy consists of the highest estrogen foods. It consists of phytoestrogens called isoflavones that impact the estrogen metabolism in the body. Edamame is the pods produced by a soy plant that impact estrogen metabolism.
Isoflavones – 24 mg
Serving Size – 1 cup
Phytoestrogens (every 100 grams) – 103,920 mcg
How To Add In Your Diet
Soy is best eaten as roasted. Carry and munch some roasted soy nuts throughout the day to manage your hunger pangs. Apart from estrogen, they also have a healthy dose of nutrients.
Soy Milk
Soy milk also has high source o phytoestrogens. It helps provide relief from menstrual problems like pain or cramps by restoring the estrogen levels in the body.
- Isoflavones – 30 mg
- Serving Size – 200 ml
- Phytoestrogens (every 100 grams) – 2957.2 mcg
How To Add In Your Diet
Soy milk is available in the market in ready-made tetra packs. Eat it as a mid-day snack. You can also include soy milk in your breakfast cereal in place of regular cow’s milk.
Soy Yogurt
Soy yogurt is also known as bean curd yogurt, this is prepared from soy milk, making this yogurt the best source of phytoestrogens.
- Isoflavones – 21 mg
- Serving Size – 200 grams
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 10,275 mcg
How To Include in Your Diet
Soy yogurt can be consumed as it is, along with meals. You can include nuts and fruits to this and feel it as a healthy snack.
Tofu
The soy version of cottage cheese, tofu is also made directly from soy milk. It is available in firm and soft varieties; this ingredient helps to enhance the estrogen levels in the body.
- Isoflavones – 20 mg
- Serving Size – 3 ounces
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 27,150 mcg
How To Include in Your Diet
Tofu is an adaptable ingredient that can be utilized in salads, soups, or curries. You can also sauté it along with some different veggies of your choice and eat a snack or side salad.
Nuts
Pistachios
Pistachios consist of the highest quantity of phytoestrogens among all nuts.
- Isoflavones – 49.5 mg
- Serving Size – 1 ounce (28 grams)
- Phytoestrogens (every 100 grams) – 382.5 mcg
How To Have In Your Diet
They are best eaten raw or roasted. You can also include them in a trail mix and eat with different nuts.
Walnuts
Walnuts are one of the healthiest nuts. They contain rich phytoestrogens also with protein and omega-3 fatty acids with a wide range of important nutrients.
- Isoflavones – 14.9 mg
- Serving Size – 1 ounce (28 grams)
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 26 mcg
How To Add In Your Diet
You can include chopped walnuts in a salad or top them on fruits, frozen yogurt, or ice creams. You can also consume them as it is or combine them with other nuts.
Peanuts
One of the most generally known nuts in the market, peanuts is also the best source of phytoestrogens.
- Phytoestrogens (every 100 grams) – 34.5 mcg
- Serving Size – 1 ounce (28 grams)
How To Add in Your Diet
They include crunch in your salads. They can also be consumed ground or raw into peanut butter and utilized as a spread.
Dry Fruits
Prunes, Dried Apricots, and Dates
These are nutritious snacks containing rich phytoestrogens and fiber. The method of drying these fruits raises the number of vitamins, phytoestrogens, and minerals.
- Phytoestrogens – 445.5 mcg (per 100 grams)
- Serving Size of Dried Apricots – 130 grams
- Serving Size of Dates – 24 grams
- Serving Size of Prunes – 248 grams
- Phytoestrogens – 329.5 mcg (every 100 grams)
- Phytoestrogens – 177.5 mcg (every 100 grams)
How To Add in Your Diet
These dried fruits are healthy and palatable. The dry fruits are best enjoyed as a mid-day snack. Carry these anywhere too much between meals.
Vegetables
Alfalfa Sprouts
These are some of the good choices to promote your estrogen levels. These sprouts have low carbohydrates and calories and are very healthy.
Isoflavones – 130 mg
Serving Size – 33 grams
Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 441.4 mcg
How To Add in Diet
Alfalfa sprouts can be included in your salads, sandwiches, and soups to include a nutritional promote your meal.
Mung Bean Sprouts
These are the best source of phytoestrogens, along with different nutrients like iron, folate, fiber, vitamin, and B-complex.
Isoflavones – 238.99 mg
Serving Size – 104 grams
Phytoestrogens (every 100 grams) – 495.1 mcg
How To Add in Diet
You can boil them or eat raw, either as it is, or include them in soups or salads.
Green Beans
These vegetables have high nutrients and low calories. Green beans are also the best source of iron foods which may reduce the risk of ovulatory infertility.
Isoflavones – 42.9 mg
Serving Size – 110 grams
Phytoestrogens (every 100 grams) – 105.8 mcg
How To Add in Diet
Green beans can be included in stir-fries and sauteed vegetables. They can be cooked as a curry and eaten with rice.
Fruits
Peaches
These tasty fruits are extremely healthy. They give rich phytoestrogens and get plenty of important nutrients. Peaches also help to lower heart diseases, cancer, and stroke.
- Isoflavones – 4.55 mg
- Serving Size – 175 grams
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 64.5 mcg
How To Add In Your Diet
Peaches are delicious fruits that can be consumed raw or added into desserts like peach pies or peach cobblers.
Strawberries
When is about strawberries, and fruits are considered one of the foods containing rich estrogen. Strawberries consist of rich phytoestrogens, but they also have a multitude of health benefits that add healthy hair, healthy skin, lower risk of obesity, and high energy levels.
- Isoflavones – 3.65 mg
- Serving Size – 152 grams
- Phytoestrogens (every 100 grams) – 51.6 mcg
How To Add In Your Diet
Strawberries can be consumed raw. You can include diced strawberries to plain yogurt, pancakes, waffles, or oatmeal. You can mix strawberries with different fruits like healthy smoothies and banana.
Legumes
White Beans
White beans are very healthy and consist of fiber, phytoestrogens, and nutrients like folate, iron, and calcium. It helps to balance estrogen levels in the body.
- Isoflavones – 70 mg
- Serving Size – 179 grams
- Phytoestrogens (every 100 grams) – 72.7 mcgÂ
How To Add In Your Diet
There are more ways to enjoy eating white beans. You can toss boiled white beans with salad and ground them into a paste and make the dip.
Black Beans
These are very healthy that they can be eaten every single day. They improve fertility in females since they have rich phytoestrogens. They are also a rich source of antioxidants, fiber, and protein with many minerals and vitamins.
Phytoestrogens (every 100 grams) – 5330 mcg
Serving Size – 172 gramsÂ
How To Add In Your Diet
Black beans taste good when included in salads or soups. You can also make black bean spread and eat with cucumber or carrot slices.
Beverages
Red Wine
Red wine consists of phytoestrogen called resveratrol that boosts estrogen levels in the body and also lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases when you eat it in moderation. For females, this does change to one glass o alcoholic beverage every day for female.
- Isoflavones – 4.95 mg
- Serving Size – 30 ml
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 53.9 mcg
How To Add In Your Diet
Red wine is good as it is or combined with a light snack like roasted peanuts or an evening meal. Drink it in moderation. Physicians suggest not more than two servings a day for males and one serving a day for females.
Herbs
Garlic
Garlic consists of rich isoflavones and offers more health benefits. It is known to help lower cholesterol and skip cancer and heart diseases.
Isoflavones – 1.8 mg
Serving Size – 9 grams (3 cloves)
Phytoestrogens (every 100 grams) – 603.6 mcg
How To Add In Your Diet
You can include chopped garlic in salads, soups, stir-fries, pasta, salads, and stews to boost flavor.
Grains
Multigrain Bread
It consists of phytoestrogen called lignan. This category has more oats, wheat, barley, and rye.
- Lignans – 1244 mg
- Serving Size – 26 grams (1 slice)
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 4798.7 mcg
How To Add In Your Diet
Multigrain bread is a common part diet. You can make a peanut butter spread or sandwich or cheese over toasted multigrain bread and eat it for snack or breakfast.
Are You Gaining Enough Estrogen?
You probably know well when you get it checked at a hospital or clinic. But here are some ways for you to assure that you’re doing somewhat to manage healthy estrogen levels in the body. Look out for signs that add a hormonal imbalance in the body, like insomnia, irregular periods, erratic mood swings, hot flashes, lowered fertility, vaginal dryness, and bone density loss.
- Ensure to eat foods that have rich estrogen. Female does not have estrogen from their diet, but consuming healthy foods that have rich phytoestrogen provide the body a chance to create estrogen naturally.
- Lower sugar consumption. Research indicates that eating more sugar is linked with an imbalance of estrogen and testosterone levels in the body. Change foods consisting of refined white flour with whole grains.
- Ensure to do moderate exercise for 30 minutes every day.
- Avoid smoking if you smoke. During premenopausal females, smoking is linked with infertility, menstrual dysfunction, and early onset of menopause.
- Sleep for 7-8 hours to have good health. Research indicates that sleep disturbances show a female overall health, especially during the menstrual cycle, menopause, pregnancy.
Everyday Recommendation Of Estrogen
Estradiol is a type of estrogen that is suggested by physicians to treat low levels of estrogen in the body and symptoms of menopause like mood swings, hot flashes, and vaginal drying. It is also commonly given for the treatment of some cancers. Here is the recommended dosage for different purposes:
Natural Estrogen Supplements
Not all wish to take medication to raise their estrogen levels. For such people, there might be some alternative natural treatments. Some of them are given below:
Phytoestrogens
These are plant estrogens that are naturally found in some foods. They are widely boosted as the natural alternatives for a female who undergoes estrogen replacement therapy or had a hysterectomy. Isoflavones are the best type of phytoestrogens and are present in soy products. It is said that around 1 g of soybean consists of 1mg of isoflavones. Safe everyday consumption is said to be 50 mg of isoflavones. There are some herbs like sage and thyme that consist of estrogens compounds. These compounds imitate the outcomes of estrogen and help to balance its levels in your body.
Bioidentical Hormones
These hormones are termed since their molecular structure is similar to hormones that women produce naturally in their bodies. Bioidentical hormones are produced from plant chemicals taken from yams and soy. Bioidentical hormones therapy is a natural method since these hormones act like the ones present in the body, and the body cannot vary between the two.
Why You Need Estrogen
Estrogen’s primary function is to manage reproductive changes in females, but it serves different roles in both female and male bodies, including:
blood vessel and heart support
bone strength
mood regulation and brain protection
Our estrogen levels can change for different reasons. For some, controlling these effects may need treatment like hormone replacement therapy.
The phytoestrogens in foods may help balance estrogen’s natural functions. Research indicates these nutrients are connected to many health benefits, including:
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Benefits of estrogen
It is known to help the reproductive system; research now indicates that estrogen helps almost all organ systems.
Protects Your Heart
Estrogen is best for the heart by managing cardiovascular tissue healthily. It also helps with blood pressure stability. When your estrogen levels are high, it helps to keep blood triglycerides a type of low fat, high HDL cholesterol, and reduce LDL cholesterol. The connection between estrogen and your heart is still being researched. For example, studies have indicated that heart disease is raised in individuals who have bilateral oophorectomy the removal of different ovaries before menopause.
Protects your brain
Estrogen helps to save your brain by helping to manage good blood flow. It also saves against disease and inflammation. It even helps to boost fine motor skills and memory. If you have to feel brain fog, difficult to focus, or lower your train of thought, reduced levels of estrogen may be the reason. But research indicates that brain fog rises after menopause, though it is not completely clear if that is about estrogen levels.
One study indicates that the longer an individual has been exposed to estrogen the good the brain health is as they age.
Enhances your bone density and muscle mass
The hormone also plays an essential role in the growth of your bone and enhancing muscle mass. It helps to prevent osteoporosis, which is a condition of bone that becomes brittle and weak from tissue loss. In menopause, bone mass is lower because of the lowered estrogen which makes them fragile with the high tendency to break easily.
Boosts your mood
Those people with mood swings you get your menstrual cycle might be caused by the shifting estrogen levels. The hormone helps regulate serotonin levels and increases the effectiveness of endorphins. It can even help in protecting nerves and improving nerve growth. But researchers are still trying to know if low levels or high levels of estrogen can affect your mood.
Improves Sex
Estrogen is important when it comes to sex life. The hormone helps to lubricant the vagina and make sex enjoyable.
When estrogen levels are low, your vagina walls get thin and provide low lubricant. During menopause, the elasticity of your vagina is going to lower.
Rethinking Old Ideas
Recent research on the more time use of hormone replacement therapy is changing those thinking ways. With help of scientific data possibly connecting hormonal replacement therapy to a higher risk of stroke, heart attack, and other risky health problems. Different females are reconsidering hormone replacement therapy.
The buzz about estrogen being in the late 1990s when a report from the Heart and Progestin-Estrogen Replacement study was published in the journal of the American-Medical-Association. This research of more than 200 females with existing coronary heart disease were created to test whether estrogen plus progestin would stop a second heart attack.
During the first year of hormonal replacement therapy, females in the study had a 50% increase in stroke and heart attack. But, after two years of treatment, females on hormonal replacement therapy had low heart disease and fewer heart attacks and strokes compared with a female not taking this therapy.
The researchers take a different look at this similar female. They issued their results in 2002. This time around, after nearly 3 more years of follow-up, the researchers concluded that there was no lasting lowered in heart disease or stroke, or heart attack risk from hormonal replacement therapy and more risk of blood clots.
Evidence Adding Up
Meanwhile, even larger research, the Women’s-Health -Initiative-(WHI), was boosting more questions about the possible risks linked with Hormonal Replacement therapy. Involving more than 160,000 females, WHI is the largest clinical trial in the world for interventions for midlife females, studying the effects of hormonal replacement therapy, diet change, vitamin D supplements, and calcium on heart disease, colorectal cancer risk, breast cancer, and osteoporotic fractures.
According to 2002, scientists at the National-Institutes-of-Health (NIH), a study in which females were taking combination progestin and estrogen. Early data created by this group of females indicate that hormonal replacement therapy significantly raises the risk of heart attack, breast cancer, blood clots in the lungs and legs, and stroke.
Then, in 2004, the NIH stopped the estrogen-only research arm, in which females who had gone through hysterectomy were consuming estrogen. Data indicate that estrogen raised their risk of stroke and blood clots and did not lower the risk of a heart attack.
A Change in Recommendations
This research were the first large-scale trials that looked for the effect and cause of hormonal replacement therapy and heart disease. Hormonal replacement therapy does provide some benefits like reducing the risk of colon cancer and osteoporosis. But the data on heart-linked risks from this research was very compelling. As a result, the US food and drug administration and American-Heart-Association grow new guidelines for the use of hormonal replacement therapy:
Hormonal replacement therapy should not be utilized for the prevention of stroke or the heart.
The use of the therapy for different problems like preventing osteoporosis should be carefully taken under the guidance of a physician. Females who are suffering from coronary artery disease should consider different options.
Hormonal replacement therapy should be utilized for the short term to manage menopausal symptoms.
More use of this therapy may be discouraged due to the risk of stroke, heart attack, and breast cancer the longer Hormonal replacement therapy.