The balance of hormones in your body is physically evident in your overall health. When hormones become imbalanced, due to menopause, medications or medical conditions, it can result in symptoms such as infertility, mood fluctuations and fatigue. Having too much estrogen in proportion to other hormones like progesterone and testosterone, can lead to a condition known as "estrogen dominance," according to Dr. Christiane Northrup. This can be caused by weight gain, adrenal exhaustion or decreased immunity. Certain foods may help restore hormonal balance in your body, to decrease and ideally stop these symptoms. Check with your doctor before making significant changes to your dietary habits.
Soy Products
Soy products such as tofu, soy yogurt and soy nuts are rich in substances called isoflavones. These substances, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, help to rebalance the hormonal imbalance caused by menopause. As a result, symptoms of estrogen and progesterone fluctuations such as hot flashes decrease. The UMMC adds that soy molecules attach to estrogen receptors in your body, taking control of estrogen levels. Soy products can also decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol and osteoporosis. These risks increase as you age and as estrogen levels decline.
Flaxseed
Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil contain phytoestrogens that can act like hormones in your body. A 2004 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that when compared to the effects of supplemental soy flour, supplemental flaxseed significantly increased the metabolism of estrogen in postmenopausal women. If you are experiencing the effects of estrogen dominance, Dr. Christiane Northrup explains that you may have sleep disruption, thyroid dysfunction or decreased metabolism. Consuming flaxseeds or using flaxseed oil in your salads and other foods may help balance your hormones and reduce the risks of these problems.
High Fiber Foods
Lack of adequate dietary fiber can increase your risk of several preventable chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Additionally, Dr. Ronald Hoffman explains that eating a low fiber diet contributes to higher levels of estrogen in your body. He continues by adding that estrogen is excreted through the bowels with other solid waste products. Inadequate dietary fiber slows down digestion and decreases the motility of the bowels, causing retention of estrogen. High fiber diets, he adds, decrease estrogen and subsequently can decrease your risk of developing estrogen-driven cancers such as breast cancer.
Lignans
Lignans are compounds found in plant foods like whole grain products, legumes, fruits and vegetables. In your body, the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University explains that lignans may impair the absorption of estrogen in the tissues. This effect, they add, may help decrease the risk of estrogen-driven cancer, as well as the loss of bone density that occurs during and after menopause. Eating foods that are rich in lignans also naturally encourages a healthier diet that is rich in fiber that can also help decrease estrogen in your body.
References
- Dr. Northrup; Estrogen Dominance; Dr. Christiane Northrup; 2009
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University: Lignans
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Soy
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Supplementation With Flaxseed Alters Estrogen Metabolism in Postmenopausal Women to a Greater Extent Than Does Supplementation With An Equal Amount of Soy.; J. D. Brooks, et al.; 2004
- Dr. Hoffman: Estrogen Dominance Syndrome
