Estrogen is considered a female sex hormone produced by the ovaries in women. Without adequate levels of estrogen, women may notice that they feel moody, unhealthy, or are unable to maintain healthy female sex characteristics. Estrogen is an essential hormone for maintenance of feminine sex traits, but also plays an important role in physiological functions such as: promoting sex drive (libido), vaginal health, skin health, triglyceride regulation, and speeding the metabolism.
While there are many synthetic, pharmaceutical drugs devised to increase estrogen levels in women, these interventions aren’t always necessary. There are some natural ways to increase estrogen levels, one of which happens to be eating the right foods foods. This has lead some women with low estrogen to adopt diets with specific foods containing phytoestrogens (plant-based compounds that stimulate the same receptors as estrogen).
Foods High in Estrogen: Think Phytoestrogen
If you are a woman with suboptimal levels of estrogen, you’ll likely notice that the insufficient levels take a toll on your health. Estrogen is essential for regulating your menstrual cycle and is necessary for healthy bones, hair, skin, and heart function. To combat an estrogen deficiency, you may want to adopt a diet rich in foods that will increase your estrogen level. This means increasing intake of phytoestrogens, while decreasing consumption of foods that increase testosterone.
Phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens are considered plant-based compounds that elicit similar effects to estrogen. Although phytoestrogens aren’t generated from within the endocrine system, they can be a helpful way to stimulate many of the same functions of estrogen. This is because phytoestrogens sit in the same receptor sites that estrogen would – thus similar effects are produced.
3 Types of Phytoestrogens
Below are three common types of phytoestrogens derived from foods. Certain foods may contain multiple types of phytoestrogens, but one may be dominant.
- Coumestan: Phytochemicals called “coumestans” contain a compound called “coumestrol.” Coumestrol is known to elicit estrogenic effects and is considered a phytoestrogen. Examples of foods with coumestrol include: alfalfa, legumes, pinto beans, soybeans, chick peas, and clovers.
- Isoflavones: This is another compound that is related to “isoflavonoids.” They act as phytoestrogens in people and are sometimes considered antioxidants. Examples of isoflavones include: soy products and legumes.
- Lignans: This is the third type of phytoestrogen derived from foods. Lignans are most commonly found in foods like brans, beans, fruits, and vegetables.
In 2006, researchers in Canada published a study comparing the 9 food groups richest in phytoestrogens for a Western diet. They compared a total of 121 foods in Ontario, Canada and analyzed these foods for isoflavones and coumestan utilizing gas cromatography mass spectrometry. They then compared the foods with the highest amount of phytoestrogens per serving.
The study discovered that on average, the foods with the highest phytoestrogen content were “nuts and oilseeds” followed by “soy products.” This is somewhat misleading though considering the way foods were grouped and the fact that phytoestrogen content varies significantly within a particular food group or genre.
- Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16898863
20 Foods High in Estrogen
Based on the research from the study cited above, the top 20 foods to increase estrogen levels on a per-serving basis are listed below. Clearly the top recommendation would be consumption of flaxseeds and other soy-related products (e.g. soybeans, soy nuts, and tofu). Understand that certain foods may not have been taken into consideration in this study and therefore the list may not be conclusive.
- Flaxseed (163,133)
- Soybeans (45,724)
- Soy nuts (21,306)
- Textured veggie protein (8,923)
- Tofu (8,688)
- Soy milk (7,422)
- Soy yogurt (6,576)
- Tempeh (6,407)
- Flax bread (3,770)
- Sesame seed (2,722)
- Miso Paste (2,463)
- Multigrain bread (2,207)
- Miso Soup (1,691)
- Soy protein powder (1,591)
- Doughnuts (1,568)
- Soy protein bar (1,525)
- Black bean sauce (1,119)
- Hummus (605)
- Veggie burger (484)
- Soy bacon bits (482)
Phytoestrogen Contents by Food Group
As was mentioned, the study ranked 9 specific food groups for phytoestrogen contents based on micrograms per serving and amount per 100 grams. The rough estimates are listed next to each of the foods within the overarching “group.” Keep in mind that the groupings were created by researchers and were likely used for easier organization rather than creating one giant list.
1. Nuts & oil seeds
As you can see within the nuts and oil seeds group, there are a few foods that are chock-full of phytoestrogens per serving – including flaxseeds and sesame seeds. Numeric values on a per serving basis indicate that flaxseeds contain the most overall phytoestrogens. There is significant variation within this grouping though as walnuts contain a minuscule amount compared to the flaxseeds.
- Flaxseeds (163,133)
- Sesame seed (2,722)
- Pistachios (126)
- Sunflower seed (71)
- Chestnuts (67)
- Walnuts (36)
2. Soy products
When averaged out in the study, soy products come in “second” to the nuts and oil seeds grouping. This is due to the fact that the flax skews the average. If your goal is to get the most phytoestrogens per serving from a variety of sources – consider soy products. Both soybeans and soy nuts contain the highest amount of isoflavones to increase estrogen.
- Soy beans (45,724)
- Soy nuts (21,306)
- Textured veggie protein (8,923)
- Tofu (8,688)
- Soy milk (7,422)
- Soy yogurt (6,576)
- Tempeh (6,407)
- Miso Paste (2,463)
- Miso Soup (1,691)
- Soy protein powder (1,591)
- Veggie burger (484)
- Bacon Bits (482)
- Soybean sprouts (173)
3. Cereals and Breads
Following soy products, the “cereals and breads” category placed third for average phytoestrogen content per serving. Not many cereals scored high in total phytoestrogen content, therefore this category should really just be called “breads.” As you can see, the flax-based bread appeared to be the top source, followed by multigrain bread, and oddly enough, doughnuts.
- Flax bread (3,770)
- Multigrain bread (2,207)
- Doughnuts (1,568)
- Rye bread (84)
- Sesame bread (32)
4. Processed foods
This category in the study was called “meats and processed foods” but should really only be called processed foods. The meats scored extremely low for phytoestrogen content. The highest foods in this category for phytoestrogen on a per serving basis included: protein bars, black licorice, and pizza.
- Protein bar (1,525)
- Black licorice (258)
- Pizza (35)
5. Legumes
Legumes are considered plants from the Fabaceae family, also known as Leguminosae. Most legumes are known for the fact that they tend to have nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Common examples of legumes include: peas, beans, lentils, and alfalfa. In the rankings of phytoestrogens per serving, black bean sauce was ranked as the highest, followed by hummus. Lentils had a relatively low amount per serving by comparison.
- Black bean sauce (1,119)
- Hummus (605)
- Mung bean sprouts (94)
- Mung beans (22)
- Lentils (13)
6. Alcohols
Researchers noticed that the group of alcoholic beverages ranked higher than fruits based on average. That said, they only compared three total types of alcohols: red wine, white wine, and beer. Of the three, red wine yielded the greatest phytoestrogen density.
- Red wine (94)
- White wine (22)
- Beer (9)
7. Fruits
When considering fruits, the highest in phytoestrogens per serving include: dried apricots and peaches. Dried apricots are the top choice if you want to consume fruits that give you the most content per serving. Dried dates and prunes also contain a considerable amount of phytoestrogens per serving.
- Dried apricots (164)
- Peaches (106)
- Dried dates (102)
- Dried prunes (69)
- Oranges (63)
8. Beverages
Non-alcoholic beverages were assessed to include things like V8 juice, green tea, orange juice, and black tea. None of these drinks really contained much phytoestrogen. The non-alcoholic drink that tends to have the most phytoestrogens is that of V8 juice, followed by green tea. Keep in mind that the contents in these drinks is insignificant when compared to something like flaxseed.
- V8 juice (42)
- Green tea (31)
- Orange juice (22)
- Black tea (21)
- Cranberry cocktail (18)
- Coffee (18)
9. Vegetables
Of the 9 total groupings, vegetables came in last place when averaged per serving. The vegetable that was highest in phytoestrogen was that of garlic followed by alfalfa sprouts. Some would argue that legumes should be considered vegetables, but this isn’t the way the researchers grouped the items. Below are the rankings based on average phytoestrogen amount per serving.
- Garlic (102)
- Alfalfa sprouts (44)
- Winter squash (39)
- Green beans (28)
- Olive oil (23)
- Collards (19)
- Olives (15)
Note: The numbers next to each of the food items is listed based on amount of “micrograms” per serving. For the more precise numbers as well as quantities per 100 grams of each item, read the study.
Do you need to eat foods high in phytoestrogens?
It is up to you to determine whether eating foods specifically with the intent of increasing estrogen is a healthy strategy. Before you skew your diet to incorporate foods that contain a significant number of phytoestrogens, it is recommended to ask your doctor to test your hormone levels. It doesn’t make sense to ramp up the estrogen-increasing foods if your estrogen levels are within the normal range.
Those with abnormally low estrogen levels may need to determine whether synthetic estrogen (e.g. pharmaceuticals) would be better than simply making dietary tweaks. It really isn’t known how effective eating a diet high in phytoestrogens will impact your overall health. If your estrogen levels are slightly low, and you haven’t been eating foods like flaxseed that are known to elicit estrogenic effects, it may be worth altering your diet and testing whether phytoestrogen-rich foods can get your estrogen to a healthy level.
Estrogen insufficiency is linked to a variety of problems, but too much estrogen can also be problematic. Therefore you’ll probably want to talk with a medical professional about what the best option is for your situation. If you’re taking synthetic estrogen and eating estrogen rich foods, it may lead to an overproduction of estrogenic effects which can cause: cysts, menstrual abnormalities, and possibly breast cancer.
Some people have had success in increasing their estrogen levels simply by making dietary alterations. However, it is important to not go too overboard with these foods. If you’re shoveling down flaxseed, eating flax bread, and soybeans all day – it’s may lead to too much estrogen production. Make sure you’re doing what’s necessary to increase estrogen if your levels are low – but don’t get carried away; it’s a delicate balance.
- Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3074428/
Are all of the foods listed above healthy?
It is up to you to determine whether the foods listed above are considered “healthy.” Some dietary practitioners would consider them perfectly healthy, while others would have a problem with increasing intake of these foods. If you start noticing that you aren’t feeling well (in terms of mental or physical health) when adopting a phytoestrogen-rich diet, you may want to decrease intake.
It makes sense to get your estrogen level checked prior to consciously attempting to alter it with a dietary or pharmacological intervention. As was mentioned, too much estrogen can cause health problems – especially in women with a history or susceptibility to breast cancer. If you have any questions about your diet, work with a dietitian for best results.
Have you tried increasing estrogen by eating certain foods?
If you’ve experimented with eating certain goods to increase estrogen levels, feel free to share your experience in the comments section below. To help others get a better idea of your situation, be sure to mention what your estrogen levels were prior to dietary changes and how long it took before you noticed a significant increase in estrogen from eating a different diet. Even if you haven’t had your estrogen levels checked, do you find that eating foods high in phytoestrogens makes you feel better or worse?
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