What Food Or Plants Or Supplements Are Estrogen-like?

[Xisca]

I was asking myself...
Today also, I saw about milk-thistle in excess.
What else?
I think sage is estrogen-like, and fennel seeds.

Could we make a list?

 

[Wilfrid]

Hi,

This could help you: Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences ( Part 1, April 1975, volume 64, number 4 // Part 2, May 1975, volume 64, number 5 ), articles by Norman R. Farnsworth and al ( " Potential value of plants as sources of new antifertility agents " ).
I think this is the most complete review on the subject that has been published so far.
You also have " Naturally occuring oestrogens in foods - A review " by K.R. Price and G.R. Fenwick ( Food additives and contaminants, 1985, vol.2 ) and an article, that was posted a few months ago by a member, called " Screening of estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities from medicinal plants".
All the references above are easy to get online.
Sorry for not making a list but as soon as you will have access to those articles you will quickly understand why it would take a huge amount of time to enumerate all the edible plants/food that contains oestrogenic substances.....

 

[schultz]

Hi,

This could help you: Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences ( Part 1, April 1975, volume 64, number 4 // Part 2, May 1975, volume 64, number 5 ), articles by Norman R. Farnsworth and al ( " Potential value of plants as sources of new antifertility agents " ).
I think this is the most complete review on the subject that has been published so far.
You also have " Naturally occuring oestrogens in foods - A review " by K.R. Price and G.R. Fenwick ( Food additives and contaminants, 1985, vol.2 ) and an article, that was posted a few months ago by a member, called " Screening of estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities from medicinal plants".
All the references above are easy to get online.
Sorry for not making a list but as soon as you will have access to those articles you will quickly understand why it would take a huge amount of time to enumerate all the edible plants/food that contains oestrogenic substances.....

Wow, what an incredible resource. Thank you for sharing this Wilfrid.

Going through it is tough because all the names of the plants are in Latin.

Also, it's tough to know which of the listed estrogenic compounds actually have a noticeable effect when ingested by humans. Not only do you have to look up the latin name of the plant, but then you have to look up the estrogenic compound to see if there are studies on it.

Cafesterol (Cafestol) is listed which is in coffee. A quick wikipedia search says that cafesterol is found in large amounts in french press coffee but only negligible amounts are found in filter coffee like drip (I use an Aeropress which is also a paper filter.)

I think I will try to go through the list and figure out which ones are important for our purposes. For example, it says the rhizome of rhubarb is estrogenic, but no one consumes the rhizome of rhubarb. Also, a lot of them are flowers and stuff like that.

 

[Stilgar]

Pretty sure that cafesterol has been found to have no significant estrogenic activity.

 

[Agent207]

Estrogen-like substances can act both estrogenic or antiestrogenic. I think it relays more on the type, the amount of it and the individual hormonal status.

One very well-known example are pomegranates,

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805471/
http://www.endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/0028/ea0028p313.htm

 

[Stilgar]

Estrogen-like substances can act both estrogenic or antiestrogenic. I think it relays more on the type, the amount of it and the individual hormonal status.

Do you think curcumin is more estrogenic or anti estrogenic? I've always been a bit unsure about it, e.g. in tumeric root.

 

[BastiFuntasty]

Definetely estrogenic are foods sold in plastic packaging, since they contain considerable amounts of bisphenol a, which acts estrogenic. Especially milk, cheese and other fatty products are often contaminated as far as I know.

 

[Agent207]

Im not sure about turmeric or curcumin if it can act as estrogen or antiestrogen, I would say both, depending on if men or woman, amounts...etc. But Im not sure..

Agreed xenoestrogens from additives and pollution are the worst offenders..

 

[Xisca]

I would rather list the ones with a STRONG effect. In herb remedies, you know it when they say that pregnant women should not take it, nor in case of hormone related cancer. ...They never say why.

Also you know it is big estrogen when recommended for menopause!

As I use plants and essential oils, well I have listed all sages, fennel, cypres and niaouli.

 

[Xisca]

Licorice is estrogenic.