Suffering With Joy

Phytoestrogens and Estrogen Dominance

July 14, 2010

In yesterday’s article Estrogen Dominance: Causes and Cures I discussed some of the causes of estrogen dominance.  Today I want to briefly cover another way of being overexposed to estrogens.  If you are estrogen dominant, in addition to avoiding things I mentioned in the above article, you need to be careful of overexposure to phytoestrogens.

Phytoestrogens (phyto = plant) are naturally occurring estrogenic compounds.  They are in herbs, spices, and some plant foods, among which is soy, which I will discuss lower down in this article. These compounds are weaker than the xenoestrogens or natural estrogen produced by the body, but if you are already experiencing estrogen dominance, it is best not to consume even these.  As the site Energetic Nutrition says:

Some of the strongest phytoestrogen containing substances are soy, the lignans found in flax seed products, red clover, black cohosh, chasteberry, and dong quai. Soy includes soybeans, soy milk, tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein, roasted soybeans, soy granules, soy protein powders, miso, and edamames.

Over consumption of phytoestrogenic foods or herbs on a long term basis may actually increase the risk of estrogen dominance significantly. Furthermore, phytoestrogens have been shown to inhibit the conversion of T4 to the active T3 thyroid hormone, and can trigger hypothyroidism. It is suggested that those with a history of thyroid imbalance, or suffering from estrogen dominance, should consume a minimum amount of phytoestrogens.

The very serious soy problem

Dr. Mercola has numerous articles on soy and the health problems its consumption causes.  In addition to its role in causing or exacerbating estrogen dominance, in certain forms it is one of the most harmful foods we can consume and it is ubiquitous on grocery store shelves. He writes:

Dow Chemical and DuPont, the same corporations that brought misery and death to millions around the world through Agent Orange, are now the driving forces behind the promotion of soy as a food for humans. They are financing anti-meat and anti-milk campaigns aimed largely at those concerned about animal welfare and the environment, trying to convince them that imitations such as “soymilk” are not only healthier than the real thing, but better for the earth too…

Unlike the Asian culture, where people eat small amounts of whole soybean products, western food processors separate the soybean into two golden commodities–protein and oil. And there is nothing natural or safe about these products.

Says Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story,

“Today’s high-tech processing methods not only fail to remove the anti-nutrients and toxins that are naturally present in soybeans but leave toxic and carcinogenic residues created by the high temperatures, high pressure, alkali and acid baths and petroleum solvents.” [Yesterday I wrote about xenoestrogens in solvents and plastics which are derived from petroleum.  Exposure to these stresses the body and processed soy products can pack a double whammy of not only intake of phytoestrogens but xenoestrogens - two for the price of one.]

Dr. Daniel also points out the findings of numerous studies reviewed by her and other colleagues — that soy does not reliably lower cholesterol, and in fact raises homocysteine levels in many people, which has been found to increase your risk of stroke, birth defects, and yes: heart disease.

Other common health problems linked to a high-soy diet include:

• Thyroid problems, including weight gain, lethargy, malaise, fatigue, hair loss, and loss of libido
• Premature puberty and other developmental problems in babies, children and adolescents
• Cancer
• Brain damage
• Reproductive disorders
• Kidney stones
• Weakened immune system
• Severe, potentially fatal food allergies

The danger of genetically modified soy

Most soy, perhaps about 80 percent or more, is also genetically modified, which adds its own batch of health concerns.

The last thing a person suffering from fibromyalgia, estrogen dominance, insulin resistance, chronic fatigue and other related systemic health issues is exposure to genetically modified food.  This added burden on the body to process chemical structures it does not recognize can lead to allergic reactions and other side effects. A sick person is made even sicker. Dr. Mercola writes in his article Genetically Modified Foods – What to Know Before You Eat Them:

Sections of the protein produced in GM soy are identical to known allergens, but the soybean was introduced before the WHO criteria were established, and the recommended additional tests were not conducted.

If this protein in GM soybeans is causing allergies, then the situation may be made much worse by something called horizontal gene transfer (HGT). That‘s when genes spontaneously transfer from one species‘ DNA to another. While this happens often among bacteria, it is rare in plants and mammals.

But the method used to construct and insert foreign genes into GM crops eliminates many of the natural barriers that stop HGT from occurring. The only published human feeding study on GM foods ever conducted on GM foods showed that

parts of the gene inserted into GM soy ended up transferring into the DNA of human gut bacteria.

Furthermore, the gene was stably integrated and it appeared to be producing its potentially allergenic protein. So, years after people stop eating GM soy, they may still be exposed to its risky protein, which is being continuously produced within their own intestines.

None of this is good for anybody, let alone people suffering autoimmune conditions and hormonal imbalances.  Our bodies are complex chemical factories and temples of the Holy Spirit.  To care for them as God intends us to do we cannot simply go to the store and take what we want off the shelf. In today’s age with government corruption at such deep levels the FDA approves many things it should not, and does it without enough testing for bad effects.  It is up to us as individuals to take charge of our health and do the best we can to feel good as we go about our daily business.  Moreover, we need to stop eating ourselves sick and start eating ourselves well.

I encourage readers to sign up for Dr. Mercola’s newsletters ( they are free).  I have learned a great deal from them and hope you will benefit, too.

Tags: wellness