If there is one crucial question that many 21st-century adult men should be asking, it is how to lower estrogen levels in males. Many of us are unaware that said matter of concern is a growing modern day epidemic, particularly in prosperous and technologically advanced cities in the world.
Abnormally elevated estrogen level, if left uncontrolled, can lead to some serious health issues for both men and women. It could result in obesity, diabetes, and cancer, among others. In fact, estrogen dominance is the form of hormonal imbalance considered to be the main culprit in the development of uterine, breast (for women), and prostate (for men) cancers. Moreover, it can cause infertility, lower libido, or even erectile dysfunction (ED) to men, as well as the development of gynecomastia, otherwise known as “man boobs”.
I didn’t mean to scare you, but we are actually living in a day and age wherein we are more susceptible to elevated estrogen levels than in any other time in history. Not only that most of the jobs available to us now require less to almost nil physical exertion, we are also more exposed to estrogen boosting food, drink, household and personal care products, as well as various environmental pollutants.
How to lower estrogen levels in males? We will answer this question with the following helpful tips and other pertinent information:
1. Avoid Estrogen Laden Commercial Products
Besides being produced by your own body, you can also get estrogen by ingesting it or by absorbing it through your skin. I remembered one really funny episode on the hit TV series “Big Bang Theory” wherein Howard, one of the male characters, started behaving effeminately due to unknowingly absorbing a high level of estrogen from a tube of cream or liniment he has been applying to his mom’s skin. I am not citing this to make a point but to illustrate the reality that estrogen can enter our body in many different ways.
Besides various food products, there are many other items in the supermarket that can increase your estrogen level. For instance, there are several household and personal care products including shampoo, conditioner, lotion, hand soap, and dishwashing soap that contains paraben, an estrogen-rich pharmaceutical–grade preservative. So be mindful to read the labels when buying these types of products.
Even the plastic containers that go with various food and non-food products may contain xeno-estrogens and anti-androgens (testosterone blocker) that can find their way into your system. As much as possible, buy plastic products and containers that are BPA-free.
2. Be More Physically Active
Being overweight can also increase your estrogen level. In fact, there seems to be a strong correlation between the two. It is because the more fat-engorged adipocytes (fat cells) you have in your body, the more aromatase you have in store. The said adrenal enzyme actually converts your testosterone into estrogen for some reason. And the higher estrogen level you have, the more prone you are to getting fatter.
Engaging in regular muscle building and fat-burning physical activities does not only make you look and feel good but also protects you from male hormonal imbalances. Professional athletes and men with physically taxing jobs like lumberjacks, firemen, and stevedores tend to have leaner and more muscular bodies than most guys in white-collar positions for the obvious reason. More particularly if those physically active workers likewise adhere to a clean and healthy lifestyle and diet.
I am not saying that you should shift your profession or line of work. Instead, try to make up for the lack of physical activity in your day-job by allotting ample portions of your weekly time for cardiovascular and muscle strengthening endeavors. You can workout in a gym, run, swim, bike, or engage in physically challenging sports that you enjoy. Just think of the many rewards for maintaining a robust testosterone level while keeping your estrogen volume in check as a motivator. It is definitely beyond just having a lean physique.
3. Consume More Phytoestrogens
The good news for you is that there are a lot of enjoyable foods that can inhibit estrogen proliferation and help expel excess amounts of said hormone out of your system. However, I don’t know if you will take it as bad news as most men have a predilection to eating meat, but when you hear the prefix “phyto”, it means plant. So, we are talking about fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds, and grains.
I am not going to convince you though to turn vegan or vegetarian, as I personally believe that in order to get a balanced and complete nutrition, we need to have all the necessary macronutrients. I will contend that lean poultry and cattle meat, as well as eggs and fatty fishes, are excellent sources of good quality protein, dietary fat, and other healthy nutrients needed for building muscles.
By the way, we are already deviating from the main point, so let’s get back to the topic:
Supplement your diet with lots of plant foods that counteract the effects of estrogen such as berries, pomegranates, fermented soy such as miso and tempeh, flaxseed, wheat germ, and barley. You should also eat ample servings of fiber-rich foods such as apples, pears, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, soybeans, almonds, chia seed, and pineapples, as insoluble fibers can bind estrogen molecules so that they can be efficiently excreted from your body.
Cruciferous vegetables such as kale, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, collard greens, bok choy and Brussels sprouts are also excellent for eliminating not just excess estrogen but also a flurry of toxins and free radicals from your system.
3. Decrease Consumption of Substances that Cause Premature Aging
It is the natural course of life that as men grow older, their testosterone gradually decreases while their estrogen level increases. Although you cannot stop actual aging like a tree cannot prevent the formation of annual rings in its trunk, there are a lot of things you can do to curtail premature aging.
Regularly subjecting your internal organs to elements that stress them beyond their normal functions can actually age them prematurely or even damage them irreversibly. It may even divert them from doing their actual job inside your body. For instance, when you consume an excessive amount of alcohol, your liver will get so busy metabolizing the offending substance that it became distracted from doing its other primary duties like binding toxins and other matters that are supposed to be excreted by your body, which includes excess estrogen.
While it is getting harder nowadays to avoid free radicals from environmental pollution, you still have total control on what you consciously put inside your body. Alcohol, nicotine, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, too much sodium and refined sugar can take its toll on your liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.
5. Establish a Healthy Sleeping Habit
If you are frequently depriving yourself with a restful 7-8 hours night sleep, you are also making yourself more vulnerable to hormonal imbalance caused by elevated estrogen. It is because you are not only robbing your mind and body with much-needed rest and rejuvenation in the process but also the full benefits of three hormones that your body optimally produces during night sleep: namely, melatonin, leptin, and adiponectin.
Melatonin, which is secreted mainly by the pineal gland in your brain as well as your bone marrows, aids in regulating other hormones including estrogen. It also has an anti-inflammatory property that helps in healing your body from various infections and injuries.
Leptin and adiponectin, on the other hand, are actively involved in regulating your appetite and satiety sense, as well as in metabolizing the stored fat in your adipose tissues for energy. Remember that I mentioned earlier that there seems to be a correlation between the amount of stored fat and the estrogen level in your body? This is probably why the frequent lack of sleep can result in weight gain.
Final Words
How to lower estrogen levels in males is a timely and essential topic in our time. Obesity is a growing global epidemic, and with it comes the explosion of other life-threatening illnesses. It includes type II diabetes and its many potential complications, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and various forms of cancers. It likewise entails other health issues that although not approximately fatal and irreversible also affects the quality of life, such as infertility, erectile dysfunction, depression, and chronic fatigue.
It has been established in our course of the discussion that elevated levels of estrogen in men is a key factor in undesired weight gain. And with the growing paunch, comes other unwelcome body transformations such as loss of muscle mass, a decrease of energy and vitality, and development of man-breasts. Meanwhile, the more serious and adverse effects mentioned above are not far behind.
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But there is still a bright hope that you can turn things around with discipline and a steadfast resolve. You can start by following the tips we presented in this article, and here is the recap of the points that you can easily memorize:
A – Avoid Estrogen Laden Commercial Products
B – Be More Physically Active
C – Consume More Phytoestrogens
D – Decrease Consumption of Substances that Cause Premature Aging
E – Establish a Healthy Sleeping Habit
Thanks for reading!