Natural Forms of Estrogen

Foods that have a high level of estrogen, called phytoestrogen, a natural substance, can help women during menopause. Being aware of how the food you eat affects you body’s estrogen is valuable in coping with menopause.

Phytoestrogens have analogous effects to those of human estrogens in serving to reduce menopausal symptoms, as well as the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.

Though phytoestrogens are less strong than human estrogens they act correspondingly in the body, balancing a woman’s estrogen level by attaching themselves to the body’s estrogen receptor sites.

A bonus to adding the foods high in phytoestrogens to the diet are that they tend to be also nutritious and disease fighting. These foods are also high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and essential fatty acids, and low in saturated fat. It is recommended to use a variety of estrogen-containing foods for overall menopause health.

Although dairy products contain estrogen, they should be avoided or limited in your diet if you are bothered by hot flashes, since they are said to trigger them in some women.

Tip: An easy way to include phytoestrogens into your diet is to add a cup of soy yogurt to your breakfast.

Estogen Containing Foods Include:

Alfalfa

Anise seed

Apples

Baker’s yeast

Barley

Beets

Bok Choy

Carrots

Celery

Cherries

Chickpeas

Clover

Cucumbers

Dates

Eggs

Eggplant

Fennel

Flaxseed

Garlic

Lentils

Licorice

Millet

Oats

Olive oil

Olives

Papaya

Parsley

Peas

Peppers

Plums

Pomegranates

Potatoes

Pumpkin

Red beans

Rhubarb

Rice

Sesame seeds

Soybean sprouts

Soybeans

Split peas

Sunflower seeds

Tomatoes

Wheat

Yams