Reweighting Your Estrogen Ratios in Hormone Harmony for breast cancer survivors

Reweighting Your Estrogen Ratios  in Hormone Harmony for breast cancer survivors

An Eating for Health food plan, with its emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables,
will provide an excellent start for helping you to eliminate unhealthy estrogens (16α-
hydroxyestrone and 4-hydroxyestrone) while raising levels of healthy estrogens (estriol
and 2-hydroxyestrone). You’ll want to pay particular attention to the foods and
nutrients that follow.

CRUCIFEROUS HEROES

Cruciferous vegetables, those belonging to the Brassica genus, are the quickest route
to shifting your estrogen balance toward the favorable 2-hydroxyestrone estrogens. The
power of this vegetable group has been demonstrated both in the lab (Pledgie-Tracy,
Sobolewski, and Davidson 2007) and in population studies (Kim and Park 2009).

Known for encouraging healthy liver detoxification and for shifting more estrone
toward the “good” 2-hydroxyestrone pathway, this family includes broccoli and its
sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage (red, white, and napa cabbage, as well as bok choy),
Brussels sprouts, arugula, collards, kale, daikon radish, kohlrabi, rutabaga, turnip, and
watercress.

Note that excessive consumption of raw vegetables in this group can cause thyroid
trouble for some people; we suggest that you lightly steam these veggies and eat them
raw only as an occasional treat.

FIBER

Fiber is another key factor in the successful secretion of estrogens. In the absence of
fiber to bind to, estrogen metabolites run the risk of being reabsorbed by the body.
That’s why eating a diet that is low in fiber, having a history of chronic constipation,
or both are associated with excess estrogen. What’s more, soluble fiber—found in
fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes—is fermented in the colon to create
healthful flora. Fiber also breaks down into a unique fatty acid known as n-butyrate,
which is believed to have anticancer properties (McIntyre, Gibson, and Young 1993).

LIGNANS

As you will recall from explain before, another reason to enjoy flaxseeds on a regular
basis is that they contain high amounts of lignans, phytochemicals that, when acted
on by healthful intestinal microbes, are transformed into the protective compounds
enterolactone and enterodiol. These compounds may redirect estrogen metabolism
toward a healthy ratio of 2-hydroxyestrone to 16α-hydroxyestrone (McCann et al.
2004). Flaxseeds have also been shown to raise levels of SHBG (Hyman 2007),
reducing the amount of free estrogen available to act on breast tissue.
Other good sources of lignans are sesame seeds, whole grains, and olives.