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The Truth About Phytoestrogens: Are They Healthy for You?

I’ll never forget a time in college when I stood in line between two seniors at one of the small dining halls that sold snacks. One of the guys pulled a bag of Glenny’s Soy Crisps off the shelf that led up to the cash register. “Dude, don’t get those,” his friend said. “They’ll lower your testosterone, and you’ll probably grow boobs.” This was 2008 (hence the soy crisps – the best snack of the early aughts) and what I didn’t know then – and I’d venture to guess the guy didn’t know either – was that he was talking about phytoestrogens. Was his friend going to sprout breasts after eating soy? Absolutely not. But was there a tiny morsel of hormone truth in what he was saying? Yes. In the decade-plus…

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 A Silent Spring

The term estrogen comes from “estrus,” the willingness of a female to engage in mating activity and encompasses estradiol, estrone and estriol, three compounds that occur naturally in the human body. While plants do not contain these, they do contain a variety of structurally related compounds that can mimic the action of the naturally occurring human estrogens.

 Are Phytoestrogens in Food Good or Bad for Us?

I get a lot of questions about hormonal health – and rightly so, because all of the information available about our hormones, the endocrine system and reproduction can be difficult to wade through and understand. Phytoestrogens, which are nearly impossible for us to avoid, are found in everyday foods and, like many other compounds, have the ability to be either helpful or harmful. How do we know which is which? And more importantly, how do we know if phytoestrogens are good or bad for us?

 Phytoestrogens: Friend or Foe?

Phytoestrogens are found in plants. They have a chemical makeup similar to that of estrogen and mimic estrogen in the body. In nature, plants use phytoestrogens as a defense mechanism: When herbivores, like deer for example, eat these plants, their bodies can’t tell the difference between phytoestrogens and their natural estrogen. It seems like their body has more than enough estrogen, so it produces less, and lower estrogen leads to lower chances of pregnancy. This is the plants’ sneaky way of keeping the population of their predators down. Though humans are affected by phytoestrogens, exactly how is controversial—and often very confusing.

Articles of Interest

Phytoestrogens: The Food of the Menopause?

Phytoestrogens are not steroids. They are diphenolic compounds found in plants that have an affinity for the estradiol receptor. They are consumed as inactive precursors, then modified by bacterial gut flora to become biologically active in the human. There are two major classes of compounds, the lignans and the isoflavonoids.

Are Phytoestrogens Beneficial or Detrimental?

Although there are plenty of studies pointing to potential benefits of phytoestrogens, studies are emerging that point to possible risks. This has led to some people being hesitant to consume phytoestrogens in food, but is it a valid concern? As with many foods and phytochemicals, there are pros and cons to exposure to phytoestrogens, so let’s see whether the research points to there being more cons than pros.

Are phytoestrogens harmful to health? Definitely not.

Phytoestrogens have been mislabeled as estrogenic compounds in food that harm both male and female health, and may increase the chance of estrogen receptive cancers such as breast and ovarian cancer. Thankfully, research has proven this to be false. The modern name for phytoestrogen is SERM, which stands for Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator. Research shows that SERMs have a regulating effect on estrogen’s function in the body. If there is too much estrogen in the body the SERM will block the estrogen receptor site to prevent over-stimulation from the body’s natural estrogen.

Are Phytoestrogens Not Soy Bad? 13 Foods High in Estrogen

Phytoestrogens have stirred up a lot of controversy in the nutrition world. Since phytoestrogen has a similar structure to the estrogen in the human body, it can bind to estrogen receptors in your body when consumed. This might influence how estrogen functions in your bod and increase your estrogen levels (aka the estrogenic effect). Although it hasn’t been entirely proven, some researchers think consuming too much phytoestrogen can lead to a hormonal imbalance and health issues.

Focus on Phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens are trace biochemicals produced by plants that act like estrogens in animal cells and bodies. A number of epidemiological studies have reported a connection between high dietary intake of phytoestrogens and lower rates of certain cancers, cardiovascular problems, and menopausal symptoms.1 It is believed that phytoestrogens could compete with estradiol for binding to intercellular estrogen receptors. Although still inconclusive, scientific evidence is accumulating to suggest that phytoestrogens may have a role in preventing chronic disease.

From Plant to Patient: The Metabolic Benefits of Phytoestrogens

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the potential health benefits of phytoestrogens, a diverse group of naturally occurring compounds found in plants. These compounds, with structural similarities to estrogen, are found in foods such as soybeans, flaxseeds and sesame seeds, and are studied for their roles in modulating hormonal activity and antioxidant properties. Their estrogen-like functions make them particularly interesting in managing conditions exacerbated by hormonal imbalances, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and osteoporosis

Phytoestrogens and Their Health Effect

Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like compounds derived from plants, which are structurally similar to 17β-estradiol. Four phenolic compounds classified as phytoestrogens are isoflavones, stilbene, coumestan, and lignan

Phytoestrogens: End of a tale?

Recently skepticism has developed concerning the true potential of phytoestrogens to beneficially modify these processes. A critical analysis of the early findings from supplementing the diet with soy protein has failed to confirm phytoestrogens as the responsible agent for beneficial cardiovascular effects, be it by way of lipid reduction, vasodilation or lipoprotein oxidation. Furthermore, contrasting data have been reported on the potential of phytoestrogens to prevent hormone‐dependent cancers (e.g. breast and prostate) and to successfully treat post‐menopausal complaints, an indication for which they are widely used.

Plant Phytoestrogens: Should you have them for your Menopause Symptoms?

Go on, have a look at your bio-identical hormone medications if you have them, or those expensive supplements that sit on your pantry shelf as mine used to – perhaps the ingredients list says that they contain red clover. Or maybe they contain other sources of phytoestrogens from soy, flaxseed oil or even, parsley.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens are plant-derived chemicals found in various foods, the most prominent in soy. Many health benefits are attributed to phytoestrogens, including a reduced incidence of osteoporosis, breast cancer, menopausal symptoms, and heart disease; however, many are also classified as endocrine disruptors, which can potentially create adverse health effects. As a result, whether phytoestrogens are good or hazardous to one's health has yet to be answered.

The effects of phytoestrogens on postmenopausal health

Phytoestrogens are a group of non-steroidal polyphenolic plant-based substances, commonly used for the treatment of menopause-related conditions. They have both genomic and non-genomic effects, displaying weak affinity for estrogen receptors (ER) and preferentially binding to ER-B over ER-A. However, evidence for the benefits of phytoestrogen consumption has been limited.