Sweet potatoes are phytoestrogenic and help rid the body of unusable, destructive, cancer-causing estrogen that interferes with the body's hormone function.
The fiber in root vegetables helps balance blood sugar levels, thus balancing hormones. Carrots, in particular, are great for preventing estrogen dominance, while sweet potatoes boost progesterone levels. Other root vegetables provide food for the healthy bacteria that live in your gut.
The estrogenic plant compounds are widespread in food, including herbs and seasonings (garlic, parsley), grains (soybeans, wheat, rice), vegetables (beans, carrots, potatoes), fruits (date, pomegranates, cherries, apples), and drinks (coffee).
Sweet potato contains compounds that boost progesterone levels. Radishes, onions, garlic, turnips, parsnips, celeriac, and rutabaga balance hormones by providing food for the healthy bacteria in our gut. Carrots and radishes are easy to eat raw with dips.
Fiber and Antioxidants – Eating foods high in fiber, such as whole grains and sweetpotatoes, can be wonderful ways to stay healthy in the menopausal years. Sweetpotatoes are also high in antioxidants, which are nutrients that can help reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of chronic disease.
Vegetables like sweet potatoes have a rich concentration of Vitamin A along with sufficient quantities of vitamin D, zinc, and phosphorus that ensure normal testosterone levels in the body.
Broccoli, cabbage, and collard greens are all cruciferous vegetables rich in phytoestrogens (31). Broccoli is rich in secoisolariciresinol, a type of lignan phytoestrogen ( 32 ). Brussels sprouts are rich in coumestrol, another type of phytonutrient that has been found to exhibit estrogenic activity ( 33 ).
Cruciferous vegetables.
Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens, brussels sprouts, turnips, arugula and all the other wonderful, sulfur-rich foods in this plant family contain 3,3'-diindolymethane (DIM). DIM is chemoprotective, helps reduce high estrogen levels and supports phase 1 of estrogen detox in the liver.
The source of phytoestrogens are nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Food sources include soybeans, garlic, celery, carrots, potatoes, rice, wheat, red clover, sweet potatoes, fruits (apples, pomegranates and chaste berries) and coffee [3], [4].
Carrots actually contain unique undigestible fibres to help detox excess estrogen from the body. Raw carrots have been found to help by preventing the reabsorption of estrogen from the intestine, meaning the liver can more effectively regulate metabolism.
Carrots can help lower estrogen, combat bacterial growth, reduce inflammation, promote weight loss, and help excrete bacterial poisons called endotoxins. Reducing estrogen, inflammation and endotoxins can have many far-reaching downstream effects.
Tomatoes, kiwi, citrus fruits, cantaloupe, peaches, artichokes, bananas, asparagus, corn and cauliflower all boast great levels of vitamin C and they possess the phytoestrogen power you might be looking for to boost your estrogen.
Vegetables of the Brassica genus, such as broccoli, contain a phytochemical, which may shift estrogen metabolism and increase the 2:16 ratio.
Eating a varied diet can provide the body with the nutrients it needs for progesterone metabolism. This includes foods such as cruciferous vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. Keeping a healthy weight, staying on a consistent sleep schedule, and managing stress can help to keep hormones balanced as well.
Research shows that avocados can help reduce the absorption of estrogen and boost testosterone levels. They also improve heart health and aid in satiety. We need enough healthy fats to make hormones, and avocados are a great source of hormone building blocks.
Oats contain phytochemicals, including polyphenols and phytoestrogens. The polyphenols found in oats may help a man to experience an estrogen blocking effect. This would prevent their body from converting too many testosterone hormones into estrogen.
Nuts, like peanuts, walnuts, cashews, almonds, and pistachios, are one of the most effective foods that increase estrogen levels in the body. They are also a rich source of several vitamins and minerals, offering a myriad of health benefits.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
What foods increase estrogen levels? The foods that increase estrogen levels and can worsen estrogen dominance are coffee, alcohol, refined sugar, refined flour products (like cakes and cookies) and processed soy products.
Carotenoids present in sweet potatoes are helpful to prevent getting cancer like prostate cancer in males. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that may help to prevent and reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
In Ayurveda, Sweet Potato is said to have an aphrodisiac property, which can improve libido. This helps men with erectile dysfunction and low libido.