Estrogen helps in dealing with mood swings in women. After menopause the estrogen levels do come down. If a woman’s estrogen levels fluctuates, then all the metabolic processes in her body do go haywire. She goes through bursts of hot flashes, mood swings, irregular periods, weight gain, fatigue, frequent headaches, low libido, and so forth.
What Is Estrogen And Why Is It Essential?
Estrogen happens to be a group of similar hormones that are indeed present in both males as well as females. In men, it is much less in concentration than in women. This little hormone makes women behave like women.
It also controls the female sexual characteristics and is also produced mainly in the ovaries. The ovaries release estrogen during the time of menstruation and between cycles.
Estrogen is a vital hormone for the functioning of the body. Apart from regulating menstrual cycles, it also does regulate the reproductive tract, urinary tract, cardiovascular system, bones, secondary sexual characteristics, skin, and hair.
To ensure proper amount of estrogen levels one must eat the right foods.
- Flax Seeds
Flax seeds are good source of estrogen and phytoestrogen. They are also referred to as linseeds, and do contain three times more phytoestrogens than soybeans. Apart from containing estrogen, they no doubt are also rich in dietary fiber as well as omega-3 fatty acids and do help in lowering cholesterol levels in one’s body.
- Serving Size – 1 tablespoon
- Isoflavones – 22.5 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 379,380 mcg
How to Include In One’s Diet
Ground flaxseeds can be indeed sprinkled on yogurt, oatmeal, or even breakfast cereals. They can be added to cookies as well as muffins before baking.
- Sesame Seeds
These are quite high in lignans, hormones that help balance estrogen levels in a woman’s body. They are also high in dietary fiber and several vitamins and minerals.
- Serving Size – 1 ounce
- Lignans – 11.2 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 8008.1 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
One can have sesame seeds as a paste referred to as tahini, and make use of it as a dipping sauce. One can add them to one’s soup, salad, or stir-fried vegetables.
Soy Products
- Soy
Soy is high in estrogen foods. It does contain phytoestrogens known as isoflavones that do affect the estrogen metabolism in one’s body. Edamame are the pods that are produced by a soy plant that does affect estrogen metabolism.
- Serving Size – 1 cup
- Isoflavones – 24 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 103,920 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
Soy is best enjoyed roasted. Carry some roasted soy nuts with you to munch throughout the day to curb your hunger pangs. Apart from estrogen, they also contain a healthy dose of nutrients.
- Soy Milk
Soy milk is rich in phytoestrogens and provides relief from menstrual problems like cramps or pain by restoring the estrogen levels in one’s body.
- Serving Size – 200 ml
- Isoflavones – 30 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 2957.2 mcg
How to Include In One’s Diet
Soy milk is readily available in the market and one can have it as a mid-day snack. You can add soy milk to one’s breakfast cereal instead of regular cow’s milk.
- Soy Yogurt
It is also known as bean curd yogurt and is made from soy milk, and is good source of phytoestrogens.
- Serving Size – 200 grams
- Isoflavones – 21 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 10,275 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
Soy yogurt can be had as it is, along with meals and one can add fruits and nuts and have it as a healthy snack.
- Tofu
It is soy version of cottage cheese and is made directly from soy milk. It is available in soft and firm varieties, and improves the levels of estrogen in one’s body.
- Serving Size – 3 ounces
- Isoflavones – 20 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 27,150 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
Tofu is a versatile ingredient that can be used in soups, salads, or curries. One can sauté it along with few other veggies of one’s choice and have it as a side salad or even a snack.
Nuts
- Pistachios
Pistachios contain lots of phytoestrogens .
- Serving Size – 1 ounce (28 grams)
- Isoflavones – 49.5 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 382.5 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
One can enjoy them raw or roasted.
- Walnuts
Walnuts are healthy to eat and are rich in phytoestrogens along with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and other essential nutrients.
- Serving Size – 1 ounce (28 grams)
- Isoflavones – 14.9 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 26 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
One can add chopped walnuts to salads or even top them over fruits, ice creams, or frozen yogurt. One can eat them as it is or mix them with other nuts.
- Peanuts
Peanuts are a good source of phytoestrogens.
- Serving Size – 1 ounce (28 grams)
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 34.5 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
They add crunch to one’s salads. They can also be had raw or ground into peanut butter and made used of as a spread.
Dry Fruits
- Dried Apricots, Dates, and Prunes
These are healthy snacks that are rich in phytoestrogens as well as fiber. The process of drying these fruits increases the amount of phytoestrogens, vitamins, and minerals in them.
- Serving Size of Dried Apricots – 130 grams
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 445.5 mcg
- Serving Size
- of Dates – 24 grams
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 329.5 mcg
- Serving Size of Prunes – 248 grams
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 177.5 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
These dried fruits are healthy as well as palatable. They are best enjoyed as a mid-day snack. Carry these with you to munch between meals.
Vegetables
- Alfalfa Sprouts
These boost one’s estrogen levels ad are low in carbohydrates as well as calories and are very healthy.
- Serving Size – 33 grams
- Isoflavones – 130 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 441.4 mcg
How to Include In One’s Diet
Alfalfa sprouts can be added to one’s salads, soups, or sandwiches to add a nutritional boost to one’s meal.
- Mung Bean Sprouts
They contain plenty of phytoestrogens as well as other nutrients such as folate, iron, vitamin B-complex, and fiber.
- Serving Size – 104 grams
- Isoflavones – 238.99 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 495.1 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
One can have them boiled or raw, either as it is, or added to salads or even soups.
- Green Beans
These vegetables are very low in calories and high in nutrients. Green beans contain lots of iron, which improve fertility among women.
- Serving Size – 110 grams
- Isoflavones – 42.9 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 105.8 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
Green beans can be of course added to sautéed vegetables or stir-fries. They can also be cooked as a curry and had with rice.
Fruits
- Peaches
These are rich in phytoestrogens and have plenty of essential nutrients. And help in reducing the risk of heart diseases and stroke as well and cancer.
- Serving Size – 175 grams
- Isoflavones – 4.55 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 64.5 mcg
How to Include In Your Diet
Peaches are delicious fruits that can be eaten raw or made into desserts like peach cobblers or peach pies.
- Strawberries
Strawberries are rich in estrogen and in phytoestrogens and have several benefits such as a healthy skin as well as hair, increased energy levels, and a lower risk of obesity.
- Serving Size – 152 grams
- Isoflavones – 3.65 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 51.6 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
Strawberries can be had raw. One can add diced strawberries to plain yogurt, waffles, pancakes or even oatmeal. One can blend strawberries with another fruit, such banana, and make a healthy smoothie.
Legumes
- White Beans
White beans are extremely healthy – rich in phytoestrogens, fiber, and nutrients such as iron, folate, and calcium. This does help balance estrogen levels in one’s body.
- Serving Size – 179 grams
- Isoflavones – 70 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 72.7 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
One can enjoy white beans several ways such as tossing it with boiled white beans in a salad or even ground them into a paste and have it as a dip.
- Black Beans
As they are healthy one can have them every day. They increase fertility in women as they contain a lot of phytoestrogens. They also have lots of protein, fiber, antioxidants, and several vitamins s well as minerals.
- Serving Size – 172 grams
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 5330 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
Black beans are very tasty. And one can add to soups or salads. One can have a black bean spread and have it with carrot as well as cucumber slices.
Beverages
- Red Wine
Red wine contains a phytoestrogen called resveratrol that does increase estrogen levels in the body and also reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases when one has it in moderation.
- Serving Size – 30 ml
- Isoflavones – 4.95 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 53.9 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
Red wine can be had with a light snack such as roasted peanuts. Drink this in moderation. Physicians do recommend not more than 2 servings a day for men and about 1 serving a day for women.
Herbs
- Garlic
Garlic contains a lot of isoflavones and does provide a lot of health benefits. It reduces cholesterol and also prevents heart diseases as well as cancer.
- Serving Size – 9 grams (3 cloves)
- Isoflavones – 1.8 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 603.6 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
One can add chopped garlic to soups, salads, sautés, stir-fries, pasta, and stews to add a flavor.
Grains
- Multigrain Bread
This indeed contains a phytoestrogen popularly known as lignan. It also includes grains such as oats, barley, wheat, and rye.
- Serving Size – 26 grams (1 slice)
- Lignans – 1244 mg
- Phytoestrogens (per 100 grams) – 4798.7 mcg
How to Include in One’s Diet
Multigrain bread is usually a very common part of one’s diet. One can make a sandwich or spread peanut butter or cheese over the toasted multigrain bread and have it for breakfast or as a snack.