estrogen lowering foods or herbs

[Guest guest]

I am trying to find info on which foods and or herbs help to lower estrogen

levels?

my friend has just been taken off of a breast cancer medication that controlled

her estrogen levels and wants to try nutritional remedies that will help her

now.

Thanks, Sonya

[Guest guest]

Hi Sonya -

 

This is a good question, an angle I haven't heard discussed either, though often

I've heard people speak of avoiding estrogenic foods or herbs rather than doing

an estrogen reducing diet. What kind of tx was she on - chemo, ratiation,....?

The immune system needs rebuilding, vata needs attention, maybe pitta, so much

of course tho there are some general statements. It is only my guess that most

supportabley, it is more about correcting dosha, agni and ama in many cases....

as well as the emotional component. I'd be avoiding major estrogenic

foods/herbs and more significantly, looking at my reference and the research on

essential oils and their effectiveness wtih different cancer cell lines - there

is much info there now, happy to talk if you want on this on the phone and I may

be able to send you a power point presentation on some of the latter.

 

There seems to be varied opinion about the importance of avoiding some of the

" phytoestrogenic " foods or not. Dr. Claudia Welsch teaches the fall semester at

the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, and is both Ayurvedic and CHinese

trained practitioner, and offers the annual workshop on Women's Transitions,

Women's Lives(excellent, quite complementary not really overlapping to the

Women's Health program offered in Boulder at the Rocky MOuntain Institute of

Yoga and Ayurveda).

 

She gives an interesting analysis on some of the considerations. (I cannot

speak for her approach on your question really, it just seems a relevant way

pointer -).

 

Zeno estrogens are very large estrogen mimicking molecules from plastics perhaps

also other petrochemicals - Much current reports speak of how we get them from

eating and drinking foods stored or cooked in plastics and other related

sources.

 

Normal biological estrogens are small molecules, and she says they do their job

at a receptor site and then move on. Phyto-estrogens (plant sourced/ie from

foods and herbs) are also small and tend to be supportive. Zeno-variety on the

other hand park there and keep telling the tissue to build. (Estrogens being

building hormones, of which the body has over 30 varieties, and can make in

muscle tissue after menopause and other interesting details both Claudia, and

Susan Weed teach).

 

The interesting thing though is that occasionally as I have met in some

ayurvedic students even, there can be extreme sensitivity to - for instance -

the herb shatavari - such that fibrocystic tissues are quickly increased

indicating also risk to feeding malignancies. Shatavari I was taught, though

generally estrogenic (like the Essential Oil Clary Sage also), both can be used

by the body when needed to even create progesterone and other hormones. Plants

are seen often to have an intelligence in our bodies to be used as needed that

way, but it is not a black and white statement we can make. Some are more

sensitive.

 

This doesn't answer your question.....we could begin to list the estrogenic

foods and herbs. Soy, licorice (yasti madhu), fennel, asparagus? I don't

remember what else. And definitely avoiding plastics and petrochemical

pollutants in household cleaning and body care products too. Also avoiding

drinking coffee - inorganic coffee has heavy carcinogens in it, and directs its

effects right to breasts and reproductive tissues. Add a plastic cup, and

underwire bra.....!!! But I'd be very interested in your angle of questioning,

who may understand this better?

 

With proper individualized formulation, kutki is often used as an herb which

helps prevent metastisis. It is also such a vata increasing herb, I would not

make any blanket recommendations except to see a qualified ayurvedic

practitioner for this kind of advice - usually after cancer treatments or other

allopathic drugs, vata and or pitta especially are quite exacerbated already and

kutki being so bitter, might even be contraindicated for her or at least need

special balancing - I don't know.

 

Alekananda being there in Boulder where you are, I " d be asking her or Sarasvati

Buhrman - both particularly good with understanding issues around working with

western medicine, interactions, etc, and women's health issues including this.

Actually, Heidi emailed me a note that locals can get consults with

Alekanda/students in January for very reduced rate.

 

Let us know what you learn, ok?

Ysha

 

> I am trying to find info on which foods and or herbs help to lower estrogen

levels? my friend has just been taken off of a breast cancer medication that

controlled her estrogen levels and wants to try nutritional remedies that will

help her now.

[Guest guest]

Sonya, It makes sense to look into what is going on with meda dhatu agni and

mala (fat tissue enzymes and by products). It is my understanding that estrogen

is primarily made from meda dhatu. Let us see when the experts and other

inquiring and intuitive minds come on board, how that may fit in. Ysha