Can Phytoestrogens Replace Estrogen?

Hormones are vital to your body. They act as chemical messengers in the body. When one part of the body needs to communicate with another, it releases hormones. It is this system that allows you to know when you’re hungry, tired or in pain. During menopause your levels of hormones are fluctuating wildly. This can cause a lot of changes to your body. You may be experiencing memory lapses, loss of concentration or fatigue. These are all common symptoms of menopause. Read on to learn how phytoestrogens can help combat these symptoms.

Phytoestrogens: In Depth Analysis

Don’t worry; this isn’t going to get too sciency, but it is important to know a bit about phytoestrogens so that you can make informed decisions about them. Phytoestrogens are a type of xenoestrogen. Xenoestrogen is similar at a molecular level to estrogen so can mimic the effect estrogen has on a living organism. Phytoestrogens are just xenoestrogens that are derived from plants. In fact, ‘phyto’ actually means ‘plant’ in the ancient language of Latin. Read on to learn about how phytoestrogens can help replace low estrogen levels in your body.

How It Works

When your levels of estrogen drop, as can happen during menopause, you can experience some pretty unpleasant side effects; from vaginal dryness to gum disease, the list of menopausal symptoms can seem endless. Phytoestrogens may be able to combat symptoms of menopause by replicating the effect estrogen has on your body. Phytoestrogens may be able to fill in where estrogen normally would be. Read on to learn where you can find phytoestrogens.

Sources of Phytoestrogen

Phytoestrogen is derived from plants, so you find phytoestrogen in plants and foods derived from plants. Pretty simple, huh? But not all plants contain phytoestrogen, only a select few super pants. These include:

• Black beans
• Red clover sprouts
• Soybeans
• Alfalfa
• Ginseng
• Ginkgo biloba
• Parsley
• Licorice root
• Chick peas
• Mung beans
• Whole grain

Possible Side Effects

Although phytoestrogenic plants are generally good for you and can help to relieve some menopausal symptoms, they can have side effects of their own. Phytoestrogens such as soy have been linked to increasing the risk of cancer, so you should seek advice from a relevant health professional before greatly increasing your intake of phytoestrogens.

Click the following link to learn about other ways to balance your fluctuating hormones levels.