14 Foods High in Estrogen for Balanced Hormones
Ladies, if it’s not that time of the month and you’re starting to feel the symptoms, you might consider adding more estrogen to your diet.
One moment you’re laughing at a joke your boyfriend tells you and the next you’re crying hysterically, claiming that you don’t deserve someone so funny.
You’ve been eating clean for days and washing your face like crazy, and for some reason you’re still getting pimples the size of Mount Rushmore on your nose.
After an unpleasant thought about all the other side effects you may be getting soon, you decide you’ve had enough of these shenanigans and to give some estrogen-rich foods a try.
You start to wonder what else this powerful hormone is capable of?
Why is estrogen important?
Estrogen is one of they key elements for keeping you in overall good health.
Estrogen is most known for keeping your reproductive health strong and in good shape. It helps keep your menstrual cycle regular and increases you libido, which is good for you and your partner.
For those who are experience unpleasant menopause symptoms, such as heat flashes and inconsistent sleep, estrogen can be a helpful addition to your diet.
But it also helps you out in areas that you might not expect, such as your physical appearance. Adequate amounts of estrogen have been shown to keep your hair strong and your skin clean and acne-free.
It can also help improve your brain functions and, thus, make you less susceptible to mood swings. This is especially true for women who have had their ovaries removed due to cancer.
As for your heart, estrogen can play a very important role in its health. It does this by helping relax your blood vessels to allow for better circulation and lower cholesterol.
If you’re experiencing any unpleasant symptoms or simply want to improve your health, try one of these estrogen-rich foods:
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Foods Highest in Estrogen
- Tofu
- Soy Milk
- Multigrain Bread
- Miso Soup
- Doughnuts
- Dried Apricots
- Pistachios
- Garlic
- Red Wine
- Sunflower Seeds
- Alfalfa Sprouts
- Walnuts
- Green Tea
- Olive Oil
Tofu
- Calories: 94
- Sugar: 0.4g
- Fat: 6g
- Estrogen: 8,688mg
If you’re not vegan or vegetarian, you might be turned off from even the thought of tofu. But don’t be too quick to judge.
Tofu is the highest source of estrogen among many other nutrients, such as the protein keratin. Keratin is essential for keeping your hair healthy and abundant.
But the best part is that tofu takes the flavor of anything your taste buds desire!
Soy Milk
- Calories: 80
- Sugar: 7g
- Fat: 3.5g
- Estrogen: 7,422mg
If you love your morning cereal with creamy milk, you know the struggles of trying to keep off the pounds. Luckily for you, soy milk is a great alternative to dairy that’ll eliminate any worries of gaining weight.
Compared to cows milk, soy milk is lower in both fat and sugar. It’s also full of fatty acids and fiber that help absorb extra fat and keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Multigrain Bread
- Calories: 65
- Sugar: 2.61g
- Fat: 0.99g
- Estrogen: 2,207mg
If you’re looking for a way to spruce up your sandwiches in taste and appearance, multigrain bread is the ingredient you’ve been looking for.
Not only is multigrain fuller in flavor and better looking than plain white bread, it’s also richer in nutrients. It’s especially rich in fiber, which is an excellent way to keep you full while improving your digestive health.
The manganese content in multigrain bread can also help improve your cognitive abilities.
Miso Soup
- Calories: 84
- Sugar: 2.59g
- Fat: 3.36g
- Estrogen: 1,691mg
Miso soup is the perfect way to satisfy your salt cravings and prep you for a night of delicious sushi. But it’s also the perfect way to improve your health.
Miso soup is most known for its role in fighting cancer. This tasty dish is full of antioxidants that help prevent the growth of tumors.
Despite it’s high salt content, miso soup can also decrease your blood pressure.
Doughnuts
- Calories: 195
- Sugar: 11g
- Fat: 11g
- Estrogen: 1,568mg
Doughnuts make the world go round. A single bit of their sugary deliciousness can turn even the worst of day a little better.
Although doughnuts aren’t health food (surprise, surprise), they are an excellent source of estrogen. This makes them the perfect opportunity to satisfy your sweet tooth while also balancing out your hormones.
Just don’t indulge too much, or else you could harm your health.
Dried Apricots
- Calories: 241
- Sugar: 53g
- Fat: 0.5g
- Estrogen: 164mg
Dried apricots are the perfect tasty treat to eat on the go. They’re bite sized, convenient and, most importantly, nutritious.
Dried apricots are especially abundant in fiber, which is necessary for your health. This component help keep your digestive system in good shape and helps rid your body of fatty substances more efficiently.
Although they may be beneficial for your health, they’re high in calories. So, don’t go overboard with the dried apricots.
Pistachios
- Calories: 159
- Sugar: 2.2g
- Fat: 13g
- Estrogen: 126mg
Pistachios are the most unique nuts you can eat. They can be used for sweet or savory dishes and you’ll go nuts for their health benefits.
Pistachios are full of antioxidants, which have multiple purposes in your body. They protect you from developing age-related eye disease and heart disease as well.
Their antioxidants have also been shown to help control diabetes.
Garlic
- Calories: 13
- Sugar: 0.1g
- Fat: 0g
- Estrogen: 102mg
Garlic may give you bad breath, but the taste and the health benefits make it so worth it.
Garlic is full of antioxidants and antibacterial elements that help improve your immune system and protect you from food poisoning. Some studies have even shown that garlic can be more effective than antibiotics in certain cases.
Studies have also shown that garlic can lower cholesterol and blood pressure to reduce your risk of suffering from a heart attack.
Red Wine
- Calories: 125
- Sugar: 0.9g
- Fat: 0g
- Estrogen: 94mg
Its been a long day at work, and you’re ready to lay back and relax. The only thing that could make it better is a glass of refreshing red wine.
Red wine is the perfect beverage to keep you satisfied and nourished. Studies have shown that a compound in red wine called resveratrol can help improve your memory and protect you from Alzheimer’s.
This compound has even been shown to keep your waistline thin and fit by stopping fat cells from growing.
Enjoy a glass with a steak dinner or with chocolate for dessert.
Sunflower Seeds
- Calories: 269
- Sugar: 1.2g
- Fat: 24g
- Estrogen: 71
Road trips are incomplete without a bag of sunflower seeds. Regardless of which flavor you prefer, they all taste great and benefit your health.
Sunflower seeds are full of magnesium and B vitamins. These components work together to alleviate muscle cramps after a tough workout and keep your bones strong and healthy.
Their magnesium content can also help improve your mood and fight the symptoms of depression.
Alfalfa Sprouts
- Calories: 8
- Sugar: 0.1g
- Fat: 0.2g
- Estrogen: 44mg
If you’re looking for a way to add a little bit of crunch to your meals, alfalfa sprouts are the way to go. Not only will they give you some crunch, but they’ll also add some color and nutrients to your meal.
Alfalfa sprouts are great for your heart health. They contain several compounds that protect you from atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease by reducing your cholesterol levels.
Because they’re low in calories and high in fiber, they’re also a great way to shed a few extra pounds.
Walnuts
- Calories: 185
- Sugar: 0.7g
- Fat: 18g
- Estrogen: 36mg
Walnuts make a great on-the-go snack or addition to your desserts. Their various uses and nutrients make them a well-rounded ingredient that keeps you health well rounded as well.
For those who find it hard to get a good night’s sleep, walnuts are the answer to your problems. They contain the hormone melatonin, which helps improve your sleeping habits.
They’re also full of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help put you in a better mood.
Green Tea
- Calories: 2
- Sugar: 0g
- Fat: 0g
- Estrogen: 31mg
If you’re not a fan of coffee, green tea is the next best way to get your caffeine fix. Although this delicious beverage may help you wake up in the mornings, it has numerous other uses for your health.
With the help of amino acids, the caffeine in green tea can also improve your brain functions. Studies have shown that this duo boosts your memory, concentration and mood.
Green tea also contains catechins, which protect your teeth from plaque and prevent bad breath.
Olive Oil
- Calories: 119
- Sugar: 0g
- Fat: 14g
- Estrogen: 21mg
Olive oil is almost essential for those who love to cook. It helps add moisture and subtle flavor to your food, but most of all, it adds health benefits.
Although its fat content may seem high, it’s mostly oleic acid, which is a healthy monounsaturated fat. Oleic acid is most renowned for preventing cancer and inflammation.
Contrary to what you may believe, it also doesn’t add unwanted pounds to your belly.
What happens if I don’t get enough estrogen?
Not getting enough estrogen can result in numerous unpleasant occurrences, but nothing too serious to drastically damage your health.
One of the first things you’ll notice are the mood swings, which may seem normal around your period, but shouldn’t be happening on regular basis.
Estrogen is linked with serotonin production, which helps produce the sleep hormone melatonin. So no matter how tired you may feel after a long day, low estrogen levels can start making it harder to go to sleep.
Because estrogen helps produce serotonin, depression can also be a result of low estrogen levels.
Other symptoms that might start to occur are having a poor memory, becoming anxious more often and experiencing more headaches.
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What happens if I get too much estrogen?
Although you want to make sure you’re including enough estrogen in your diet, it’s still possible to consume too much of the hormone.
Too much estrogen can result in similar effects as getting too little estrogen, such as poor memory, regular mood swings and not being able to get a good nights sleep.
If you’re getting too much estrogen, the first signs you will notice are bloating and swelling in both your abdomen and chest. After the initial symptoms you may even start to lose you’re hair and gain weight.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of either too much or too little estrogen, it’s best to consult your doctor before taking supplements or changing your diet drastically. After all, you don’t want to disrupt your hormone balance even more.
What are your favorite estrogen-rich meals?
