Are you storing fat around your waist, hips and thighs?
Do you feel conscious of your man boobs or maybe even cellulite?
Have you been suffering from a lack of libido and reduced performance?
If this sounds familiar, it could be an indication that you are experiencing what is known as “estrogen dominance.”
High estrogen levels in men can cause many effects on men’s sexual health, body composition and mental health.
Known as the ‘female hormone’, estrogen is, in fact, a group of compounds that work in opposition to male hormones, androgens (including testosterone).
Despite distinguishing it as a female hormone, estrogen is crucial in the healthy functioning male physiology, and a balance of the two is key.
In a nutshell, men with high estrogen levels tend to have low testosterone levels, especially in overweight men.
There are four different types of estrogen, with the main type to consider for males being estradiol.
In males, estrogen is synthesised in the testes and adrenal glands, as well as by converting testosterone via the help of an enzyme known as aromatase.
While the human body produces all the estrogen we need, we can consume products that mimic the effects of estrogens. These are known as exogenous estrogens and can originate from man-made products like BPAs, pesticides, fertilisers, household cleaning products, and plant-based foods like soy and tofu.
These estrogen sources can upset our natural hormonal balance, which can affect sex drive, erectile function and sperm production and ‘quality control’.
Fortunately, our lifestyle plays an important role in creating an ideal hormonal balance.
Here are three factors to consider:
1.Obesity
Estrogen levels have been shown to double when comparing obese men to healthy weight men. Therefore fat loss through diet and exercise has been shown to completely correct high estrogen in men and should be a high priority.
2.Alcohol
Long-term alcohol consumption has been shown to play a role in estrogen production and lowering testosterone in men. Minimising alcohol consumption should be a goal for balancing sex hormones.
3.Plastics
Mounting evidence is showing the risks associated with exposure to common substances like BPA, found in plastics. Minimising our exposure by looking at the foods we consume and the products we use is recommended.
Estro Support is a great supplementation that helps men struggling with estrogen dominance. Its active ingredients, which include natural plant extracts in a concentrated dose (those that you aren’t able to replicate in plant foods), help to detox the naturally and unnaturally occurring by-products of estrogen and toxins in the body. Estro support also helps increase the ability of the liver and other tissues to efficiently process these by-products.