Is there such a thing as "Hormone Free" Foods?

Is there such a thing as hormone free meat? Companies boast about how there are “no added hormones” in their beef or chicken. However, this doesn’t mean that the final product that you buy is hormone free.

Let this serve is an introduction to Estrogens and Phytoestrogens, how they function differently, and the importance of fiber in reducing excess estrogen. This is Part 1 of 3 posts on Estrogen. The remaining posts will focus on the impact on women (Part 2) and men (Part 3).

Find your way around:

What is a hormone?

Merriam-webster says the definition of a hormone is ” a product of living cells that circulates in body fluids (such as blood)”. Yes, that includes sap as well, although our bodies hormones differ greatly than those of plants.

So what is the problem then?

Estrogen Molecule – PubChem

When we eat any type of food, a portion of the hormones can make it through digestion. The human form of naturally produced estrogen is Estradiol (E2). This is also the same form most frequently found in mammals (cows) and chickens.

When it comes to milking, dairy cows are usually pregnant or recently gave birth, so the amount of estrogen in milk is substantial. In addition, because cheese is mostly fat and estrogen is a fat-soluble molecule, the cheese making process can further concentrate estrogen.

Dr. Greger’s video on Estrogen in animal products

Are there Hormones in our drinking water?

In the past, estrogen in the drinking water from birth control pills and other environmental factors has been of concern. The major environmental contributor of estrogen is farm animals as they produce 82 tonnes of estrogen every year. Among farm animals, poultry produces the greatest amount of E2 in fertilizer that can runoff into our waterways and end up in our drinking water.

However, even with this taken into account, the amount of estrogen in cows milk is 150x that in drinking water. So while there is some level that we get exposed to through our water, our food sources are the greatest contributor.

The importance of High Fiber foods

After estrogens and other hormones are circulated through the blood, they can be removed and flushed out of our systems via food. High fiber foods in particular are great at absorbing cholesterol and hormones. The recommended dietary fiber intake is 25 g/day for women and 38 g/day for men. However, the average American only gets between 10 to 15 g/day of fiber.

To increase your fiber intake, think of whole plant foods. This includes oatmeal, beans, vegetables, and fruits, that have a mixture of both soluble and insoluble fibers. Kale is a great high fiber food with many other beneficial micronutrients!

Soluble fibers help to feed your gut microbiome, and insoluble fibers are what can’t be digested, but helps to absorb the excess cholesterol and hormones. “Fiber supplements such as Metamucil, Citrucel, and Benefiber don’t provide the different types of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients that whole foods do”(Health Harvard).

The great Soy debate

When E2 and other forms of estrogen bind to the estrogen receptors on our cells, they signal “growth on.” This growth can be good when kept in check, but bad when it is out of control, such as in the case of prostate and breast cancer. Estradiol is commonly used as birth control and estrogen levels rise and fall naturally during pregnancy. There is reason to conclude that it would be beneficial to limit all outside sources (exogenous) of estrogen and to allow your body to be the only producer during this life-stage.

Phytoestrogens vs Estrogens for men and women

Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen that is found in plants, most famously known are soy and flax seeds. They actually attach to a different type of estrogen receptor. Instead of sending the “on” signal the receptor sends the “off” signal.

Ultimately, phytoestrogens can have the opposite effect of estrogen (anti-estrogenic) and can reduce inflammation, oxidation, and cell proliferation (Soy and Health).

Hormone Estrogen Receptors – A and B

How phytoestrogens and estrogens act in these separate ways is a result of how they interact with out cells. Imagine your cell is a house with a front and a back door. For security, you have a different lock for the front door than you do for the back door. Estrogen is the key to the front door (“A”, alpha-receptor) that turns all the lights “on” in the house and promotes growth. Phytoestrogen is the key to the back door (“B”, beta-receptor) and can turn the lights “off” in the house, decreasing cell growth.

Soy Isoflavone Content

Here is the varying isoflavone (a type of phytoestrogen) content of both unfermented and fermented soy products (Harvard). The higher the content, the greater impact that adding these foods can have on reducing the negative effects of estrogen. This includes uncontrolled cell growth with prostate and breast cancer.

How much Soy should you eat?

It is recommended to have at least one serving of soy foods a day to get the minimum amount of phytoestrogens. This can be a cup of soy milk with your morning oatmeal (bonus the oatmeal helps to bind to excess hormones). It also could be a serving of tempeh or tofu at lunch or dinner, or edamame as a snack. If you can get in more than 1 serving a day, that’s great! So on your next grocery trip be sure to add this to your cart.

Allergies:

The only reason to avoid soy foods would be if you have an allergy. Although they can be fairly common (1 in 2,000 people), soy allergies are less frequently occurring than dairy and nuts. Introducing soy to children during childhood can reduce the chances of an allergy later-on in life.

If you do have a soy allergy, try flax seed instead. It has compounds called lignans that are also phytoestrogens. 1 tbps ground flax seed per day in your oatmeal or smoothie.