Guidance

7 High-Estrogen Foods to Balance Your Hormones Naturally

Kylie Han

Estrogen levels typically decrease during perimenopause and menopause, resulting in symptoms ranging from vaginal dryness to fatigue. While you can’t always prevent these hormone imbalances, diet is one way to increase estrogen levels naturally and maintain overall health.

Published:

Feb 18, 2024

Est. Read Time:

woman sitting at kitchen table with various breakfast foods

Estrogen is crucial to our bodies and health. In addition to supporting reproductive systems, estrogen maintains cardiovascular health, proper blood flow, bone and muscle growth, boosts mood, and facilitates sexual pleasure.

When estrogen levels are low, usually due to perimenopause or menopause, it can result in symptoms such as vaginal dryness, mood changes, hot flashes, headaches, fatigue, night sweats, weak bones, and more.

While you can’t always prevent these hormone imbalances, there are methods to increase estrogen levels naturally and maintain overall health. One way is diet. Here’s your go-to guide for the best estrogen foods to add to your diet.

What is estrogen?

Estrogen is a sex hormone that is vital for developing and maintaining sexual and reproductive health. Estrogen levels begin to rise at puberty, regulating your menstrual cycle and helping develop body characteristics like breasts and pubic hair. Levels peak in the days leading up to ovulation, the most fertile period, and drop before perimenopause (the time right before menopause) and at menopause when you no longer ovulate.

Why should I increase my estrogen levels?

Lower estrogen levels aren’t always a negative thing. Estrogen naturally decreases as you age and reach perimenopause and menopause. However, low estrogen levels before these stages of life can be caused by medical conditions, like autoimmune diseases and diseases affecting your pituitary gland, or lifestyle choices, like diet and exercise.

Regardless of where your low estrogen levels are coming from, they can lead to a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. Estrogen plays a role not just in your reproductive health, but in things like your bone health and mood stability, meaning its decline can affect different areas of your body and cause:

Irregular cycles
Hot flashes
Mood swings
Bone frailty
Fatigue
Difficulty concentrating

If you’re experiencing these symptoms and think it might be because of low estrogen, don’t panic. You can start working to increase these levels naturally by making small, everyday changes in your diet to incorporate more high-estrogen foods.

Estrogen foods to increase estrogen naturally

Certain foods that contain plant-derived compounds called phytoestrogen can naturally balance your estrogen levels. Here are seven high-estrogen foods to incorporate into your diet.

1. Flax seeds

Flax seeds are rich in lignans, chemical compounds that act like phytoestrogens and mimic the effects of estrogen in the body. They contain up to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods like fruits or vegetables. Flax seeds have also been associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer.

They’re great to add to oatmeal, yogurt, and as an added ingredient in baked goods.

2. Fruits

Fruits like peaches and berries are also plentiful in lignans and are associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer. Plus, they have vitamins, minerals, and are a good source of fiber.

3. Soy

Soy contains high levels of isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogen that helps reduce the risk of breast cancer and support heart health. It’s a protein that consists of essential amino acids and has a range of important vitamins and minerals.

You can incorporate soy into your diet with foods like tofu, tempeh, soymilk, and edamame.

4. Garlic

Garlic not only adds flavor to your food, but the consumption of garlic has also been linked to heart health. It can help lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and prevent clots. While research on the impact of garlic on humans is limited, studies suggest garlic may affect blood estrogen levels.

5. Sesame seeds

Sesame seeds are a great source of phytoestrogens and fiber. Studies show that they may affect estrogen levels and help improve blood cholesterol.

You can add sesame seeds on top of salads in dressing or as is for an extra crunch.

6. Cruciferous vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbage also contain phytoestrogens. They have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of chronic and heart diseases.

7. Nuts

Nuts are full of protein and phytoestrogens. Incorporating nuts like almonds, pistachios, and peanuts into your diet is a great way to consume healthy fats, fibers, and vitamins.

Using estrogen foods to balance hormones: the bottom line

Estrogen is an important hormone that supports various elements of our health, from our reproductive systems to bone and muscle health. While lower estrogen levels are a natural part of aging, they can lead to uncomfortable symptoms. To boost levels naturally, estrogen foods like soy, garlic, and nuts offer a way to find relief through lifestyle changes.

About the author

Kylie Han is a writer from Oakland, California. She's the SEO Manager at The Infatuation, where she loves to support the work of writers and highlight local restaurants. She is also a contributing writer at The Infatuation and is excited to get involved in reproductive health, a passion of hers.

Sources

Better Health Channel. (2012). Soybeans.
Desmawati, D., & Sulastri, D. (2019). Phytoestrogens and Their Health Effect.
Magee, E., MPH, & RD. (2009). The Benefits of Flaxseed.
Pianjing, P., Thiantanawat, A., Rangkadilok, N., Watcharasit, P., Mahidol, C., & Satayavivad, J. (2011). Estrogenic activities of sesame lignans and their metabolites on human breast cancer cells.‍
Tedeschi, P., Nigro, M., Travagli, A., Catani, M., Cavazzini, A., Merighi, S., & Gessi, S. (2022). Therapeutic Potential of Allicin and Aged Garlic Extract in Alzheimer's Disease.

About the Oova Blog:
‍Our content is developed with a commitment to high editorial standards and reliability. We prioritize referencing reputable sources and sharing where our insights come from. The Oova Blog is intended for informational purposes only and is never a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider before making any health decisions.

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