FITFORGOOD GYM • June 17, 2020

Estrogen and Man Boobs

Hey! If you're a guy and your Chest looks like a pair of Breasts.. this post is for you!

One of a guy's biggest challenges, especially in the age of industrialized food, is Man Boobs or Gynecomastia.
Let's face it - we can have huge arms, but come summertime and you want to take your shirt off, you get conscious and you find yourself always thinking of it . How do I know? Because I had it! I still have some, but I'm on my way to get rid of it naturally.

Now, let's see what causes it. Gynecomastia is female breast tissue that forms in our chest and is caused by too much estrogen in our bodies. Men and women all have estrogen, but in men when an imbalance occurs between testosterone and estrogen and there is more estrogen, then there is a problem.

I'm going to list the 4 main things that cause high levels of estrogen. If we have too much estrogen, it means we have too much Aromatase enzyme, which converts testosterone to estrogen.

Too much estrogen in men causes:
  1. Excessive belly fat
  2. Fatigue
  3. Raises Cortisol levels

Estrogen Balance

Estrogen Balance is vitally important. Although healthy amounts of estrogen provide health benefits, abnormal levels will lead to various cosmetic and health ailments. High Estrogen value may lead to to loss of bone and muscle tissue, fat accumulation, insulin sensitivity. Increasing cases of polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and gynecomastia have been seen.

Estrogen levels increased by:
  1. Regular use of Alcohol, heroin, methadone, amphetamines, marijuana, cannabis
  2. BPA products used in plastics
  3. Antidepressants
  4. Cosmetic fragrances
Aging

In Females , Estrogen levels decrease as menopause approaches. A fall in Estrogen causes an increased in activation of Estrogen receptors in tissues through the body making it more sensitive to Estrogen and is one of the factors that drive  ER-positive Breast Cancer.

In Males, Testosterone levels decrease, muscle mass reduces and body fat goes up. This accumulation of events causes more Aromatase activity and more processing of Testosterone to  Estrogen, causing higher levels of free Estrogen and hence lowering Testosterone levels.


Body Fat
Obesity  is an epidemic in North America. How do you know if your are Obese?If your body fat is above 33% you are! 
Estrogen is produced in fat cells, so the more fat you have the higher the chance of producing more Estrogen.
Increase in body fat increases productions of inflammatory cytokines that activate Aromatase(which converts Androgens and Testosterone to Estrogen), that causes higher levels of Estrogen and hence reducing Testosterone levels.

It is importance to note here that although higher body fat levels causes inflammation, other factors like psychological stress can significantly increase inflammation and affect Testosterone and Estrogen levels. So can autoimmune disorders.


  • RULE #1: AVOID REFINED SUGARS AND EXCESSIVE CARBS

    Remove refined sugars and too many carbs. 

    When you eat too many carbs or refined sugars, you raise your insulin. Increasing insulin levels reduce the hormone that binds testosterone to estrogen. So there is more free estrogen floating about in your body, which means there is more estrogen your body has available to use in a bad way.


    Solution: Reduce your carbs, and when you do eat carbs eat healthy fats with it.


  • RULE #2: AVOID NON ORGANIC DAIRY PRODUCTS

    Conventional Diary has so much estrogen and medication  that reduce the effects of growth hormone and testosterone in our bodies. Haven't you noticed kids these days growing a lot bigger and maturing a lot faster than before? Look, it's simple. Think of the demand for milk, the industrialized age is about making money and cows are pumped with medications and hormones that force them to produce more milk.


    Solution: Try Organic Raw Milk or Goat’s milk.


  • RULE #3: AVOID SOY

    Regular SOY contains Xenoestrogens, which mimics estrogen which throws your body out of balance. Most SOY is genetically modified. Pure SOY only comes from Japan which is very pure and does not contain Xenoestrogens.


    Solution: Try Sriracha Sauce when you eat Sushi next time.


  • RULE #4: LIMIT ALCOHOL

    It is converted to Acetaldehyde, which is very toxic and your liver needs to process it. It converts it into Acetate and Acetyl Coenzyme A, which your body can use for fuel. It impairs our liver and muscles from absorbing Glycogen. Larger amounts of alcohol cause our insulin to spike and your blood sugar becomes low. These spikes in blood sugar affect the Aromatase Enzyme which is what turns testosterone into estrogen. Also, it literally kills your liver cells. Beer and brandy have phytoestrogens, which your body thinks is real estrogen, and this starts the cycle of having too much estrogen.

    So the workaround is to get the alcohol that hits you faster like those that are triple and five times distilled, which gives you a buzz but allows your liver to get back to normal faster.


    Solution: Abstain or drink a kale shake and B Vitamins after you drink; these help detoxify the liver. 


  • RULE #5: Vitamin D

     Keeping your Vitamin D levels up is one of the cornerstones of estrogen management: According to an animal and cell study that endocrinologists at Stanford University published in Endocrinology, the active form of vitamin D – calcitriol, is an anti-oestrogenic compound. The study is interesting for bodybuilders too, as the anti-estrogenic effect of vitamin D is expressed mostly in the fat tissue. What's more, vitamin D enhances the effect of anti-estrogens like anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane. Endocrinology. 

  • RULE #6 SLEEP

    1) Get a deep sleep and/or use melatonin. Melatonin, administered as a supplement or released during a healthy sleep, inhibits the action of the estradiol receptor, the researchers discovered when they studied tumor cells from their test animals. Cancer Res. 

    Sleep seems to make men more masculine and women better protected against estrogen positive cancers. The better the quality of your sleep, the greater the amount. Melatonin probably inhibits the conversion of testosterone into estradiol, Thai toxicologists reported in 2014 in Toxicology Letters. Toxicol In Vitro. 

  • RULE #7 ZINC

    It has been  established that low zinc levels have  negative effects on blood testosterone in men. Zinc deficiency in adult males decreases testosterone synthesis in the Leydig cells. In men, Leydig cells, which respond to increases in luteinizing hormone, are key players in testosterone production. Studies have shown that supplementing zinc (to overcome deficiency) can recover testosterone output. 


    One of zinc’s fundamental roles is to initiate protein synthesis through activating mTOR, a necessary cell-signaling event for muscle growth. zinc  is a crucial element if you want to enjoy continuous improvements in well-being and fitness.


    Factors that lower Zinc in our bodies:

    1. Gastrointestinal disorders
    2. Vegetarian, vegan, or low protein diet
    3. Eating disorders
    4. Heavy alcohol consumption
    5. Smoking
    6. Stress
    7. Heavy sweating
    8. Certain medications (e.g., ACE inhibitors, diuretics, and heart-burn medications like Zantac and Prilosec)

The ONE food you must INCREASE to balance out your hormones...

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, collard greens, cauliflower, etc. They contain Indoe-3-carbonol, which reduces excess estrogen in the body and also detoxes at the same time.
When is the best time to eat it? At night, when your estrogen levels are high.

DIM (DI-INDOLYL-METHANE)

DIM is a plant indole found in cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage. In animals it is able to help prevent certain forms of cancer.
DIM is able to stimulate better estrogen metabolism. These are able to help protect the heart and brain. Higher Estrogen levels increase the risk of weight gain or obesity and estrogen-related cancers, which often occur with aging.

ADDING DIM TO MY DIET?

DIM is found in cruciferous vegetables. To attain this amount of DIM(100 to 300mg) you would need to eat 500G of broccoli or cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and green cabbage daily. This adds up to approx 4 cups of chopped cruciferous vegetables daily. Men need about 200 to 500mg of DIM so it is a safe bet to adjust your nutritional lifestyle to incorporate 7 cups of vegetables a day.

SIDE EFFECTS of DIM

Hardly any. The only Side effects are extremely uncommon but may include dizziness or headache.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indole-3-carbinol
1) Links Between Alcohol Consumption and Breast Cancer. (2015, March 24). Retrieved from https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
2) How Alcohol Affects Your Hormones - Better By Dr. Brooke. (2018, August 24). Retrieved from https://betterbydrbrooke.com/alcohol-...
3) Sex hormones in alcohol consumption: a systematic review of evidence - Erol - - Addiction Biology - Wiley Online Library. (2017). Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/f...
4) Alcohol Stimulates Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines. (2000, October 15). Retrieved from http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/con...
5) V, P. (n.d.). Can alcohol promote aromatization of androgens to estrogens? A review. - PubMed - NCBI. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...
6) KW, C. (n.d.). Effects of chronic ethanol intake on aromatization of androgens and concentration of estrogen and androgen receptors in rat liver. - PubMed - NCBI. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...
7) JS, G. (n.d.). Alcoholic beverages as a source of estrogens. - PubMed - NCBI. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...
8) Gavaler JS , et al. (n.d.). The phytoestrogen congeners of alcoholic beverages: current status. - PubMed - NCBI. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7...
9) Rosenblum ER , et al. (n.d.). Isolation and identification of phytoestrogens from beer. - PubMed - NCBI. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...
10) Gavaler JS , et al. (n.d.). The phytoestrogen congeners of alcoholic beverages: current status. - PubMed - NCBI. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7…


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