Deer AntlerSisyphus was a hubristic Greek king cursed with the fate of having to continuously push a boulder up a hill only to have it fall back down again upon reaching the top. He exemplifies futile effort. This is how many people feel about their nutrition, immunity, antiaging, and fitness regimes, because as we age it appears that any simple mistake or omission in our program causes the boulder to roll all the way back down the hill and we have to start over.
This chapter of Longevity Now focuses on hormones and addresses this frustration by aiming to increase good hormones and decrease bad estrogen and cortisol, a strategy to provide more metabolic flexibility, just as we had in our youth. The focus is on amplifying androgen hormones in your metabolism and removing bad estrogens from your system, in order to shut down hormonal signaling mechanisms that damage and inhibit health and longevity.
Leveling the hormonal playing field not only improves metabolism, it rejuvenates us, improves overall immunity, and sets the groundwork for Chapter 6.
The insights gained by research into hormones indicate that it is imperative to keep our sex hormones—our inner executives—in a system of checks and balances throughout the years of our life. This becomes particularly important as we age. Hormone health is our key to a healthy future. Answers have been found!
Recommendations in this part of Longevity Now utilize all-natural foods, supplements, herbs, and lifestyle/exercise strategies, representing the leading edge in “at-home” hormone health care. The strategies outlined here focus on how to:
• stop the build-up of “bad” estrogen and detoxify your body of both “bad” and “fake” estrogens
• improve the quality of your hormones in order to improve the quality of your sex life and increase your beauty—sex hormones are health hormones
• improve bone density by using all the dietary and supplement strategies and technologies available
• take advantage of recent scientific advances in stopping breast, prostate, and other cancers
• build up your hormones naturally and use simple, inexpensive, bio-identical hormones without doctor’s bills
• simplify and have more fun with the Longevity Now approach, in order to be healthier and happier
This hormone health chapter has been put together as a research project to advance knowledge of human hormones and how longevity strategies can be implemented and improved.1 My basic understanding and conclusion is that the correct amount of androgenic hormones improves internal levity and health within the body—meaning the correct balance of good hormones prevents and fights calcification, gravitation, and oxidation; and that estrogen dominance (estrogen toxicity) as well as low hormone levels (in general) increase calcification, gravitation, and oxidation, thus accelerating age-related degeneration.
In the Age of Information, you have access to knowledge that can improve the quality of your life. Ninety years of research and tens of thousands of studies indicate that low hormone levels, too many “bad” hormones and/or a disruption in hormone production, absorption, and detoxification are at the root of chronic health challenges, lead to calcification, and accelerate aging. Because hormone levels are critical to maintaining overall health, getting control of your hormones gives you the tools to alter your destiny and again experience the vibrancy of youth!
Hormones are secretions from our glands, and glandular health is a key indicator (along with levels of bad calcium and bad iron) of one’s actual level of youthfulness. These all-powerful secretions known as hormones are cellular messengers that transmit information from one cell to another. They are master signaling chemicals in the body, the executives of our inner ecology. What they say to do gets done. Turn on estradiol in a thirteen-year-old girl and you have the formation of breasts and the secondary sex characteristics. Turn adrenaline on in a young mother and she is lifting a car off her pinned child. Turn on progesterone and shut down estradiol (and 16 alpha hydroxy-estrone) in a woman aged sixty and you signal her breast cancer cells to stop proliferating. Turn on testosterone in a man of sixty and keep it circulating and he regains his strength and vigor.
The new understanding emerging from extensive research is that the sex hormones are in fact our health hormones. Like face cards, aces, and wild cards in a standard deck, the main sex hormones or health hormones rule the cellular kingdom. They are the most valuable cards. These include testosterone (King), progesterone (Queen), DHEA (Jack), thryroid hormone (wild cards), vitamin D3 (Ace), and estrogens and cortisol (2’s and 3’s).
Let’s imagine a civilization of cells that comprise a human body. Hormones rule this cellular kingdom. If the king (high testosterone) has taken control and marginalized the queen (low progesterone) and is not receiving the queen’s wise counsel, and the 2’s and 3’s in the court are causing civil unrest (high estrogen and elevated cortisol), then health challenges or lawlessness in the empire begin to arise and develop.
Here is the crux of the hormone dilemma: due to aging, birth control pills, estrogen replacement therapy, poor nutrition, stress, xenoestrogenic pollution and/or lack of exercise, metabolic “bad” or nonmethylated estrogen builds up along with the adrenal hormone cortisol and starts to swing the seesaw toward too much estrogenic metabolism and not enough androgenic metabolism. The latter is improved by building up testosterone (men), progesterone (women), DHEA, vitamin D3, and thyroid hormone while simultaneously lowering cortisol and bad estrogen levels (meaning the types of estrogen that are counterproductive to health).
When Hormone Levels Are Off
A quick review of the scientific literature reveals that some of our most important hormones (testosterone, progesterone, DHEA, human growth hormone or HGH, insulin-like growth factor, etc.) decrease with age. This decline in hormone levels, especially sex hormones, has been scientifically correlated with age-related gains in fat, loss of lean muscle mass, decreased bone density, thinning of the skin, and other degenerations. It isn’t just that decreasing hormone levels lead to menopause in women and andropause in men. Improper hormone levels are a major underlying factor related to the following health conditions:
• bone loss and osteoporosis (yes, there is a hormonal connection)
• calcification, including the development of cardiovascular disease and arthritis (yes, there is a hormone connection)
• cancer (particularly reproductive cancers)
• cellulite
• chronic acne
• chronic urinary tract infections
• diabetes
• foggy thinking
• insomnia
• low energy
• low immunity
• migraines
• ovarian cysts
• polycystic breast disease
• saggy skin
• syndrome X (pre-diabetic weight gain)
• weight gain
These are the chronic and growing problems facing the entire civilized world. High levels of stress, xenoestrogens, or fake estrogens in our environment, overall liver toxicity due to all the pollutants, sedentary indoor living, and poor nutrition are all speeding up the development of these hormone-related conditions and calcification diseases.
A marked decrease in the presence of hormones in human metabolism has been associated with nearly every theory of aging, including the Telomerase Theory. This theory posits that the shortening of chromosomal tips during cell replication eventually leads, at a certain critical point, to shortening of the chromosome length, to the point where the cell no longer divides—this is also known as the Hayflick limit. This process of losing telomeres is similar to the damage one sees on the ends of shoe laces over time—eventually the tips get frayed. Telomerase is an enzyme that stops the cleaving of chromosomal genetic material during cell division and thus can lead to extended life. Research is pointing to four conclusions about the Telomerase Theory:
1. Superfood, herbal, and supplement products have been (and continue to be) developed that are targeted at protecting the telomeres. Of these product types I take and recommend both TA65, a unique and rare extract of astragalus’ astragaloside IV, and Dragon Herbs’ Superpill 2, containing astragaloside IV from astragalus, gypenosides from gynostemma, resveratrol, and the raw, FITT (Fingerprint Identical Transfer Technology) extracts of the following superherbs: ho shou wu, ginseng, Rhodiola sacra, gynostemma, and astragalus. My colleague Dr. Dave Woynarowski, author of the The Immortality Edge, believes that high-dose pharmaceutical-grade fish oil may be telomere-protective. I believe that the two super phenol compounds resveratrol and xanthohumol may have this property as well. Of these two, I recommend an anti-aging product called Hops X Factor, which contains a highly bioavailable form of xanthohumol (see Resources).
2. Good, solid nutrition extends the Hayflick limit. For example, in the book Doctors’ Secrets: The Miracle of Antioxidants, by Dr. Donald McCleod and Dr. Philip White (published by the Kelowna Health and Longevity Centre), a study is cited indicating that vitamin E is able to extend the Hayflick limit of cultured human cells from fifty duplications to one hundred duplications. This type of phenomenon has been noted with other super-nutrients.
3. My own field research indicates that Ormus minerals (and in particular Ormus gold) may be able to slow the replication of healthy cells, thus extending their lives. This was the conclusion of the chemist who I worked with on an Ormus project for eight years. Liquid Ormus Gold (total dissolved solids: 2 percent Ormus gold, 98 percent silica), used topically, was able to save him from advancing viral and bacterial infections of both feet. He is a first-class scientist, so I have every reason to believe him. I have seen the results of his case and quite a few other cases as well. For more on Ormus, see this page.
4. HGH and bio-identical hormone replacement therapies allow the telomerase enzyme to express and therefore “turn off” aging.
With the disastrous results of estrogen replacement therapy laid bare before us, and the blind rush toward HGH supplements* and bio-identical hormones† to thwart aging, it may be prudent to review four traditional hormone-therapy dietary technologies from China that survive into the present day and are known to stave off aging. Though in the list below only herbal therapy will appear practical or desirable for most modern readers, I think it’s interesting to know about historical uses and alternative methods. We are fortunate today to have an array of more palatable and easily available natural hormone therapies, as the rest of this chapter relates.
Deer AntlerThis is a natural way to do hormone replacement therapy. Deer antler is the soft antler base and/or tips harvested from these animals in the late spring before they harden. (This does not kill the deer—see the section on deer antler on this page.) Deer antler is loaded with growth factors, hormones, and Ormus-rich nutrients that are partially digestively bioavailable and even more bio-available when dissolved in alcohol and delivered orally (sublingually). These nutrients are useful as youthening agents for all aging mammals. Even though the antlers are coming from male deer, they are still useful to both female and male humans and other mammals. Due to the prevalence of growth factors (such as insulin-like growth factors), deer antler products are not recommended for growth-factor-sensitive cancers.
PlacentaConsuming the dried or cooked placenta from newborn children has been known to provide a huge surplus of stem cells to parents and relatives. Eating one’s own child’s placenta, however unnerving, is a recommended practice in all traditional herbal systems I have studied. (Some of the placenta should be dried and encapsulated and/or tinctured in alcohol as a stem-cell medicine for the child as well.) Human placenta is an extraordinary source of stem cell-stimulating nutrients and growth factors, including insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). Stem cells are new, undifferentiated cells that are more prevalent in our youth, and that assist rejuvenation. Particularly interesting stem cell-producing substances include placenta, fresh or dried noni fruit, deer/elk antler, and phycocyanin (the blue pigments of spirulina and AFA blue-green algae). Dried deer or goat placenta is often used herbally when human placenta is not available. Deer, goat, and human placenta are considered primary jing herbs in Taoist tonic herbal systems and in Chinese medicine, meaning that they tonify the body—that means these substances improve the primordial longevity energy that keeps us alive and healthy.
HerbsGenerally, the Chinese tonic herb system and replenishment via core jing and adaptogenic herbs, foods, and mushrooms (such as goji berries, rehmannia, cordyceps, morinda root, ho shou wu, eucommia, etc.) becomes more useful with age.
UrineIn China, hundreds of years ago, it was sometimes noted that elderly males in the family would consume some of the hormone-rich urine of the younger grandchildren of the same sex. If such practices are culturally frowned upon or impractical (as they mostly are), a more commonly available form of urine therapy (drinking the mid-stream catch of one’s own first clear urine of the day) allows one to reintroduce and conserve hormones that are normally excreted and lost. Historically, in India, this practice of drinking one’s own urine is known as Shivambu (named after the Hindu god Shiva). Shivambu is associated with health and longevity, especially when done consistently. There are numerous texts written on this ancient practice in a present-day context, such as Martin Lara’s Uropathy and Coen van der Kroon’s Golden Fountain.
Dr. Fuller Albright was a world-famous American, Harvard-trained endocrinologist. He is credited with developing the theory that low estrogen levels are associated with bone demineralization and osteoporosis. This theory has been heavily tested and proven to be incorrect.
It was Dr. John Lee of Harvard who came forth with a similar claim in the 1990s, that hormone levels are in large part responsible for osteoporosis and many other age-related degenerative conditions—except Dr. Lee theorized that low progesterone is the primary culprit (not estrogen), along with nutrition and lifestyle factors. Dr. Lee’s theories have proven to be sound, based on animal studies and his own clinical experience as detailed in his books What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Pre-Menopause, and Dr. John Lee’s Hormone Balance Made Simple.
Since Dr. Lee’s first self-published book for doctors back in 1993, hundreds of studies, including the huge and now-famous National Institutes of Health Women’s Health Initiative, have confirmed his stance on progesterone’s importance and the problems and challenges inherent in conventional hormone replacement therapy.2
Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) may increase the risk of health problems in a small number of women. This increase in risk depends on your age, your personal risk, and when ERT is started. Using ERT may increase your risk of:
• blood clots
• breast cancer
• breast tenderness
• dementia
• fluid retention
• gallstones
• headaches
• increased growth of preexisting uterine fibroids (rare)
• nausea
• ovarian cancer
• spotting or darkening of the skin (particularly on the face)
• stroke
• vaginal discharge
• weight gain
• worsening of endometriosis (rare)
The process of accumulating “bad” estrogen in the liver and in fat cells is part of aging.
What is “bad” estrogen? It’s too much of the wrong types of estrogen in the wrong places: a situation that eventually starts to toxify metabolism leading to early weight gain, syndrome X, diabetes, arthritis, reproductive cancers, etc. It appears that bad estrogens are, by definition, nonmethylated estrogens (estrogens that are missing a methyl group). Estrogen toxicity builds up over time as the body loses metabolic power and begins developing methylation problems (the inability to attach methyl groups to toxins). On top of this, the body eventually loses with age the capability to control aromatization, which is the conversion of a good hormone into a bad hormone (e.g., progesterone into a bad form of estrogen).
The main categories of estrogen hormones include:
• Human Estrogens (found in the body)
• Estrone (E1): Many estrones are often considered “bad” estrogen as they can trigger reproductive cancers. Of these, the worst culprit appears to be 16 alpha-hydroxy-estrone, whereas 2 hydroxy-estrone is a good estrone that has antitumor effects.
• Estradiol (E2): When estradiol levels are elevated in late adulthood, they are often categorized as bad estrogens.
• Estriol (E3): This hormone is one of the three major estrogens produced by the human body. Although it’s a weak estrogen, more and more evidence continues to indicate estriol is a good estrogen. As a topical bio-identical hormone, estriol has the following properties:3
• Relieves menopausal symptoms
• Improves bone density
• Benefits urinary tract health
• Protects the heart
• May be used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis
• Does not increase the risk of hormone-dependent breast and endometrium cancers.
• Decreases hot flashes and vaginal dryness with a high degree of safety.
• Phytoestrogens (Found in Plants)
Some phytoestrogens (in fact, probably most) will have no direct effect on one’s hormone health and can be beneficial to hormone health and metabolism (estrogen antagonists). Some phytoestrogens (e.g., soy isoflavones) are harmful (estrogen agonists) and adversely affect the hormonal health of much of the population, causing estrogen toxicity.
• Xenoestrogens (Human-Made)
These are artificial, human-made chemicals that can mimic estrogen during animal metabolism (in other words, in our bodies). Xenoestrogens are suspected of causing cancer, tumors, and cysts.
Foods with PhytoestrogensPhytoestrogen-rich foods and herbs may have beneficial, neutral, or harmful estrogenic activity (more research is needed), which can depend on the constitution of the person consuming the food. Below I discuss some foods and herbs rich in phytoestrogens that are currently controversial, giving my take on their phytoestrogen content, in particular as it relates to breast cancer.4
Cannabis flower (marijuana) contains powerful antinausea agents and compounds that specifically fight certain types of cancers. THC is an extraordinary cannabinoid antioxidant. Another cannabinoid in the cannabis plant is cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is nonintoxicating, and is considered to have a wider scope of medical applications than THC, including the treatment of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, schizophrenia, and nausea.
Cannabis flower (bud) is specifically medicinal for certain conditions including glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and, when extracted in oil, surface skin cancers. Nevertheless, cannabis flower contains phytoestrogens that may trigger an estrogenic response in the individual, depending on his or her metabolism.5 Verdict: Neutral, because cannabis’s phytoestrogens affect individuals differently depending on their hormone profile and if they have cancer and what type of cancer. Eating cannabis flowers will exert stronger phytoestrogenic metabolic effects than smoking them.
Dates are a weakly phytoestrogenic food. Verdict: Positive. I feel comfortable recommending dates as a snack food, as long as the sugar content can be tolerated.
Pomegranate contains extraordinarily high levels of antioxidants, phytoestrogens of unknown estrogenicity in human metabolism, as well as ellagic acid, which draws estrogen compounds out of the body. Verdict: Positive. I feel comfortable recommending pomegranate.
Black cohosh shows low/no estrogenic activity in vitro. Known to inhibit ER+ breast cancer cells in vitro. Verdict: This is definitely a hormonally active herb that should be assessed for use on a case-by-case basis.
Bloodroot is known to inhibit ER+ (estrogen receptor positive) and inhibits ER- (estrogen receptor negative) breast cancer cells in vitro. Bloodroot also influences PR (progesterone receptor) sites. Verdict: Potent, yet good anticancer medicine. Best when this plant is administered by someone with a shamanic understanding of plants.
Goldenseal may block the uptake of healthy progesterone at the progesterone receptor sites of cells. Verdict: This herb is inappropriate when trying to raise progesterone levels or when taking progesterone cream.
Juniper is known to inhibit ER+ and ER- breast cancer cells in vitro. Verdict: Overall, juniper is a solid herbal medicine for fighting breast cancer.
Licorice root, as noted in American herbalist Stephen Harrod Buhner’s book The Natural Testosterone Plan, is too estrogenic to consume. Although used in Taoist tonic herbalism and Chinese medicine for thousands of years, it is possible that licorice may be inappropriate now due to the enormous estrogen toxicity of our current environment. Licorice failed to inhibit ER+ or ER- breast cancer cells in vitro. Licorice may also block the uptake of healthy progesterone at the progesterone receptor sites of cells. Verdict: Ineffective against ER+ or ER- breast cancer and actually may block progesterone. No on licorice.
Mandrake is a shamanic plant, sacred to the druids, yet with pan-European use, as well as Biblical references. Mandrake root inhibits both ER+ and ER- breast cancer cell lines. However, mandrake may interfere with the uptake of progesterone at progesterone receptor sites. Verdict: This is a powerful medicine. It must be administered by someone with a shamanic understanding of plants.
Mistletoe is another wide-ranging and potentially shamanic plant that inhibits ER+ and somewhat inhibits ER- breast cancer cell lines. Mistletoe does not interfere with progesterone metabolism. Verdict: Potent anticancer medicine. Best when administered by someone with a shamanic understanding of plants.
Motherwort is an estrogen agonist. It does not inhibit ER- breast cancer cell growth, though it slightly slows down ER+ breast cancer cell proliferation in vitro. Verdict: Overall, these qualities make motherwort a poor choice to fight ER- breast cancer, although potentially useful for ER+ breast cancer.
Nutmeg is known to inhibit ER+ breast cancer cells in vitro. Nutmeg may also block the uptake of healthy progesterone at the progesterone receptor sites of cells. Verdict: Not recommended for those with low progesterone. Not recommended for ER- cancers.
Ocotillo is a desert plant that competes with progesterone for progesterone receptor sites. Verdict: This herb is inappropriate when trying to raise progesterone levels or when taking progesterone cream.
Oregano possesses relatively high progestin-binding activity and may have weak estrogenic activity in vivo. Verdict: Oregano is a safe and medicinal culinary herb, but is not medicinally recommended for low progesterone and/or battling hormonal cancers.
Pennyroyal may block the uptake of healthy progesterone at the progesterone receptor sites of cells. Verdict: This herb is inappropriate when trying to raise progesterone levels or when taking progesterone cream.
Rosemary contains weak phytoestrogens. Verdict: Safe to eat. Not recommended topically in oil.
Sage possesses weak phytoestrogens as well as thujones. On the positive side, sage fights Alzheimer’s and contains apigenin (a natural aromatase inhibitor). Verdict: Safe to eat in moderation. Not recommended topically in oil.
Thyme possesses relatively high progestin and estrogen-binding activity and may create weak estrogenic activity in vivo. Verdict: Thyme is not recommended medicinally if someone has low progesterone or is battling a hormonal cancer.
Turmeric possesses relatively high ER-binding activity and may create weak estrogenic activity in vivo. Turmeric may interfere with progesterone metabolism, as it binds to progesterone receptor sites. Verdict: Although a powerful beauty food and supreme anti-inflammatory, turmeric may be an inappropriate choice for low progesterone levels and for fighting breast cancer. More research is required.
Verbena appears to be an estrogen agonist and a progesterone antagonist. Verdict: Overall, these qualities make verbena a poor choice to maintain hormone health.
Peas, black-eyed peas, red beans, and chickpeas are very weakly estrogenic. They are rich in fiber, protein, and B vitamins. These beans should be sprouted in pure water and then cooked in order to detoxify them and make them nutritious. Verdict: These are safe when sprouted, then cooked.
Soy isoflavones are too estrogenic to be considered a healthy food. The research continues to indicate that soy is highly estrogenic and damaging to healthy hormonal metabolism when one consumes it more than two times a week. On top of that, soy is poisonous in its raw state and nearly all soy is now genetically modified. The harmful excitotoxin MSG is typically made of soy. Verdict: Thumbs down on soy and soy products.
Though delicious, cashews are, in my opinion, weakly estrogenic. Verdict: Ideally, one should consume no more than four handfuls of cashews in a week.
Women who consumed more than 500 milligrams of caffeine daily, the equivalent of five cups of coffee, had nearly 70 percent more estrogen during the early follicular phase than women consuming 100 mg or less of caffeine daily, or approximately one cup of coffee. This study indicates that coffee consumption increases estradiol levels.6 Verdict: Choose chocolate over coffee. Cacao (natural chocolate) is a relatively low source of caffeine, typically containing one-twentieth the caffeine content of coffee (see the chapter “Chocolate Science” in my book Naked Chocolate). Some chocolate bars are high in caffeine due to the addition of guarana or kola nut.
Numerous health authorities, including William Wong, ND, PhD, and Daniel Vitalis, have popularized the concept that flax contains harmful estrogens. This may have been a primary reason flax was never used as a major food of any past civilization. Mineral analysis of flaxseeds indicates that they are more nutritious than chia seeds. Mineral analysis also reveals that they can contain small amounts of cadmium, which is antagonistic to zinc. Flaxseed is a complete protein and a great source of ALA omega-3 fatty acids. Verdict: Consuming small amounts of flaxseed and flaxseed products occasionally is reasonable. I wouldn’t recommend consistently consuming large amounts of flaxseed and flaxseed oil. Consuming de-fatted flaxseed meal for estrogen detoxification purposes is still recommended.
Sunflower seeds are very mildly phytoestrogenic. Verdict: Safe in normal amounts.
Sesame seeds are very mildly phytoestrogenic. Verdict: Safe in normal amounts.
Avoid These Phytoestrogenic Oils
• cottonseed oil
• lavender oil*
• rapeseed or canola oil
• safflower oil
• sunflower oil
• tea tree oil (melaleuca)†
* Use only on skin irritations; not recommended for consistent topical use.
† In my opinion this oil is used too often topically; it is not recommended for consistent topical use.
Cassava failed to inhibit ER+ or ER– breast cancer cells in vitro. Cassava does not interfere with progesterone. Verdict: Ineffective against ER+ or ER– breast cancer.
Alfalfa sprouts contain immunological saponins, B vitamins, and bone-building silicon. Alfalfa also contains a high level of a toxin called canavanine. It is mildly phytoestrogenic. Verdict: Safe if consumed no more than twice a week.
Red clover is purported to contain powerful anticancer compounds. In Australia, around 1940, merino sheep were found to develop clover disease when they overfed on clover. This was caused by a phytoestrogen known as formononetin, so we know this plant contains strong phytoestrogens. However, humans would never eat as much clover as sheep do. Clover has a strong cancer-fighting history, and red clover is part of the Essiac Tea cancer-fighting formula. However, red clover failed to inhibit ER+ and ER– breast cancer cells in vitro (meaning it did not fight the cancer cells). Red clover also demonstrated in vitro that it may block the uptake of healthy progesterone at the progesterone receptor sites of cells. Verdict: Red clover is ineffective against ER+ and ER- breast cancer and probably not useful in fighting any type of reproductive cancer. Do not eat red clover if you are low in progesterone or taking progesterone cream.
White clover sprouts are known to inhibit ER+ breast cancer cell lines in vitro, yet failed to inhibit ER– breast cancer cells in vitro. Verdict: Recommended for ER+ breast cancer.
Hormonal Products to Avoid
Avoid the following hormonal products in order to balance and build healthy hormones:
• Birth control pills. These cause estrogen dominance.
• Cimetidine (Tagamet). Cimetide interferes with hormone metabolism and increases estrogen.
• DES
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• Premarin
• PremPro
• Progesterone creams made with paraben preservatives
Xenoestrogens: Avoid Them!For more on xenoestrogens and excellent information about environmental factors that affect breast cancer, see The Breast Cancer Fund’s 2010 State of the Evidence report, available in full at www.breastcancerfund.org/assets/pdfs/publications/state-of-the-evidence-2010.pdf.
• Xenoestrogen-Rich Animal Foods
• Commercial dairy products, including milk, butter, cheese, and ice cream. Avoid bovine growth hormone and the common chemical agents used on conventional farms by going organic and free-range.
• Commercially raised, nonorganic meats such as beef, chicken, and pork
• Farmed fish and shellfish
• Xenoestrogen-Rich Home Products
• Unfiltered tap water. Get a filter or become a filter.
• Laundry detergent. According to some researchers online, avoid even the Seventh Generation and Eco brands.‡
• Fabric softeners. These are estrogenic and toxic.
Other known xenoestrogens include:
• 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC; used in sunscreen lotions)
• atrazine (an herbicide)
• BHA/butylated hydroxyanisole (a food preservative)
• BPA/bisphenol A (used within polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins; present in many plastics and in Styrofoam)
• DDT and DDE (insecticides)
• DEHP (a plasticizer used for PVC)
• dieldrin (an insecticide)
• endosulfan (an insecticide)
• erythrosine/FD&C Red No. 3 (food coloring)
• heptachlor (an insecticide)
• lindane/hexachlorocyclohexane (an insecticide that’s banned in Europe)
• methoxychlor (an insecticide)
• nonylphenols (industrial surfactants, emulsifiers for emulsion polymerization, laboratory detergents, pesticides, etc.)
• parabens and phenoxyethanol (found in cosmetics, shampoos, soaps, lotions, and toothpastes)
• PCBs/polychlorinated biphenyls (industrial fluids, lubricants, adhesives, paints, etc.)
• phenosulfothiazine (a red dye)
• phthalates (pervasive plasticizers)
Osteoporosis: The Hormone Connection
The hormonal connection with osteoporosis has been developed by doctors and researchers, including Harvard-trained physician, author, international lecturer, biologist, and one of the world’s foremost experts on hormones Ray Peat, PhD, who has been researching progesterone since 1968. Their conclusions are that progesterone has a protective effect against osteoporosis.
It is very clear that progesterone can be of great benefit to women with measurable bone loss. In most such cases, progesterone will rapidly and impressively build bone, along with proper diet, weight-bearing exercise and some vitamin and mineral supplements.
— DR. JOHN LEE*
The leading edge of improving bone density is innovative, yet simple to understand. The following are contributing factors to maintaining healthy bone density and avoiding osteoporosis:
• Adequate hormone levels, especially progesterone levels in women and testosterone levels in men.
• Adequate vitamin D3 levels, or sunlight. Note that even if you get enough sunlight, you may not be absorbing enough D3. This is because vitamin D3 can be washed off the skin by harsh soaps. It takes thirty-six to forty-eight hours to absorb the D3 once it’s produced in the skin.
• Appropriate minerals and the amino acid lysine work to increase bone density. The minerals required for creating healthy bone and marrow include hydrogen, boron, carbon, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, and sulfur.
• Grounding to the earth and using the appropriate technologies. Grounding or “Earthing” simply means touching the earth or a body of water in the Earth with your skin (e.g., walking barefoot, swimming in the ocean, lying in the grass). The technologies referenced include grounding or “Earthing” devices and vibration plate machines.
• Weight-bearing exercise. It’s alarmingly clear that the incidence of osteoporosis is on the rise. The following statistics, provided by the International Osteoporosis Foundation, are indicative of current and future trends:8
• In women over forty-five years of age, osteoporosis accounts for more days spent in hospitals than many other diseases, including diabetes, heart attack, and breast cancer.
• One in three women over fifty will experience osteoporotic fractures, as will one in five men.
• Osteoporosis affects an estimated seventy-five million people in Europe, the United States, and Japan.
• In the year 2000, there were an estimated nine million new osteoporotic fractures, of which 1.6 million were at the hip, 1.7 million were at the forearm, and 1.4 million were clinical vertebral fractures. Europe and the Americas accounted for 51 percent of all these fractures, while most of the remainder occurred in the Western Pacific region and Southeast Asia.
• Nearly 75 percent of hip, spine, and distal forearm fractures occur among patients sixty-five or older.
• Between 1990 and 2000, there was a nearly 25 percent increase in hip fractures worldwide. The peak number of hip fractures occurred at 75–79 years of age for both sexes; for all other fractures, the peak number occurred at 50–59 years and decreased with age.
• By 2050, the worldwide incidence of hip fracture in men is projected to increase by 310 percent and by 240 percent in women.
• The combined lifetime risk for hip, forearm, and vertebral fractures coming to clinical attention is around 40 percent, equivalent to the risk for cardiovascular disease.
• In white women, the lifetime risk of hip fracture is one in six, compared with a one in nine risk of a diagnosis of breast cancer.
• Osteoporosis takes a huge personal and economic toll. In Europe, the disability due to osteoporosis is greater than that caused by cancers (with the exception of lung cancer) and is comparable or greater than that lost to a variety of chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and high blood pressure-related heart disease.
• Most fractures occur in postmenopausal women and elderly men at moderate risk.
The research and data are in. The technology is here. The strategies have been identified. Because of the explosion of osteoporosis worldwide, it is time to address the leading edge in bone-density improvement research.
* Dr. John Lee is a Harvard-trained physician, author, and international lecturer and is one of the world’s foremost experts on hormones. Learn from him at www.johnleemd.com/store/truth_osteoporosis.html or by reading Dr. John Lee’s Hormone Balance Made Simple and What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause.
Longevity nutrition is an art form designed to help the body build androgenic sex hormones, keep them available for signaling one’s metabolism to remain young, and keep hormone cell receptor sites open. Our first step in building up healthy hormones is understanding methylation, methyl donors, and methylators.
MethylatorsThe liver is the first place to focus as we begin the process of building up healthy hormones. The accumulation of bad estrogens in the liver has been associated with a deficiency in methyl groups, aging, estrogen dominance, and a decrease in the body’s ability to detoxify carcinogens.
A methylator is a substance that is able to donate methyl groups. The liver uses methyl groups (CH3) by attaching them to toxins as part of its phase-one detoxification mechanisms. Once a methyl group attaches to a toxin, such as a bad estrogen molecule, the liver can deal with the toxin and move it down the pathway to elimination.
Methyl groups consist of one carbon and three hydrogen atoms, and they are more abundant in fresh food and deficient in cooked food. Certain foods and supplements are considered good methylators as they are able to donate significantly more methyl groups. These foods and supplements are listed below.
Choline is a “tetra-methylator” (donates four methyl groups) and is found most abundantly in egg yolks. I recommend you consume eggs that are sunny-side up (yolk is raw, white part is cooked). The yolk not only contains choline, but also lecithin; vitamin D3; vitamins B5, B6, B9, and B12; protein; numerous trace minerals; and (in some cases) DHA (docosohexaenoic omega 3 fatty acid).
Beet roots, beet root juices, and goji berries are the best natural sources of betaine (tri-methyl-glycine or TMG), a gentle liver detoxifier that works by adding methyl groups (CH3) to the liver’s arsenal of metabolic detoxifiers. Methyl groups aid the liver in detoxifying bad estrogens. Dr. Norman Walker, who lived to be 109, wrote of the liver-supportive and longevity power of beets in his classic book Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices. Next to beet roots, goji berries are the second highest of any food in betaine concentration. This may explain part of the goji berry’s action in keeping the body young and rejuvenated.
TMG and DMG are also available as independent supplements. TMG has three methyl groups; DMG (di-methyl-glycine) has only two. Sometimes people metabolically agree with DMG more than TMG, perhaps due to its slightly different and simpler structure. When isolated, TMG betaine is a sticky, sweet substance that hints of the beginning of carbohydrate formation found in sweet spring water. In fact, when small amounts of betaine are added to water, it makes the water taste like fresh spring water.
Methyl-cobalamin B12 is a methyl-donating form of protective B12 that builds blood, detoxifies homocysteine, and helps the liver lower bad estrogen levels.
MSM (methyl-sulfonyl-methane) is a methylated form of sulfur. Each molecule of MSM is able to donate one methyl group to liver metabolism.
SAMe (S-adenosyl methionine) is also a methyl group donor. This molecule has been used as an antidepressant and as a treatment for osteoarthritis.
Vitamins B6 and B9 are methyl group donors that detoxify the liver of bad forms of estrogens.
“Bad” Estrogen RemoversEven though some of the recommended items below are phytoestrogens, that does not necessarily mean that they increase bad estrogens. Phytoestrogens in soy (isoflavones) may metabolize in certain people into bad estrogens, whereas lignans in kale may actually block bad estrogens from the hormone receptor sites on cells. Therefore, based on our current understanding, some phytoestrogens may damage hormone health, some may be neutral, and others may improve hormone health. However, if you are already experiencing an estrogen dominance, you may want to avoid certain phytoestrogenic plants, such as soy isoflavones, that could make the problem worse.
• Berries: Not only are they delicious, but berries are also an excellent natural source of lignans, calcium d-glucarate, quercetin, and ellagic acid, all of which help to lower bad estrogen in the body.9
• Button mushrooms: Also known as Agaricus bisporus, this mushroom is maligned by Dr. Robert Young and Dr. Gabriel Cousens and is blamed for causing poor blood quality based on live-blood microscopy. Nevertheless, the jury is still out on the hidden powers of this mushroom. What is known is that it breaks down bad estrogen better than any other mushroom studied.
• Calcium D-glucarate: Found in berries, apples, and cruciferous vegetables, C-D-G is a fiber that draws bad estrogen out of the body via the intestines. It also inhibits beta-glucuronidase, high levels of which are associated with increased bad estrogen receptors. Because of its ability to enhance intestinal detoxification, it may also be used to treat autism.
• Citrus essential oil: Citrus essential oils have been associated with dissolving bad estrogen accumulation in fatty tissue, especially in areas affected by cellulite. Usually the oils are massaged directly into the cellulite topically.
• Citrus peel: Lemon, lime, and kumquat peels dissolve bad estrogens and may be eaten raw. Other citrus peels must be prepared (e.g., cooking, drying, etc.) due to high levels of toxins. “Prepared citrus peel” is a common additive to youthening formulas and dishes in Chinese and Persian herbal medicine and food systems.
• Cruciferous vegetables: An excellent natural source of lignans, calcium d-glucarate, and quercetin, cruciferous vegetables also metabolize into I3C and DIM (see below). All these elements help to lower bad estrogen in the body.
• Defatted flax: If you purchase this product in stores, it must be in the refrigerated section and vacuum-packed for maximum freshness and effectiveness. The lignan fibers in defatted flax draw bad estrogens into the intestines for removal. This is a critical action. Bad estrogens may be detoxified all the way to the intestines, only to be reabsorbed again; defatted flax prevents this.
• DIM: Also known as diindolylmethane, DIM should be taken with I3C (see below). This important supplement is a metabolic breakdown product of I3C, which itself is a breakdown product of glucosinolate glucobrassicin, found in cruciferous vegetables. DIM works indirectly and uniquely by helping the cells understand how to create proteins that detoxify bad estrogens. DIM possesses antiviral, antibacterial, antiangiogenesis, and cancer-fighting qualities. It is also known to inhibit nuclear factor kappa beta.
• Ellagic acid: This compound is a natural selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) believed (based on the science) to be an important component of a breast-cancer-fighting protocol.10
• I3C: Also known as indole-3-carbinol, I3C should be taken with DIM (see above). I consider I3C to be one of the most important supplements of the twenty-first century. I3C is a breakdown product of the compound glucosinolate glucobrassicin, found in cruciferous vegetables. Research continues to indicate that I3C has anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, antiviral, and antiatherogenic effects.11 I3C along with DIM are integral nutrients to assist in lowering bad estrogen levels.
• Iodine: This is the “Queen of the Halogens.” Iodine gradually displaces toxic halogens including fluoride, chlorine, bromine, and radioactive iodine—all of which could be damaging to the endocrine system. Iodine stops and may even reverse polycystic breast disease. It is typically an adjunct to the natural treatment of any reproductive cyst formations. Iodine is one of the most important supplements to protect yourself from the toxicity of the fluoridated-chlorinated water, chemtrails (ethylene dibromide or bromine), and nuclear age that we all live in.
• Lignan-rich foods and herbs: These encompass a wide range from flaxseeds, sesame seeds, berries, and vegetables (broccoli and kale) to green tea. These appear to be moderately effective in lowering breast cancer risk in post-menopausal women by approximately 14 percent.12 My feeling from reviewing the literature on the subject is that lignans from berries, vegetables, and green tea are likely more protective than lignans from flaxseeds. The weak estrogenic effects of protective lignans may allow them to affix themselves to estrogen receptor sites, thus blocking the growth signals of stronger estrogens such as estradiol that could trigger breast cancers.
• Melatonin: This tryptamine, which is a close chemical relation to I3C, inhibits some forms of estrogen and the estrogen response pathways of certain cancers.13 Living in an environment saturated with electromagnetic pollution (EMF) may inhibit melatonin’s protective properties against cancer.14
• Raw carrots: Raymond Peat reports in his pro-progesterone book From PMS to Menopause that carrot fiber helps draw bad estrogens out of the body.
Natural Aromatase InhibitorsNatural aromatase inhibitors prevent the conversion of androgens to bad estrogens.
• Chamomile: Chamomile contains apigenin and, according to some accounts, also chrysin. Both of these compounds are natural aromatase inhibitors. For this reason, chamomile tea may have longevity properties.
• Damiana: Though known to inhibit ER+ breast cancer cell lines in vitro, damiana failed to inhibit ER- breast cancer cells in vitro. Damiana does not interfere with progesterone metabolism. Because damiana is an aromatase inhibitor, this may account for its aphrodisiac properties.15
• Hops extracts (prenylated chalcones from hops): Hops is most well-known for its use as a preservative and flavoring agent in beer. The prenylflavonoids extracts from hops—xanthohumol, isoxanthohumol, and 8-prenylnaringenin—exhibit aromatase-inhibition properties.16 However, isoxanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin exhibit mild estrogenic properties, yet xanthohumol is a “pure estrogen antagonist.”17 A patented highly bioavailable form of xanthohumol is now found in two products: the Longevity Bliss chocolate bar and the supplement Hops X Factor (see the Sacred Chocolate section on this page and Hops X Factor section on this page). Hops X Factor is the most promising anti-aging longevity product I know of. It works by itself and also in conjunction with other longevity compounds such as resveratrol and astragaloside IV (TA 65, Superpill 2) as well as high-dose omega 3 fatty acids. I drink a dropper-full every day and use Hops X Factor topically as well.
• Nettle root (for men): Aromatase inhibitors have been studied closely and have shown promise in generating hair growth (Dr. Sheffield). In addition to inhibiting the binding of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), at least six constituents of the methanolic extract of nettle root inhibit aromatase, reducing the conversion of androgens to estrogens.18
• Oleuropein: This antifungal, antiviral compound is found in all parts of the olive tree. Oleuropein may be responsible for some of the longevity and health-promoting properties of olive oil.
• Passionflower: Chrysin, a chemical compound found in passionflower, is a natural aromatase inhibitor. It is best delivered in a stronger-than-normal, 35 to 40 percent (or more) alcohol tincture of passionflower herb.
• Quercetin: This longevity-inducing aromatase inhibitor is found in many raw fruits and vegetables including onions, apple skins, berries, and cruciferous vegetables.
• Resveratrol: Resveratrol must reach your cells within three and a half hours after ingestion. That explains why the traditional methods of consuming this compound are in high-phenolic and/or port wine alcohols. Alcohol is a driver and drives the poorly soluble resveratrol into the body. Because of its short “half life,” most resveratrol products are for the most part ineffective. Resveratrol is found in dark grapes, blueberries, Saskatoon berries, Japanese knotweed root (Polygonum cuspidatum), and in other sources.
• Soy extract genistein: The soy isoflavone phytoestrogen genistein suppresses estradiol synthesis by direct genistein inhibition of aromatase and the 17B steroid oxidoreductase enzymes necessary for the conversion of androgens to estrone and estrone to estradiol. But it, its partner daidzein, and/or their metabolites in digestion—in my opinion—are too estrogenic to be useful in creating healthy hormones.
Dark grapes are an excellent source of anti-aging resveratrol.
Natural Hormone BuildersFollowing is a list of foods, food extracts (fats/ oils), and/or herbal substances that promote the natural production of healthy hormones.
• Bee pollen: This is arguably the most nutritious, complete-protein food on Earth. Fresh bee pollen contains enough fat and protein to help the body produce hormones. Always obtain fresh bee pollen if possible; failing that, obtain freeze-dried bee pollen. Store your bee pollen in the freezer. For more, see the chapter on bee pollen in my book Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future.
• Cacao: An excellent source of fat-soluble minerals, cacao is able to influence the endocrine system glands to produce natural hormones.
• Chaste or vitex berry (for women): This contains bioidentical progesterone. To obtain the full benefits, it is best if the alcohol tincture is consumed sublingually, as digestion will break down the bioidentical progesterone.
• Cistanche: This obscure Chinese herb is gaining greater and greater prominence as an aphrodisiac. It increases the production of testosterone and DHT (di-hydro-testosterone). In one study, cistanche doubled the level of testosterone in mice as compared to the control group.
• Coconut cream and oil: Coconuts are one of Nature’s great superfoods. Coconut fat can fairly easily be converted to pregnenolone, a fantastic androgenic hormone precursor.
• Deer antler: See the “Adaptogen Herbs” section in Chapter 6 on deer antler.
• DHA: Docosahexaenoic acid is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid usually of marine origin (e.g., fish, krill, algae). DHA is a nutrient precursor that leads to the formation of the androgenic memory hormone DHEA.
• Fennel: This group of plants is known to increase the flow of breast milk and to fight estrogen-induced migraine headaches.
• Maca: This adaptogenic super-root influences the hypothalamus and, subsequently, the rest of the endocrine system. Maca provides hormone precursors that help the glands produce more and better-quality hormones and neurotransmitters. Maca is often recommended for hypothyroidism and for low progesterone and testosterone. For more, see the Maca chapter in my book Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future.
• Oats: Oats (seed and blade) are known to contain avenacosides A and B as well as a saponin (sulfated in products) that is purported to raise free (unbound) testosterone and lower the stress hormone cortisol.
• Pregnenolone: This androgen precursor helps build progesterone and testosterone. It is available in supplemental powders and capsules. This is a very safe androgen-building supplement.
• Progesterone cream from wild yam root: This is perhaps the most important protective bio-identical hormone for healthy adult female metabolism. Progesterone deficiency appears to be at the root of nearly all age-related degenerative conditions. In general, hormones taken orally are 80 to 90 percent metabolized and broken down by the liver on the first pass. However, when progesterone is applied to the skin, it is directly absorbed by the body without being damaged. Thus, any skin dose is ten times stronger than an oral dose. In addition, progesterone is toxic to the liver when taken orally, yet perfectly safe when consumed through the skin. I consider progesterone cream an essential health tool, to be used when needed. Can men use progesterone cream? The answer appears to be yes, but in a limited fashion (three to five days per month). Men will typically convert the progesterone immediately into testosterone. Apply a designated quantity of the cream (differs per brand) to one of the following areas each day you use it: thin-skinned areas behind the knees, around the genitals, in the inner crook of the elbows, under the breasts, along the breastbone, on the neck, and on the belly. The idea is to change up the location and even the time of application each day. Menstruating women: Begin twelve days after your cycle starts and continue for two weeks. Nonmenstruating women should take more progesterone cream—select a random day and use the cream three weeks straight followed by a weeklong break. Choose chemical-free progesterone cream products.
• Raw, organic butter: Perhaps the best dairy product, raw organic butter contains a large fraction of saturated fat, a great hormone-building material. Always choose the purest form of butter available, as butters may concentrate xenoestrogens, AGEs, nuclear fallout, fire retardants, and probably a number of other different chemicals.
• Reishi mushroom spore products: The book Ling Zhi: From Mystery to Science (about the reishi mushroom, published by the Peking University Medical Press) cites research indicating that reishi mushroom spore oil increases testosterone.
• Pine pollen: This contains bioidentical testosterone. To obtain the full hormonal benefits of pine pollen, it is best to use pine pollen alcohol tincture sublingually, because digestion will break down the bio-identical testosterone.
• Saturated fat: Saturated fat is required to produce cholesterol, which is the mother molecule needed to form the health hormones. Some people have shunned saturated fat. Based on my experience, these folks may end up with serious hormone deficiencies.
• Tongkat Ali (for men): An extraordinary root from Indonesia, tongkat Ali means “Ali’s walking stick.” This superherb and its extracts are known to significantly increase testosterone.
• Tribulus (for men): This is one of the key herbs recommended to increase testosterone levels in men.
• Yam/sweet potato: Anecdotal evidence continues to pile up in support of the androgenic qualities of yams and sweet potatoes. However, no conclusive scientific evidence exists that yam or sweet potato varieties increase progesterone.19 Overall, this is a great food, either raw or cooked. If you eat yam or sweet potato raw, be aware that they contain trypsin inhibitors that prevent excessive consumption. These trypsin inhibitors are destroyed by cooking.
Raw cacao beans
A Kirlian image of maca
Pine pollen contains plant steroids that act as antiviral compounds in humans and mammals.
From my review of the research, I believe anaerobic exercise is better for building hormones and making you young than aerobic exercise. I also believe that when one balances yin aerobic exercise practices (most yoga asanas, yoga classes, walking, gardening, etc.) with yang anaerobic exercises such as sprinting, cross-fitness workouts, heavy weights, sports, mixed martial arts workouts, etc., something unique is felt: perhaps this fusion of exercise styles is in fact the fitness balance required to thrive in our everchanging, multifaceted world of limitless adventure.
Grounding as a Hormone-Regulating Technology
Multiple clinical studies on “grounding technology” presented to this author by research scientist and inventor Clint Ober (and written about in his book Earthing) indicate that hormonal fluctuations within metabolism are “referenced” to innate rhythms that electromagnetically emanate from the Earth itself.
For example, in one unpublished study, in eight weeks of using grounding technology, the cortisol levels of the study group were reduced (normalized) and also synchronized, suggesting a higher organizational power—the Earth itself.
This type of research indicates that rubber-soled shoes and living on carpets and dead, dry wood have had profound impacts on the erratic fluctuations within our hormonal system. Essentially, this research demonstrates that a lack of direct “skin-to-skin” electromagnetic connection with the Earth can throw our hormone cycles out of balance.
Of course, in our original state within Nature’s wild lands we would be without shoes, grounded twenty-four hours a day, which is the best situation according to Clint Ober. However, living within civilization precludes consistent grounding. Sleeping using grounding technology (making an electrical Earth-to-metal-to-skin connection, thus bridging the insulation gap) appears to be the easiest way to solve this challenge, as it gives us five to eight solid hours of being grounded per day, and a chance for the hormone rhythms to be reset and normalized. See this page for more on grounding technologies.
Herbal Hormone Helpers• Ashwagandha (for men): See the “Adaptogen Herbs” section on ashwagandha (this page).
• Catuaba: This is the most famous of the aphrodisiac Amazonian plants. It stimulates the nervous system, improves memory, and modulates immunity (antiviral and antibacterial). It also demonstrates dopamine-mediated antidepressant effects. Catuaba improves erections and normalizes prostate function.
• Dong quai (for women): See the “Adaptogen Herbs” section on dong quai (this page).
• Epimedium (horny goat weed): This Chinese herb has been used traditionally to treat fatigue, arthritic and nerve pain, and low sex drive. In-vitro studies suggest that epimedium exhibits neuroprotective, immunomodulatory, and anticancer effects. The flavonoids present in epimedium were shown in a randomized trial to prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women.20 Epimedium contains phytoestrogens that may negatively influence hormone-sensitive cancers. Taoist tonic herbalist Ron Teeguarden has indicated that based on his research, combining epimedium with eucommia may activate antiaging telomerase enzymes in metabolism.
• Eucommia (jing herb): See the “Adaptogen Herbs” section on eucommia (this page).
• Ginseng: See the “Adaptogen Herbs” section on ginseng (this page).
• Goji berry: An excellent source of betaine, which is a basic “sticky” carbohydrate that helps nutrients to nourish the cells by maintaining good cellular hydration. Betaine helps the liver detoxify bad estrogens.
• Gynostemma: This super adaptogenic leaf lowers cortisol and helps build a stress-defense shield. See the “Adaptogen Herbs” section on gynostemma (this page).
• Ho shou wu (jing herb): See the “Adaptogen Herbs” section on ho shou wu (this page).
• Kelp: “The queen of the sea.” Consuming kelp is believed to lower bad estrogen levels. Kelp is a superfood and an estrogen antagonist that prevents bad estrogen from binding to estrogen receptors. For more, see the Kelp chapter of my book Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future.
• Muira puama: Purported to increase testosterone, this Amazonian herb is used by men as an aphrodisiac to increase erections. Women can use this herb as well and report better-quality orgasms.
• Poria (mushroom): An excellent spleen-nourishing yin tonic medicinal mushroom, poria is cooling and drying; it expels excess heat and dampness. This mushroom calms and tonifies the heart. Poria is often mixed in yin jing formulas with rehmannia, and this combination has a particularly balancing effect on those who follow a raw-food diet.
• Rehmannia root: “The kidney’s own food.” This extraordinary root nourishes yin jing and blood; it also supports a healthy heart. It is generally considered cooling and helps expel heat. Rehmannia has slight aphrodisiac effects. Rehmannia is often mixed in formulas with poria, and this combination has a particularly balancing effect on those who follow a raw-food diet.
• Red raspberry leaf (for women): This herb is a uterus tonic that is particularly useful in pregnancy to prepare the uterus for birth. Raspberry leaf works by directly interacting with the uterus and not through the use of plant estrogens.
• Sarsaparilla (Smilax officinalis): Sarsparilla root contains the steroid saponin, also known as diosgenin. This is the same compound found in Mexican wild yam. Diosgenin is the key laboratory building block of estrogens, testosterone, and progesterone; although in human metabolism (outside the laboratory), the conversion of diosgenin into hormones has never been proven. Nevertheless, reports of the aphrodisiac effects of sarsaparilla continue.
• Saw palmetto (for men): Unlike finasteride (Proscar/Propecia), saw palmetto does not function as a 5 alpha reductase inhibitor that results in lower serum DHT (at least according to Merck). It works instead by reducing the uptake of DHT at the receptor sites by a factor of 40 percent.21
• Suma: Known as “Brazilian ginseng,” this root (Pfaffia paniculata) is actually unrelated to ginseng. It is an adaptogen with immunological properties, considered a testosterone booster, although there is no clear in-vivo scientific proof of this. Its extensive historical use speaks to its efficacy and safety.
• Tulsi (for women): See the “Adaptogen Herbs” section on tulsi (this page).
• Yohimbe (for men): Yohimbe and its derivative substance yohimbine have been used as male aphrodisiacs to treat impotence and erectile dysfunction. Its action as an alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist raises adrenaline and norepinephrine. Yohimbe and yohimbine vary dramatically in their effectiveness.
A Kirlian image of a single goji berry
Wild Canadian poria mushroom
Healthy Hormone-Promoting Supplements• Beta-carotene: According to Raymond Peat, beta-carotene has antiestrogenic properties.
• Sea salt: I reviewed a dozen major websites for what they prescribe for pregnancy-related morning sickness. The top recommendation among those websites was, not surprisingly, salty crackers. Salt is antiestrogenic, and high estrogen levels are considered the primary cause of morning sickness. Because of the toxicity of synthetic salts sold as food preservatives and used as “table salt,” I recommend using one type of salt above all others: sea salt.
• Vitamin D3: This vitamin turns on more healing genes than any substance yet known. D3 is antiestrogenic, anticortisol, and it promotes an androgenic metabolism of healthy hormones. Vitamin D3 works best when one gets adequate sleep and rest.
• Vitamin E: Raymond Peat recommends 100 units per day of vitamin E in his book From PMS to Menopause. Vitamin E is known to normalize the ratio of estradiol to progesterone in a woman’s body.
Remember, conquering estrogen dominance and improving androgenic metabolism:
• accelerates wound healing
• improves athletic performance
• improves arthritic conditions
• improves lean muscle mass
• improves mental facility and acuity
• increases anti-inflammatory actions in the body
• increases healthy libido and improves sexual performance
• increases production of red blood cells
• increases sense of well-being slows the deteriorating effects of aging
• supports the cardiovascular system
• supports the entire endocrine system
Frequently Asked Hormone Questions
After learning about how many everyday foods and common products negatively influence hormone balance, some folks have questions about how to avoid them. Here are some simple answers.
• Q: What do I do about sunscreen?
• A: Many sunscreens are toxic and estrogenic. Use a hat and long-sleeved shirt and long pants.
• Q: What kind of cosmetics should I use?
• A: Only use cosmetics you would be willing to eat. Cosmetics should use vitamins, minerals, and/or grapefruit seed extract as a preservative.
• Q: What should I use as a weed killer?
• A: Avoid all Monsanto products, including RoundUp. Use a quarter-liter of salt in four liters of vinegar instead. Or decide to either pull the weeds by hand or love and eat weeds instead.
• Q: What should I eat?
• A: Go organic and eat lower on the food chain. Avoid animal products whenever possible due to potential contamination.
• Q: What should I use for birth control?
• A: Use natural latex condoms without spermicide (or, if you are going to use coconut oil and/or olive oil with spermicidal neem oil, use oil-resistant polyurethane condoms). Avoid birth control pills and other prescription forms of chemical birth control such as Depo-Provera.
* Quality HGH injections or supplementation can save a life and bring somebody back from near death, in cases of extreme fatigue and a long battle against infections or parasites.
† Bioidentical hormones are chemically identical to natural human hormones. Estrogen replacement therapies have never used bioidentical hormones.
‡ Dr. Bronner’s soap, borax powder, and (when I have it) zeolite powder is what I personally use to wash my clothes.