The Best Estrogen Dominance Diet: Dietitian's Top Tips

My Top Diet Tips for Estrogen Dominance

My top diet recommendations for estrogen dominance:

1. Cut back on sugar
2. Swap fast-burn carbs for slow-burn carbs
3. Eat more fiber
4. Include cruciferous vegetables
5. Avoid food additives
6. High-quality protein
7. Eat liver-supporting foods
8. Organic for the Dirty Dozen
9. Minimize alcohol
   

1. Cut back on sugar

Eating too much sugar can lead to insulin resistance, a condition that now affects around 40% of adults in the United States according to a 2021 survey (this number has almost DOUBLED since 2003).

Insulin resistance increases estrogen levels in two ways:

1. It increases aromatase activity, which converts testosterone into estrogen
2. It decreases sex-hormone-binding globulin, which increases free circulating estrogen

Cutting back on sugar is an easy way to both prevent and reverse insulin resistance, which will in turn improve estrogen levels.

Sugar can be found in foods like candy, desserts, ice cream, and soda, but watch out for sneaky sources like sports drinks, coffee drinks, salad dressings, breakfast bars, kombucha, and yogurts too.

The sad truth is - the marketing department of the majority of food brands don't care about your health. 

They're using lingo like "all-natural", "non-GMO", "superfoods" to make the food product sound healthy so you'll buy it, not because they're looking out for you.

I always encourage my clients to read nutrition labels and ingredient lists no matter how "healthy" a food product looks. 

This is a fool-proof way to avoid falling for what the marketing team puts on the front of the package.

2. Swap Fast-Burn Carbs for Slow-Burn Carbs

Cutting back on sugar is an effective way to improve blood sugar stability, but cutting back on fast-burn carbs is just as important.

Fast-burn carbs are highly processed carbs that result in a blood sugar spike followed by a crash.  The glycemic index is a measure of how intense this spike and dip is. 

Imagine you eat something sweet, like a piece of cake. The sugar in the cake is quickly absorbed into your blood, giving you a fast energy boost but also causing your blood sugar level to rise quickly and then come crashing down.

This is what we call "high glycemic index".

If you eat something like a sweet potato, which has natural sugar but also contains fiber, your body takes longer to absorb the sugar into your blood. This means your energy boost is more gradual and your blood sugar doesn't spike as high or as quickly.

This is what we call "low glycemic index".

Now for the surprising part.

Cake, ice cream, and soda are high glycemic index, but fast-burn carbs are sometimes even higher.

For example: a serving of ice cream has a glycemic index of 61.  Meanwhile, a baguette has a glycemic index of 95!

The steady source of energy from slow-burn carbs also supports healthy cortisol levels, which is key for keeping estrogen and progesterone at healthy levels.

Swap fast-burn carbs like white bread, white pasta, and flour tortillas, for slow-burn carbs like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, beans/lentils, and quinoa.

3. Eat More Fiber

Think of fiber as the body's conductor, guiding estrogen smoothly out of your system.

According to recent surveys, 95% of Americans aren't getting enough fiber.

When you hear "fiber" you may be thinking "fruits and vegetables", but there are way more great sources of fiber than that. 

Include fruits and vegetables in your diet, but don't forget about other great sources of fiber like whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, and avocados. 

This chia seed pudding is a delicious, easy way to boost your fiber intake and also get in some anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats.

Just a couple of months on a higher fiber diet can make a big difference in lowering high estrogen levels.

4. High-Quality Protein

Eating enough high-quality protein from sources like meat, fish, and eggs supports your liver function and aids in weight loss, which can both be incredibly helpful for combatting estrogen dominance.

To get rid of excess estrogen, your liver has to be healthy.  Your liver is the main detoxing organ in the body and it processes both toxins and excess hormones in two big steps: phase 1 and phase 2.

In phase 2, the liver uses amino acids (from the protein you eat) to turn excess estrogen into a form that can be dissolved in water.  This new form is much easier to remove from the body.

Eating enough high-quality protein is also an effective way to boost your metabolism, burn fat, and improve your body composition.

Why does your body composition matter?

Most estrogen is made in the ovaries, but your fat tissue makes estrogen too.

Combining strength training with a protein-rich diet helps you build muscle and burn fat.  By improving your body composition you reduce the amount of fat tissue that can produce and store estrogen, which improves estrogen dominance.

5. Include Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, arugula, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, bok choy, and radish.

This group of vegetables contain two phytonutrients that can help reverse estrogen dominance: DIM (diindolylmethane) and IC3 (indole-3-carbinol). 

These compounds support both phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification in the liver.  Just like protein, this helps the liver break down excess estrogen into forms that are easier to remove from the body. These new forms of estrogen also have less negative effects in the body while they're on their way out.

DIM and IC3 also have a high fiber content which supports estrogen excretion through the digestive tract. 

We can metabolize estrogen all we want, but we have to have a way to remove it from the body to overcome estrogen dominance. 

The gut is the answer! (hint hint - if you're constipated you're at an increased risk for estrogen dominance)

6. Avoid Food Additives

Xeno is a Greek word meaning stranger, guest, or host.

Can you guess what "xenoestrogens" are?

These are substances that aren't estrogen, but look like estrogen to your body.  These substances can bind to estrogen receptors just like natural estrogen can, and they mimic the effects of natural estrogen as a result.

Even if your body's estrogen production is normal, xenoestrogens can confuse your endocrine (hormone) system and cause hormone imbalances including estrogen dominance.

Even worse, the body often has a tough time getting rid of these man-made chemicals which means their effects often just get worse with time.

Some food additives and preservatives like BHA are considered xenoestrogens, yet they're still consider "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) and added to our food.

Since the FDA doesn't have you're back, it's important to always read ingredient labels and avoid food additives and preservatives as much as you can.

Scaling back on fast food and packaged, processed foods is an easy way to scale back on food additive and preservatives to fight estrogen dominance.

7. Eat Liver-Supporting Foods

Aside from high-protein foods and cruciferous vegetables, there are other specific foods that directly support liver function.

If the liver is sluggish, estrogen detoxification is sluggish.  If the liver is firing on all cylinders, estrogen processing will go a lot smoother. 

Here are a list of some liver-supporting foods to include in your diet:

Garlic - Packed with allicin and selenium

Dandelion - Supports bile flow

Artichokes - Promotes bile production

Milk thistle - Contains silymarin, which protects liver cells and supports detoxification

Beets - High in plant flavanoids and beta-carotene

Cranberries - Polyphenols which can help reduce fatty liver

Salmon - Omega-3's to reduce liver inflammation and improve liver enzymes

Don't stress - You don't have to incorporate all of these on a daily basis. 

But if you're looking at this list and you never eat any of these foods, we have some work to do!

Liver-supporting foods are an important part of an estrogen dominance (reversing) diet, so incorporate them where you can.

8. Organic for the Dirty Dozen

Pesticides are an often overlooked source of xenoestrogens.

Just like food additives and preservatives, pesticides on conventional produce can look like estrogen to your body and cause estrogen dominance.

Pesticides can also affect the liver's ability to break down and remove estrogens from the body properly, leading to higher levels of estrogen circulating in the body.

I know grocery prices are already sky high, and buying everything organic may be financially out of reach for some.  I totally understand!

Check out EWG's The Dirty Dozen for a list of produce with the highest pesticide counts so you can prioritize buying these fruits and vegetables organic.

I also recommend comparing organic and conventional prices as you grocery shop - sometimes organic produce is almost the same exact cost, and occasionally organic is cheaper.

9. Minimize Alcohol

Reducing your alcohol consumption will directly improve your liver health and support estrogen detoxification.

Estrogen levels tend to be higher in women who drink alcohol than in non-drinkers.  Even one drink per day can create an unwanted increase in estrogen levels.

Wondering if your glass of organic red wine is full of heart-healthy antioxidants?  Research now concludes no level of alcohol is helpful for our health.

If you look forward to a drink at the end of a long day, consider incorporating a comforting drink like herbal tea into your evening routine instead.

Estrogen Dominance Diet FAQ's

Are eggs bad for estrogen dominance?

No - research shows no significant association between estrogen levels and egg intake.  In fact, eggs are a well known source of high-quality protein and choline, which both support liver function and in turn can reverse estrogen dominance.

Does caffeine increase estrogen?

It is unclear whether caffeine increases or decreases estrogen levels in women.  One research study showed caffeine consumption was associated with higher estrogen in Asian women, but lower estrogen in white women.  It's important to keep in mind that caffeine consumption increases the stress hormone cortisol.  High levels of cortisol can create hormone imbalances in general, so I recommend only moderate amounts of caffeine while paying attention to anxiety and sleep quality to make sure you're not overdoing it.

Is chicken bad for estrogen dominance?

Similarly to eggs, chicken is a great source of high-quality protein which supports liver function and can in turn reverse estrogen dominance.  A lot of companies display "hormone-free" labels on their chicken packages, but rest assured added hormones and steroids haven't been allowed in the production of poultry in the United States since the 1950s.

What is the best breakfast for estrogen dominance?

A breakfast full of high-quality protein, healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients can help reverse estrogen dominance.  This may sound complicated and hard to achieve, but it's easier than it sounds.  Check out this blog post for nine easy breakfast ideas that support hormone balance.

Does green tea help estrogen dominance?

Research shows green tea can help with estrogen dominance because of high phytochemical content.  If you incorporate green tea, just make sure you aren't loading it up with sugar - the added sugar can have a negative effect on estrogen levels which will defeat the purpose.

How long does it take to reverse estrogen dominance?

Reversing estrogen dominance can take months, depending on how high estrogen levels have gotten as well as a variety of other factors like genetics, blood sugar stability, inflammation levels, stress levels, and the methods you are using to rebalance your estrogen levels.  For example, if you address estrogen dominance in a variety of ways by adjusting your diet, making lifestyle changes, and taking supportive supplements, you will see progress a lot sooner than someone who is just addressing estrogen dominance with their diet.  Research shows some tactics work fast - for example, a DIM supplement can have effects in as little as one week!

What else can I do to reverse estrogen dominance?

Diet plays a critical role in reversing estrogen dominance, but it's often just one piece of the puzzle.  Hydrating, reducing your exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals, regular exercise, managing stress, and getting enough high-quality sleep are other helpful ways to reverse estrogen dominance.  Want to learn more?  Read this blog post to learn about common root causes of estrogen dominance and how to heal naturally.

If you want

• A step-by-step roadmap to rebalance your estrogen levels (and all your other hormones too)
• Clear and credible answers to women’s health questions
• A simple plan to a healthy life

Click here to check out my most popular program!