5 Phytoestrogens & Plant-Based Hormones Every Woman 30+ Should Know

Why would we want to mimic estrogen in the body in the first place? What’s so great about estrogren?

The answer is simple. Because the estrogen that our body produces NATURALLY has super powers that future proof our health, vitality & longevity.

Estrogen produced in your ovaries and adrenal glands, but there are estrogen receptors in every ingle single cell, in every system, in your body, waiting to receive it & bind with it so they can function OPTIMALLY. Yup, it’s cell food for every single cell, in every single tissue, in every single organ in the brain.

It’s essential body & brain fuel!

Hello I’m Stephanie, Creator of the bodybrai reset, the 14-day micro course that helps you reset your body & brain & feel like yourself again. It’s the ultimate guide to biohacking body:brain balance when hormones start to fluctuate in your 30s or 40s, aka perimenopause, which starts younger than you think, so be prepared to power through it.
Join the waitlist by clicking the link below, and you’ll be the first to know when the body:brain reset opens - maybe by the time you watch this the FREE masterclass will be ready!

In today’s episode we’re talking about how to Boost the estrogen ‘effect’ and the 5 incredible phytoestrogens & plant-based hormones that help reduce a lot of these pesky symptoms that pop up in our 30s and 40s.

If you have any questions while watching this episode and want to know more about anything covered, pop them in the comments below and I’ll make a Part 2.

Firstly, why do we want and need the estrogen effect?! Why do people so fervently seek the estrogen effect through the use of phytoestrogens?

Ok, let’s start from the beginning. Because this will blow your mind.

Estrogen is one of over 50+ hormones produced by the human body. Hormones are chemical messengers in the brain that tell the body what to do and when, and when each is in perfect physiological range for our gender and our specific body & brain needs, our body & brain is in perfect balance and YOU are on fire.

Estrogen is one of our sex hormones, also called reproductive hormones, that in an ideal scenario, our body makes effortlessly & in the right quantities during our reproductive years, it’s often associated with woman-ness and fertility, but here’s the most exciting thing about estrogen, it’s not just about sex or reproduction as the name would suggest: it’s the ultimate superpower for your entire Body & Brain.

So before we talk about the phytoestrogens & plant-based hormones that can mimic the estrogen effect in the body, let’s talk about why we’re so excited to mimic estrogen in the first place.

It’s because the Estrogen that our body produces NATURALLY has powerful long-term protective effects.

It’s made by the ovaries, and small amounts are made in the adrenal glands; your body produces four types of estrogen; Oestradiol is the main form produced in your body in your reproductive years…

but this is the most interesting part - it may be produced in your ovaries and adrenal glands, but there are estrogen receptors in every cell, in every system, in your body, waiting to receive it & bind with it so they can function OPTIMALLY. Yup, it’s cell food!

But let me just impress upon you how important this is:

There are estrogen receptors in our brain, waiting for an adequate supply of estrogen to help
Improve mood and reduce anxiety
Helps with learning
Improve memory and concentration
Increase levels of other neurotransmitters including dopamine, serotonin, melatonin
Improve sleep
Increase connections between brain cells so we can thinking straight & creatively
Improves our energy
And many other things
Our brain needs an adequate supply of estrogen to function optimally.
And that’s just the brain

There are estrogen receptors in our:
Heart
Liver
Bones
Joints and muscles
Bowes
Nerves
Bladder
ALL Waiting for adequate levels of estrogen to function optimall.

In particular there are estrogen receptors in our vulva & vagina where estrogen’s role is to keep us lubricated, the right pH and free from inflammation & infection

AND there are estrogen receptors in our skin, where it’s role is the ultimate inbuilt skin care systems because it:

Increases collagen production
Reduces moisture loss
Improves elasticity
Increases blood supply to skin
— and basically keeps our skin young, plump & dewy & glowy

So when we’re in our 20s we’re ticking along in life, career and relationships with sharp minds, healthy vaginas and gorgeous skin when…

BAM!

Some time in our 30s or 40s our levels of estrogen start to fluctuate more dramatically than usual and then FALL forever….

Which can make our body & brain go haywire.
That’s why we get so excited about phytoestrogens.
We want that estrogenic effect even when our natural levels start to fluctuate and fall.

So what are they?

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that can mimic or modulate estrogenic activity in the body because of their structural similarity to estrogens AND their ability to bind to and influence estrogen receptors just like our natural estrogen does — and they’ve been used in traditional medicine like ayurvedic & chinese medicine for thousands of years to support female hormone balance.

And luckily there’s enough research nowadays to show their efficacy & soften the heart & mind of those who are the most sceptical when it comes to food as medicine, plant medicine and alternative medicine, as phytoestrogens are sometimes referred to - when in reality it’s just food - and part of the immune system of the planet gifted to us by Mother Earth.

Some phytoestrogens activate estrogenic effects, some block them - so overall they can have a balancing effects depending on whether you want to prevent symptoms or remedy them.

Phytoestrogens are typically metabolised and excreted by the body within 24 hrs, and they are much less potent than the estrogen our body makes naturally. The ones I’m sharing today are safe, commercially available in most supermarkets even, affordable and ready to consume.

If in any doubt, check with your healthcare, herbal or nutrition practitioner before making changes to your diet and lifestyle and to determine the right dose for you.

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Shatavari

Shatavari is made from the roots of a type of asparagus that grows in India.

Studies show that shatavari contains phytoestrogenic compounds capable of binding to estrogen receptors. The researchers observed that shatavari supplementation improved muscle function in postmenopausal women, potentially mediated by its estrogenic effects.

It’s been used in Ayuvedic medicine for thousands of years as a female hormone balancer. It’s rich in phytoestrogens, it’s known for helping to balance hormones responsible for menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and mood changes. It’s used for regulating menstrual cycles, alleviating PMS/ PMT, and act as an aphrodisiac by enhancing sexual function.

Shatavari also stimulates and balances the production of happy hormones; endorphins serotonin and dopamine - meaning it can greatly reduce mood swings, irritablility and menopause-induced depression.

It works as an aphrodisiac and enhances libido, and is jokingly referred to as 'she who has one hundred husbands'.

It also has benefits for digestive health, particularly for cleansing the gut, as well as in immune system support.

That’s pretty estrogenic, right? Basically helps with almost everything?!

It comes as a powder or tincture, I started taking a tsp a day, took it religiously for 8 years and it smoothed out my cycle to a perfect 35 days, got rid of my monthly breast pain and cramping and made me feel overall great.

This was my first phytoestrogen and I was totally sold. I recommended it to everyone. But most people just thought I was weird back then.

Actually fun fact - did you know only 16% of women have a 28 day cycle. A pretty normal cycle is anything from 21-35 days.

Now let’s move on to the next phytoestrogen - Soy!!

Soy is perhaps the most well-known phyoestrogen, and one of the richest sources of isoflavone phytoestrogens. Isoflavone is one of 3 phytoestrogen compounds that is highest in estrogenic effects, and the most researched. It’s also found in red clover.. Soy foods high in phytoestrogens include:
Tofu
Tempeh
Edamame
Soy milk
Miso
Soy protein isolates

My favourite hack is adding 2 tbsp edamame to every meal, especially salads, or marinading tempeh in coconut aminos before baking it or sauteing it - it is my favourite protein source aside from salmon and I eat it regularly.

Fun fact: Most research about menopause has been conducted in the US and with caucasian women, but one study has shown that Women from South Asian backgrounds whose diets may be more plan- based (containing phytoestrogens, which can stimulate the oestrogen receptors) tend to suffer from fewer hot flushes, night sweats and skin changes.

Now, let’s move on to the next phytoestrogen - Flax seeds!

I’d say Flax, like soy, is a pretty famous, and well-known phytoestrogen used daily.

Flaxseeds are an excellent source of lignan phytoestrogens, particularly (SDG). Lignan phytoestrogens are have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor properties health benefits attributed to lignans have included a lowered risk of heart disease, menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis and breast cancer.

Flaxseeds contain higher total phytoestrogen content than most other foods.

You can soak 1-2 tablespoons of the whole seeds overnight then add them to smoothies and cereals and soaked oats the next day.

Or you can buy them cold-milled and ready to consume - this is what I do and I add 2 tbsp to either soaked oats, yogurt & fruit, or a smoothie every day.

It’s also a good source of protein, magnesium and omega 3. It’s also an amazing bowel cleaner and source of fiber that will keep you regular.

Let’s move on to the next phytoestrogen - Fenugreek!
Fenugreek -

The one I’m most excited about, because I’ve just started drinking it is… Fenugreek.

It’s a herb native Native to India and southern Europe. The seeds are the active part, and it makes the most amazing tea!

There’s significant evidence that fenugreek seeds possess phytoestrogen properties and can provide health benefits related to hormonal balance and menopausal symptoms in women:

A specific study found that the phytoestrogen effect of fenugreek seed extract helped relieve leg pain and vasomotor symptoms (like hot flashes) in postmenopausal women when compared to a placebo group in a randomized, double-blind trial.

Fenugreek seeds have been used for 1000's of years and are documented as being used by the ancient Egyptians and Romans for fevers, respiratory and intestinal complaints, as well as wound healing and abscesses. Indian women have long used Fenugreek seeds to stimulate milk production for breast feeding, and they are used in Ayurveda for arthritis, bronchitis and digestive upsets.

It’s typically used these days for:
digestive health, particularly to ease constipation
To help produce milk when you’re breast feeding
To encourage regular periods, ease menstrual cramps and relieve PMS symptoms
To manage type 1 and type 2 diabetes by lowering blood glucose levels and improving glucose tolerance

It’s another excellent & preventative allrounder.

You can buy it as seeds, tincture, powder or capsules.

I have the seeds, I soak 4 tsps in a cup of water for a few minutes, remove the seeds, and drink. I was recommended this by next week’s guest an outrageously smart woman who’s going to be talking about cellular rejuvenation how to get the plump botox effect without the botox. Subscribe and stay tuned for that.

And finally perhaps the moment you’ve been waiting for, plant-based hormones.

What on earth are they?!

Plant-based hormones

I’m talking specifically about body-identical, plant-based estrogen.

If you’re in your 30s or 40s right now, you’re the first generation of women who can start supplementing their hormones from the get-go with pharmaceutical-grade, prescription-only, regulated-for-safety hormone supplementation derived from…

… the wild yam plant.

The wild yam has been used in ayurveda as a hormone balancer for 7,000 years, so my holistic brain lit up as soon as I discovered it 2 years ago.

It’s called body-identical estrogen because it has the exact same molecular structure as the estrogen produced in your body by your ovaries.

It’s prescribed by either a menopause specialist or a doctor accredited or certified in menopause, in the exact method, type & dose for YOU, to bring your levels back into the correct female physiological range to solve your symptoms,

it comes in the form of a gel, spray or patch, and is prescribed together with body-identical, micronised progesterone (if you have a uterus) and often testosterone cream or gel derived from soy or wild yam substrates, so your holy triumvirate of reproductive hormones are all supplemented simultaneously - because they often go haywire together!

In this case you would have regular blood tests to ensure your hormones are back within female physiological range after starting them, and they stay there, and you feel on top of your game again.

Body-identical estrogen is heavily regulated, rigorously tested and researched, and recommended by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines (NG23) in the UK.

Thank you mother nature.

And thank you NICE org in the UK, because not all countries are this progressive or give women their hormones back based on their symptoms. Not Yet anyway. We have a long way to go in women’s health

Other countries like France & Australia are awake to women’s health. The US is slowly waking up, but I hear a rumour that there’s only one menopause specialist for every 36,000 women in the US. Yikes.

The truth is, the solution is here and we just have to eradicate medical gatekeeping globally for it to be accessible to all women globally.

Now ancient wisdom meets today’s science through precise, efficiently absorbed doses through sprays, gels, patches and capsules that restore your body to adequate levels of estrogen (as well as progesterone & testosterone).

The purpose of body-identical hormones is to supplement what’s missing, and to bring you back to within the normal female physiological range (not to provide you with higher levels than you had in the first place).

They are the exact same molecular structure as the hormones produced by your body. So extraordinary. And I can tell you from personal experience - this is next level stuff.

I take it in the form of a patch that I apply around my hip/ buttock area twice a week, and it restored my brain and body within 2 days.

At some point your hormones might dip so low you, phytoestrogens just won’t cut it and you’ll need the real thing - 80% of women experience symptoms that throw a spanner into daily life, 25% so severe it can derail your life, - and body-identical hormones are the closest to the real think you’re going to get.

To learn more about hormonal fluctuations & perimenopause and how to reset your body & brain when symptoms starts in your 30s or 40s, join the waitlist for BBR_ the link is in the show notes below.

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So which ones excite you the most and make you want to try them? Let me know in the comments below.

Shatavari
Soy
Flax
Fenugreek
Body-identical estrogen
Do your own research

Research the solutions, experiment with those that align with your health & wellbeing values.

Let me know how you go with your experiments!

In the meantime, watch out for symptoms so you can catch them early and nip them in the bud, click now to watch the 34 symptoms of perimenopause, you might also enjoy the 5 essential oils that act like estrogen and mimic collagen too.

I’ll see you next time. Bye!