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PHYTOESTROGENS - FRIENDS OR FOES?
CAN PLANT HORMONES HELP WOMEN IN MENOPAUSE? DO THEY AFFECT BREAST CANCER?
~2002, Susun S. Weed
Phytoestrogens are weak hormones found in many plants. They are currently
being promoted, sometimes in highly refined forms, for relief of the
symptoms of menopause. Are they safe~ Can they promote breast cancer~
We know that increased exposure to hormones - such as those used in
the cattle industry, those given to women during menopause, those taken
by women engaged in hi-tech pregnancy efforts, and even those naturally
produced by our own bodies - increases our risk of being diagnosed with
cancer, especially breast cancer. And many believe that hormone-like
chemicals - xenoestrogens - increasingly found in our food and water,
contribute to cancer as well. Doesn't that imply that phytoestrogens
will increase cancer risk too~
Virtually everything we eat - grains, beans, nuts, seeds, seed oils,
berries, fruits, vegetables, and roots - contains phytoestrogens. Scientists
measuring the amount of phytoestrogen break-down by-products in the
urine of healthy women found that those with the least were four times
more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than with the most. Phytoestrogens
actually appear to protect tissues from the cancer-causing effects of
xenoestrogens and other hormonal pollutants.
This seems simple - eat more phytoestrogens, be healthier - and it
is, so long as we restrict ourselves to eating plants. But when the
difference between food and medicine is disregarded, when phytoestrogens
are isolated and concentrated, sold to us in pills and candy bars, then
the equation changes: phytoestrogens become dangerous hormones, quite
capable of promoting cancer.
To get the greatest benefit from phytoestrogenic foods and herbs remember:
1. Isolated phytoestrogens are not as safe as those "in
matrix."
2. To make use of plant hormones, you need active, healthy
gut flora.
3. Herbs and foods rich in phytoestrogens need to be used
in different ways.
4. Phytoestrogens may have different effects on women who
do not have their ovaries.
1. Plants contain many types of phytoestrogens; additionally, they
contain minerals and other constituents which help our bodies modify
the phytoestrogens and so we can use them safely. Red clover, for instance,
is mineral-rich and contains all four of the major types of phytoestrogens:
lignans, coumestans, isoflavones, and resorcylic acid lactones. It is
the world's best-known anti-cancer herb. In general, foods and herbs
rich in phytoestrogens, with the possible exception of licorice, show
anti-cancer abilities. Isoflavone, however, when isolated (usually from
soy) has the opposite effect: in the lab it encourages the growth of
breast cancer cells (endnote 32 in New Menopausal Years).
2. Plant hormones, including most phytoestrogens, can't
be used by humans. But we can convert them into ones we can use - with
the help of our gut bacteria. When women take antibiotics, their excretion
of phytoestrogens plummets. Get your gut flora going by eating more
yogurt, miso, unpasteurized sauerkraut, homemade beers and wines, picked-by-your-own-hands-and-unwashed
fruits and salads, sourdough bread, and whey-fermented vegetables (see
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon for whey-fermented vegetable recipes).
3. Plants which are exceptionally rich in phytoestrogens
are regarded as powerful herbal medicines. Plants which are good sources
of phytoestrogens are regarded as foods. While food can certainly be
our medicine - a practice I advocate - it is also true that medicines
are more dangerous than foods. Foods rich in phytoestrogens are different
than medicinal herbs rich in phytoestrogens. They have different places
in my life.
~ I eat phytoestrogenic foods daily in quantity.
~ I use phytoestrogenic food-like herbs regularly but not daily and
in moderate quantity.
~ I take phytoestrogenic herbs rarely, usually in small amounts and
for a limited time.
Phytoestrogenic foods are the basis for a healthy diet and a long life.
The first food listed is the highest in phytoestrogens. The best diet
contains not just one but many choices from each list:
~ Whole grains (rye, oats, barley, millet, rice, wheat, corn)
~ Edible seeds (buckwheat, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, amaranth, quinoa)
~ Beans (yellow split peas, black turtle beans, baby limas, Anasazi
beans, red kidney beans, red lentils, soy beans)
~ Leafy greens and seaweed (parsley, nettle, kelp, cabbage, broccoli,
kale, collards, lamb's quarter)
~ Fruits (olives, cherries, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, plums, strawberries,
blackberries, raspberries, salmon berries, apricots, crab apples, quinces,
rosehips, blueberries)
~ Olive oil and seed oils
~ Garlic, onions and their relatives leeks, chives, scallions, ramps,
shallot
The exceptions to the rule that plants don't contain human hormones:
~ French beans, rice, apple seeds, licorice, and pomegranate seeds
contain the “weak” estrogen estrone.
Phytoestrogenic food-like herbs are generally considered longevity
tonics. For optimum effect, use only one from the list below and to
stick with it for at least three months:
~ Citrus peel, dandelion leaves and/or roots, fenugreek seeds, flax
seeds, green tea, hops, red clover, red wine.
Phytoestrogenic herbs are usually too powerful for long-term use. From
the list below (which is in alphabetical order), it is safest to use
only one herb at a time, and use it only when needed, although that
may mean daily use for several months. More information about these
herbs, including specific dosages and cautions, is in New Menopausal
Years the Wise Woman Way.
~ Agave root, black cohosh root, black currant, black haw, chasteberries,
cramp bark, dong quai root, devil's club root, false unicorn root, ginseng
root, groundsel herb, licorice, liferoot herb, motherwort herb, peony
root, raspberry leaves, rose family plants (most parts), sage leaves,
sarsaparilla root, saw palmetto berries, wild yam root, yarrow blossoms.
4. Most of the warnings about phytoestrogenic herbs
center on their proven ability to thicken the uterine wall in animals
who have had their ovaries removed. This could encourage cancer, just
as taking ERT encourages cancer of the uterus by stimulating cell growth.
Women without ovaries are probably safe eating phytoestrogenic foods,
but may want to use phytoestrogenic herbs - especially ginseng, dong
quai, licorice, red clover, and wild yam - in small amounts and only
for short periods.
Phytoestrogens can be our friends. In a world that seems increasingly
hostile and threatening, green allies offer us ways to stay safe and
healthy, so long as we use them with wisdom and honor.
This article is based on information in New
Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way, read more at
www.menopause-metamorphosis,
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Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year
Author: Susun S. Weed. Simple, safe remedies for pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and newborns. Includes herbs for fertility and birth control. Foreword by Jeannine Parvati Baker. 196 pages, index, illustrations.
Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com
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Healing Wise
Author: Susun S. Weed. Superb herbal in the feminine-intuitive mode. Complete instructions for using common plants for food, beauty, medicine, and longevity. Introduction by Jean Houston. 312 pages, index, illustrations.
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NEW Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way
Author: Susun S. Weed. The best book on menopause is now better. Completely revised with 100 new pages. All the remedies women know and trust plus hundreds of new ones. New sections on thyroid health, fibromyalgia, hairy problems, male menopause, and herbs for women taking hormones. Recommended by Susan Love MD and Christiane Northrup MD. Introduction by Juliette de Bairacli Levy. 304 pages, index, illustrations.
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For excerpts visit: www.menopause-metamorphosis.com
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Breast Cancer? Breast Health!
Author: Susun S. Weed. Foods, exercises, and attitudes to keep your breasts healthy. Supportive complimentary medicines to ease side-effects of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or tamoxifen. Foreword by Christiane Northrup, M.D. 380 pages, index, illustrations.
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Down There: Sexual and Reproductive Health the Wise Woman Way
Publication date: June 21, 2011
Author: Susun S. Weed
Simple, successful, strategies cover the entire range of options -- from mainstream to radical -- to help you choose the best, and the safest, ways to optimize sexual and reproductive health.
Foreword: Aviva Romm, MD, midwife, 484 pages, Index, illustrations.
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Abundantly Well - Seven Medicines
The Complementary Integrated Medical
Revolution
Publication date: December 2019
Author: Susun S. Weed
Seven Medicines build foundational health and guide you to the best health care when problems arise.
Includes case studies, recipes, exentsive references and resources. Introduction by Patch Adams illustrated by Durga
Yael Bernhard 352 pages, index, illustrations
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Susun
Weed, green witch and wise woman, is an extraordinary teacher with
a joyous spirit, a powerful presence, and an encyclopedic knowledge
of herbs and health. She is the voice of the Wise Woman Way, where common
weeds, simple ceremony, and compassionate listening support and nourish
health/wholeness/holiness. She has opened hearts to the magic and medicine
of the green nations for decades. Ms. Weed's Six herbal medicine
books focus on women's health topics including: menopause, childbearing,
and breast health. Visit her site www.susunweed.com for information on her workshops, apprenticeships, correspondence courses
and more! Venture into the
Menopause site www.menopause-metamorphosis.com to learn all about the Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way. Join Susuns Mentorship site for personal one on one mentorship!
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