Confession time: Nothing makes me feel insecure quite like a little too much extra body fat around my midsection, especially when it accumulates around my pecs. Now, even when I gained 30 pounds last year, I still didn’t deal with man boobs like some guys do … thank God.
But before I dropped that 30 pounds in 12 weeks and revealed my abs and muscles again, I was feeling really insecure about taking my shirt off, especially in public.
A lot of guys struggle with dropping that extra layer of body fat, especially as they get older. The fat tissue is “stubborn” for one reason …
Excess estrogen.
Contents:
- What is Estrogen?
- What is Estrogen Dominance?
- Signs of Estrogen Dominance
- How to Lower Estrogen Naturally
Estrogen molecules are stored in the tissue, and they can make it really difficult to get rid of that fat. The trick, I found, is to positively improve the estrogen-to-androgen ratio.
Meaning, you want to lower estrogen naturally, while increasing androgen production naturally.
What Is Estrogen?:
Estrogen is the primary female hormone that is stimulated by the brain into production that influences your reproductive system.
While most people associate estrogen with women, the truth of the matter is that men produce it too.
Balanced levels of estrogen are necessary in men, however due to certain modern circumstances, our entire population of men has seen a massive rise in male estrogen levels over the past 50 years, possibly leading to all sorts of dangerous health issues.
Now, What Is Estrogen Dominance?:
Estrogen dominance is characterized by the androgen-to-estrogen ratio in men. When the body has a proper androgen-to-estrogen ratio (meaning there are higher amounts of androgens produced relative to estrogen), it uses that estrogen produced for a couple key things and effectively removes it from the bloodstream, or methylates it, keeping the balance and keeping men healthy and disease free.
A healthy body has a high androgen-to-estrogen ratio, which means it needs to make less estrogen to stay healthy.
Better yet, having a higher androgen-to-estrogen ratio allows the male body to function properly for more energy, building muscle, and will also help the body store less fat.
What’s even better, is that a better androgen-to-estrogen ratio is going to lead to higher T levels in men.
Signs Of Estrogen Dominance:
Higher estrogen levels can cause weight gain. Higher estrogen levels can accelerate aging. Higher estrogen levels can cause reduced T. Higher estrogen levels increases cravings for junk foods, and they also lead to slow metabolism issues and poor thyroid function.
For everyone who wants to get rid of gynecomastia and has to increase their androgen-to-estrogen ratio, I’ve got three natural compounds to use today that can increase androgen production naturally and get control over that excess estrogen once again.
Guess What? Lowering Estrogen Is Easier Than You Might Think…
In fact, you can do it with some common food. That’s why I put together my five most favorite estrogen-lowering foods list.
1. Pomegranates
Pomegranates are one pretty awesome fruit, and I believe that all guys should bulk up with it.
There seems to come new studies about the health benefits of this magical fruit every week now.
First I found out about this study, where the researchers found out that after two weeks of drinking pure pomegranate juice, their participants salivary T levels increased by a nice 24 percent on average.
The very same study also found out that both systolic and diastolic blood pressure dropped by a very nice 20 percent on average.
Then this study found out that three solid years of drinking 1.7 ounces of pomegranate juice daily, reduced arterial plaque by a staggering 35 percent on human subjects.
Most recently researchers have also found out that certain compounds in pomegranates are anti-estrogenic.
There’s also this study where the researchers saw that pomegranates inhibited aromatase enzyme (which is the enzyme that converts T into estrogen).
So the next time someone asks you what’s a healthy fruit that lowers estrogen, just say pomegranates.
2. Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the oils that all men should introduce into their diets.
Olive oil has been shown to convert cholesterol more easily into T inside the testicular leydig cells, and it's ridiculously high in this compound called lutreopin, which in this study6 was seen to inhibit aromatase enzyme in the body (aromatase converts T into estrogen).
3. Mushrooms
Countless of mushroom varieties have been studied for their anti-estrogenic effects.
For example, this study found out that white button mushrooms have aromatase inhibiting properties.
Then this study found out that Shiitake mushrooms destroyed cancerous estrogen receptor cells while simultaneously inhibited aromatase.
Also various of other mushrooms have been studied for their estrogen lowering properties.
4. Red Wine and Grapes
Red grapes and the wine that’s made out of them contain some very powerful anti-estrogenic properties.
For example: They’re loaded with resveratrol and various other polyphenols which are known for their estrogen lowering effects. Resveratrol may also increase T and inhibits aromatase.
There’s also this compound called proanthocyanidin which is anti-estrogenic and cardioprotective. And the skins are loaded with this flavonoid called quercetin, which is also anti-estrogenic and increases NO synthase.
5. Onions
Onions can be used in multiple dishes. Throw them in with your meats, add them to sauces, pizzas, whatever you can imagine.
Why would I do that?
Onions taste pretty darn good.
In this rat study, onion juice tripled their T levels. Onions are filled with quercetin, which is a flavonoid that decreases estrogen and increases NO production.
But here’s where things get more difficult.
How on Earth do you improve the androgen part of the equation?
Now that you’re lowering estrogen with our All Encompassing Guide, to really pack the punch you need to increase androgen production naturally (there’s no use in using HRT, since that actually simultaneously increases estrogen production as well, which doesn’t help the ratio).
Now the first thing is what’s known as KSM-66 Ashwagandha.
KSM 66 ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb extract taken from ashwagandha, and it’s been used in traditional Eastern medicine for centuries. Some of the benefits of KSM 66 include an increase in androgen production and anti-stress effects, improved men’s health biomarkers, improved cholesterol numbers, increased exercise performance and decreased estrogen production.
The recommended dosage for ashwagandha is between 400mg/day.
Next up, we have Forskolin.
Forskolin is commonly used as a root for fat loss but it’s also known for its numerous biological effects on the male body. The best type of forskolin is the root extract because it has high potency.
Forskolin root extract has a ton of benefits, including large increases in cAMP levels which leads to increased dopamine and T levels, boosts in energy and improved cholesterol levels.
The recommended dosage for daily forskolin intake is between 250mg per day.
The third natural ingredient that you can consume on a daily basis is actually what’s known as zinc gluconate.
Zinc gluconate is an essential mineral that’s consumed through your diet and it’s highly bioavailable, meaning it’s readily absorbed by your body. The benefits of zinc gluconate include a regulation of estrogen metabolism and increased androgen production. The clinical dose of zinc gluconate is also used to treat deficiencies that lead to mental health issues. As well, supplemeting with the clinical dosage of zing gluconate leads to a great reduction in appetite, improved symptoms of depression, along with providing a noticeable increase in stamina and drive. At this point, some of y’all are probably wondering: Where do we get all these things?
One option is to search around on Amazon and try to find them, but we did at my company UMZU is that we put together a supplement known as Testro-X.
Meet Testro-X!
Testro-X is specifically designed with these three ingredients — along with 5 other key ingredients — at the exact clinical dosages shown in human studies to help increase androgen production and to help with decrease estrogen. Leading to a drastically improved androgen-to-estrogen ratio.
Now we put them all in here, it’s a very simple supplement. And it actually works.
One of the best parts about Testro-X and UMZU, is that we want to make sure our products work for you. If for some reason you aren’t satisfied, we offer a 60 day money-back guarantee. No risk for you.
Click Here to Learn More About Testro-X
Overdoing it during a workout can lower testosterone - Research has shown that men who "felt the burn" & carried on saw a 40% drop in T levels. Your rest times are just as important as your lifting times!
— Nate Stone (@War_On_Estrogen) December 16, 2019
Citations and Sources
- Zarfeshany A, Asgary S, Javanmard S. Potent health effects of pomegranate. Adv Biomed Res. 2014;3:100. [PMC]
- Ammar A, Esmat A, Hassona M, Tadros M, Abdel-Naim A, Guns E. The effect of pomegranate fruit extract on testosterone-induced BPH in rats. Prostate. 2015;75(7):679-692. [PubMed]
- Wang D, Özen C, Abu-Reidah I, et al. Vasculoprotective Effects of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.). Front Pharmacol. 2018;9:544. [PMC]
- Adams L, Zhang Y, Seeram N, Heber D, Chen S. Pomegranate Ellagitannin-Derived Compounds Exhibit Anti-proliferative and Anti-aromatase Activity in Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2010;3(1):108-113. [PMC]
- Rigacci S, Stefani M. Nutraceutical Properties of Olive Oil Polyphenols. An Itinerary from Cultured Cells through Animal Models to Humans. Int J Mol Sci. 2016;17(6):843. [PMC]
- Balunas M, Su B, Brueggemeier R, Kinghorn A. Natural Products as Aromatase Inhibitors. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2008;8(6):646-682. [PMC]
- Grube B, Eng E, Kao Y, Kwon A, Chen S. White button mushroom phytochemicals inhibit aromatase activity and breast cancer cell proliferation. J Nutr. 2001;131(12):3288-3293. [PubMed]
- Ayeka P. Potential of Mushroom Compounds as Immunomodulators in Cancer Immunotherapy: A Review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018;2018:7271509. [PMC]
- Wang Y, Lee K, Chan F, Chen S, Leung L. The red wine polyphenol resveratrol displays bilevel inhibition on aromatase in breast cancer cells. Toxicol Sci. 2006;92(1):71-77. [PubMed]
- Takahashi T, Kamiya T, Yokoo Y. Proanthocyanidins from grape seeds promote proliferation of mouse hair follicle cells in vitro and convert hair cycle in vivo. Acta Derm Venereol. 1998;78(6):428-432. [PubMed]
- Dávalos A, Castilla P, Gómez-Cordovés C, Bartolomé B. Quercetin is bioavailable from a single ingestion of grape juice. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2006;57(5-6):391-398. [PubMed]
- Khaki A, Fathiazad F, Nouri M, Khaki A, Khamenehi H, Hamadeh M. Evaluation of androgenic activity of allium cepa on spermatogenesis in the rat. Folia Morphol (Warsz). 2009;68(1):45-51. [PubMed]
- Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A Prospective, Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Safety and Efficacy of a High-Concentration Full-Spectrum Extract of Ashwagandha Root in Reducing Stress and Anxiety in Adults. Indian J Psychol Med. 2012;34(3):255-262. [PMC]
- Kilic M, Baltaci A, Gunay M, Gökbel H, Okudan N, Cicioglu I. The effect of exhaustion exercise on thyroid hormones and testosterone levels of elite athletes receiving oral zinc. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2006;27(1-2):247-252. [PubMed]