Estrogens and Pthalates are a man's enemy. They can disrupt our hormonal state and lower our testosterone. Most of you already know how important testosterone is for healthy male sexuality and happiness. In the modern world we're exposed to endless sources of estrogen or estrogen-like molecules. If you do a little research, you'll be horrified at how prevalent it is. You're not going to be able to completely stop your exposure, but hopefully with this guide you can seriously decrease it.
I started caring about my estrogen exposure after I was diagnosed with low testosterone. I switched my diet to low carb and high fat/cholesterol, which the body needs for testosterone production. I got tested again and still my testosterone levels were below normal. As a last ditch effort, I tried eliminating most of my exposure to estrogens before starting up a TRT regimen. I went to an endocrinologist a few months later, and to my surprise, my testosterone went from 358 to 652. It was tested in the morning each time.
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I can't be completely sure the increase in Test is due to limiting exposure, but it's the only change I made that I can think of. So here's what I did to limit my exposure:
Food/drink
I use a Berkey filter for all my drinking and cooking water needs. It removes not only some of the more harmful chemicals, but can also remove most pathogens or cysts in emergencies. They're a bit expensive, but last a lifetime and make for a stylish kitchen centerpiece. Avoid drinking bottled water. Get a BPA-free plastic bottle and refill it when you can. If you're a coffee drinker, avoid brewers which expose hot water to plastic. I've used a stainless steel camping percolator to good effect.
Some foods are inherently estrogenic. Soy is a phytoestrogen and soybean oil is prevalent in almost every sauce or processed condiment you can think of. Read the labels and avoid anything with soybean oil. Almost all mayonnaise has this. Hops are also a phytoestrogen, so avoid IPAs and stick with stouts when you're having beer.
Fatty foods, especially dairy usually contain high levels of phthalates. Eat organic food whenever possible, as certified organic products don't allow the use of pthalate-containing pesticides. Pthalates are an endocrine disruptor which may be linked to cancer, diabetes, insulin sensitivity, and low testosterone[1,2,3,4]. If you need to reheat fatty foods, put them in a glass or ceramic container and cover with a paper towel if using a microwave. Don't reheat in plastic containers or use saran wrap, as heating those plastics greatly increases the amount of pthalates that leech into the food. When buying cuts of meat, look for ones that are wrapped in wax paper over plastic wrap, if you can find them.
Eat broccoli, cauliflower, and kale whenever you can. They contain indole-3-carbinol which can help prevent estrogen from decreasing the production of testosterone.
Hygiene/Grooming
Many soaps, sunblocks, fragrances, shaving products, shampoos, conditioners, you name it, they contain parabens or phthalates. Use the Environmental Working Group skindeep website to search for the least harmful products: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/. That site is a LIFE SAVER and super convenient! I just used it to pick out a decent cologne which amazon carries.
Alternatively, I use coconut oil as a shaving lotion and moisturizer and a base for a deodorant. For a deodorant, I mix 2 parts coconut oil with 1 part baking soda and 1-2 parts corn starch depending on how abrasive it is. I add 3 drops of 100% tea tree oil to every 1oz of deodorant mixture. I use a drop of tea tree oil, a natural astringent before and after shaving, and before bed. Just wet your face and hands, use an eyedropper to put a drop in your palm, rub them together, then smear on your face. My aunt also used TTO to treat rosacia.
If you make your own hygiene products, store them in a container that doesn't contain phthalates. I usually look for a container that's 3.4oz or less so I can also put them in my carry on. Avoid plastics with the recycling labels 3, and 7, they contain phthalates. Use ones with labels of 1,2, and 5.
Other:
Dust and vaccuum your house when it gets dusty. Plastics like window blinds break down over time into dust which contains phthalates, and can get into the lungs by breathing in dust.
Keep your liver healthy. Eat real food, and avoid binge drinking often. Consider drinking more green tea and taking an NAC supplement. Your liver helps regulate healthy hormone levels.
Final note:
You're not ever gonna eliminate 100% of your estrogen exposure. That shit is everywhere, including the drinking water supply and the dust produced from your car dashboard. Some situations, like being hooked up to IV you can't avoid. Don't get neurotic about it, just limit it as much as possible without making it a major inconvenience. If you've got some other methods for limiting exposure, please share.
Sources:
1) Hauser R, Meeker JD, Singh NP, et al.(March 2007). "DNA damage in human sperm is related to urinary levels of phthalate monoester and oxidative metabolites"Hum. Reprod. 22 (3): 688–95. doi:10.1093/humrep/del428. PMID 17090632
2) Stahlhut RW, van Wijngaarden E, Dye TD, Cook S, Swan SH (June 2007)."Concentrations of Urinary Phthalate Metabolites Are Associated with Increased Waist Circumference and Insulin Resistance in Adult U.S. Males". Environ. Health Perspect. 115 (6): 876–82. doi:10.1289/ehp.9882. PMC 1892109.PMID 17589594.11 April 2012 Uppsala Universitet (2012-04-11).
3) "High levels of phthalates can lead to greater risk for type-2 diabetes". Alphagalileo.org. Retrieved 2013-09-23.
4) Lopez-Carillo L., Hernandez-Ramirez R.U., Calafat A.M., Torres-Sanchez L., Galvan-Portillo M., Needham L.L., Ruiz-Ramos R., Cebrian M.E., (2010). “Exposure to phthalates and breask cancer risk in Northern Mexico.”
I started caring about my estrogen exposure after I was diagnosed with low testosterone. I switched my diet to low carb and high fat/cholesterol, which the body needs for testosterone production. I got tested again and still my testosterone levels were below normal. As a last ditch effort, I tried eliminating most of my exposure to estrogens before starting up a TRT regimen. I went to an endocrinologist a few months later, and to my surprise, my testosterone went from 358 to 652. It was tested in the morning each time.
I can't be completely sure the increase in Test is due to limiting exposure, but it's the only change I made that I can think of. So here's what I did to limit my exposure:
Food/drink
I use a Berkey filter for all my drinking and cooking water needs. It removes not only some of the more harmful chemicals, but can also remove most pathogens or cysts in emergencies. They're a bit expensive, but last a lifetime and make for a stylish kitchen centerpiece. Avoid drinking bottled water. Get a BPA-free plastic bottle and refill it when you can. If you're a coffee drinker, avoid brewers which expose hot water to plastic. I've used a stainless steel camping percolator to good effect.
Some foods are inherently estrogenic. Soy is a phytoestrogen and soybean oil is prevalent in almost every sauce or processed condiment you can think of. Read the labels and avoid anything with soybean oil. Almost all mayonnaise has this. Hops are also a phytoestrogen, so avoid IPAs and stick with stouts when you're having beer.
Fatty foods, especially dairy usually contain high levels of phthalates. Eat organic food whenever possible, as certified organic products don't allow the use of pthalate-containing pesticides. Pthalates are an endocrine disruptor which may be linked to cancer, diabetes, insulin sensitivity, and low testosterone[1,2,3,4]. If you need to reheat fatty foods, put them in a glass or ceramic container and cover with a paper towel if using a microwave. Don't reheat in plastic containers or use saran wrap, as heating those plastics greatly increases the amount of pthalates that leech into the food. When buying cuts of meat, look for ones that are wrapped in wax paper over plastic wrap, if you can find them.
Eat broccoli, cauliflower, and kale whenever you can. They contain indole-3-carbinol which can help prevent estrogen from decreasing the production of testosterone.
Hygiene/Grooming
Many soaps, sunblocks, fragrances, shaving products, shampoos, conditioners, you name it, they contain parabens or phthalates. Use the Environmental Working Group skindeep website to search for the least harmful products: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/. That site is a LIFE SAVER and super convenient! I just used it to pick out a decent cologne which amazon carries.
Alternatively, I use coconut oil as a shaving lotion and moisturizer and a base for a deodorant. For a deodorant, I mix 2 parts coconut oil with 1 part baking soda and 1-2 parts corn starch depending on how abrasive it is. I add 3 drops of 100% tea tree oil to every 1oz of deodorant mixture. I use a drop of tea tree oil, a natural astringent before and after shaving, and before bed. Just wet your face and hands, use an eyedropper to put a drop in your palm, rub them together, then smear on your face. My aunt also used TTO to treat rosacia.
If you make your own hygiene products, store them in a container that doesn't contain phthalates. I usually look for a container that's 3.4oz or less so I can also put them in my carry on. Avoid plastics with the recycling labels 3, and 7, they contain phthalates. Use ones with labels of 1,2, and 5.
Other:
Dust and vaccuum your house when it gets dusty. Plastics like window blinds break down over time into dust which contains phthalates, and can get into the lungs by breathing in dust.
Keep your liver healthy. Eat real food, and avoid binge drinking often. Consider drinking more green tea and taking an NAC supplement. Your liver helps regulate healthy hormone levels.
Final note:
You're not ever gonna eliminate 100% of your estrogen exposure. That shit is everywhere, including the drinking water supply and the dust produced from your car dashboard. Some situations, like being hooked up to IV you can't avoid. Don't get neurotic about it, just limit it as much as possible without making it a major inconvenience. If you've got some other methods for limiting exposure, please share.
Sources:
1) Hauser R, Meeker JD, Singh NP, et al.(March 2007). "DNA damage in human sperm is related to urinary levels of phthalate monoester and oxidative metabolites"Hum. Reprod. 22 (3): 688–95. doi:10.1093/humrep/del428. PMID 17090632
2) Stahlhut RW, van Wijngaarden E, Dye TD, Cook S, Swan SH (June 2007)."Concentrations of Urinary Phthalate Metabolites Are Associated with Increased Waist Circumference and Insulin Resistance in Adult U.S. Males". Environ. Health Perspect. 115 (6): 876–82. doi:10.1289/ehp.9882. PMC 1892109.PMID 17589594.11 April 2012 Uppsala Universitet (2012-04-11).
3) "High levels of phthalates can lead to greater risk for type-2 diabetes". Alphagalileo.org. Retrieved 2013-09-23.
4) Lopez-Carillo L., Hernandez-Ramirez R.U., Calafat A.M., Torres-Sanchez L., Galvan-Portillo M., Needham L.L., Ruiz-Ramos R., Cebrian M.E., (2010). “Exposure to phthalates and breask cancer risk in Northern Mexico.”
