Testosterone and foods...

[chardy]

Hi Shelley,

I just had a thought, we read and hear a lot about the dangers of estrogenic food and chemicals in our food but what about androgenic (testosterone etc) are there any foods that contain such compounds? Perhaps ones that could help balance hormones in males with estrogen issues?

Thanks!

[shelley]

That's a good question. Technically, there are no plants that produce progesterone, which is a hormone that only mammals produce. However, plants do produce plant chemicals called Saponins, which have a progesterone-like effect on the human body. The best edible plant sources are the Yam family of starches. If you eat a lot of yams you may experience the benefits of increased progesterone, and this could balance out estrogen-dominant types too.