Feeling Blue Over Estrogen
Estrogen is a necessary, albeit complicated, part of life for men. A healthy diet and lifestyle can help balance your levels, and that seems to include blueberries, according to a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Blueberries inhibit receptors of estradiol (the primary female sex hormone.) It’s through these receptors that estradiol stimulates breast development, fat deposition, water retention, and even tumor growth in breast cancer patients. On paper, this makes blueberries look like a pretty good anti-estrogen agent for anyone looking to improve their body composition through an improved testosterone-estrogen ratio. One-half cup of blueberries has about 45 calories and more than enough antioxidant phenols to replicate the amount used in the experiment.