Summarizing "Estrogeneration" by Anthony G. Jay, Ph.D.

Weird thing to write about? Yeah I know. But after reading this book I felt obligated to share the information with as many people as possible. I highly recommend reading the whole book, which you can purchase on Amazon here.

Summary

A good definition of an "estrogenic" is "something that binds or 'sticks' to estrogen receptors in your body". Estrogen and estrogenics function within the steroid hormone system and there are estrogen receptors spread all throughout your body.

The Estrogenic Top 10 List (Ill Reproductive System List):

Phytoestrogens

Studies & Notes: Researchers analyzed over 100 food plants for phytoestrogen content in a single study. Before reviewing the study results, Anthony made sure to mention two plants that were not included: Marijuana and Lavender. These both have been shown to contain estrogens, and inhaling them through your lungs directly into your blood stream is a "clear way to dose heavily on estrogenics". Be careful around essential oils and marijuana smoke/vapor. Now on to the study, what you need to know are that the top two phytoestrogenic plants were flaxseed and soy beans. And by far. To put it into context, you would need to eat 10,000 cups of black beans to get the same amount of phytoestrogens from 1 cup of soy beans. And flax is almost 4-times worse than soy. An additional note: Soy protein has a higher concentration of phytoestrogens than soy beans and in general, processed food do as well.

Mycoestrogens

Zearalenone (ZEA) is the only know mycoestrogen. Mycotoxins are "fungus" or mold toxins, so that's obviously bad. Many countries have established legal limits for ZEA levels. The US has not. ZEA causes liver tumor-formations, brain problems, and impairment of male reproductive systems. "ZEA is found worldwide as a contaminant in cereals and grains, including corn and soybeans."

Atrazine

Many people have heard of glyphosate (Roundup), but Atrazine has snuck under the radar. The EU has completely banned atrazine since 2004 in herbicides. The US has not. It is currently the second most used herbicide in the US, second to only glyphosate. Outrageous atrazine levels in the US have led the Center for Biological Diversity to drum-up a lawsuit against the EPA for atrazine annual tonnage and resulting environmental damages. In response, the EPA has committed to creating a report. A director at the Center for Biological Diversity says "Atrazine chemically castrates frogs even in tiny doses, is an endocrine disruptor, and likely causes birth defects in people. The EPA should have banned this years ago." Other studies include headlines such as: Low doses of atrazine cause developmental toxicity in mouse embryos. This is also known as a "chemical abortion." There is also good evidence that suggests atrazine increases rates of specific types of hernias in exposed human fetuses.

Triclosan & APEs (Alkylphenols)

APEs are "surfactants", which means they cause the suds in soaps. There are no legal ramifications for removing these from ingredient labels, so most people have never heard of them. Triclosan is also found in many soaps and some toothpastes. A paper in 2015 compares triclosan to BPA noting that "they both have estrogenic properties." There are many kinds of APEs, but nonylphenol is the most popular. Searching estrogen + nonylphenol on PubMed yields over 1,000 professional scientific publications. China added certain APEs to their list of severely restricted toxic substances in 2011. The EU has entirely banned them. The US has not. Triclosan, on the other hand, has recently undergone some favorable legal changes in America. It will soon be "not generally recognized as safe." A 2015 paper published by the Nature Publishing Group was titled: Triclosan causes spontaneous abortion accompanied by decline of estrogen sulfotransferase activity in humans and mice. A paper in 2014 was titled: Estrogenic effects of nonylphenol and octylphenol (APEs) isomers in vitro by recombinant yeast assay (RYA) and in vivo with early life stages in zebrafish. In this study researchers found developmental changes due to APEs simply by exposing fish embryos to APEs for a single day. After 2 weeks, they found numerous altered genes. APEs transfer from mother to babies in utero above "tolerable" daily limits which can lead to "implantation failure, pregnancy loss, or other complications."

BP & 4-MBC (Benzophenone & 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor

A general rule of thumb. Anytime you find the word "phen-" is a suffix, prefix, or wherever, be wary. The same is also true of "benz-." In sunscreens oxybenzone is a prevalent estrogenic ingredient. Despite being recently names the "Allergen of the Year" by the American Contact Dermatitis Society, BP remains legal both in American and Europe. 4-MBC was banned in Europe in 2015. In the US, 4-MBC is legal and corporations even own profitable patents on 4-MBC formulations. In sunscreens, BP and 4-MBC bind or stick to estrogen receptors. When exposed to uv light from the sun, these can become fully fused to the receptors, causing a "constitutively active receptor." This can cause long-term damage. Additionally, 4-MBC "causes pituitary effects comparable to hypothyroidism." BP is also associated with endometriosis.

Red Numbers 3 & 40

In at least one US grocery store, 40% of all food items were found to contain Red No. 40. Anthony recommends avoiding all red dyes. A study done in 1997 was titled: Estrogenic and DNA-damaging activity of Red No. 3 in human breast cancer cells." Red No. 40 is legal in the US, UK, and Europe. In both Europe and the UK, products containing Red No. 40 must be labeled with the words "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." No warning labels in the US. In the US, Red No. 1 was banned in 1961, No. 2 and No. 4 in the 70's, but No. 3 was never banned after the FDA postponed action on it 26 times by 1985. Long before 1985, Red No. 3 was found to have "major toxic manifestations" which were said to be "indicative of central nervous system depression." That was in 1977. In 1980 researchers found that Red No. 3 "inhibits dopamine uptake into brain synaptosomal preparations." There was a partial ban in 1990, so Red No. 2 can't be used in cosmetics, but it can still be used in food & drink.

Parabens

The EU has banned benzylparaben and phenylparaben from cosmetic products, along with 3 other parabens. The US has not. A recent study identified that "parabens may, to some extent, either cause or contribute to the brain physiopathology in autism spectrum disorder. Another study recently found that parabens increased anxiety in rats.

Phthalates

There was once a team of stumped scientists in Atlanta, Georgia who were at a loss because they couldn't find anyone without phthalates in their blood to test against a group of "Phthalate-Exposed" people. Earlier that same year investigators revealed that US infants far exceeded the EPA's maximum threshold phthalate levels in blood tests. Phthalates have been found in every single US food group. Especially hazardous levels were found in cooking oils and dairy products. That Atlanta, Georgia group of scientists recruited Alaskan natives to test phthalate levels and discovered an association existed between phthalate levels in urine and breast cancer. Phthalates are virtually everywhere from plastics and perfumes. Levels rise as you microwave or heat food in plastics. Phthalates are used in numerous medical devices. In 2015, a number of phthalates were added to the EU's "restricted substance" list. Medical equipment was not part of the ban and received a grace period until July 2021. There is no phthalate ban in the US, despite recognition by the FDA that phthalates are rampant. The US does restrict phthalate presence in children's toys. "Phthalates have been associated with a number of serious health problems, including infertility, testicular dysgenesis, obesity, asthma, and allergies." They are also associated with long-term attention deficit in children. Pregnant women using perfume have been found to have 167% higher urine concentration of phthalates than women off "the juice."

BPA & BPS (Bisphenol A & S)

BPA-Free does not mean BPS-Free, yet these are virtually the same in your body.

A quote from the Environmental Science & Technology journal: "BPAF, BPB, BPF, and BPS have been shown to exhibit antiandrogenic and/or estrogenic activities similar to or even greater than that of BPA." BPAF, BPB, and BPF are camouflage chemical versions of BPA. Phthalates are not the same as BPA, even though they cause many of the same human health disorders.

The FDA has been sluggish regarding BPA, but individual states have been stepping up. The FDA is currently declaring certain levels of BPA in canned foods, baby items, etc. as perfectly acceptable. The EU recently cut allowable limits more than 10-fold, but they have not fully banned it like France and Denmark had before the EU. Hyperactivity in children is connected to BPA exposure. BPA appears to accelerate aging by out-competing natural estrogen, which slightly protective against aging.

EE2 (17a-Ethinylestradiol)

"The birth control estrogenic." over 60% of all married women on the planet are currently on chemical contraceptives containing EE2. Many more people are involved with these drugs on other levels. EE2 was intentionally designed to mimic estrogen, activate the estrogen receptor, and stay in the body longer than natural estrogen. Below are the "adverse reactions" to Alesse oral contraception, which contains EE2.

Most of these are very low likelihood occurrences, but chances are raised significantly from women who don't take chemical contraceptives. I personally do not feel like I have any say in whether women should have access to oral contraceptives or not. I know there are many benefits that usually far outweigh risks. However, it's important to at least acknowledge the increased risk of health issues and the fact that EE2 leaks into our water supply through wastewater, and is rarely extracted before being recycled.

Estrogenic items lead the profit margin category. And corporate profits determine laws & regulation in the US. It's an unrelenting cycle. Most university research is conducted with government grants. And government grants have a way of forcing people to investigate topics that they deem important. Basically "study this or else you will have no funding" is the dark cloud handing over scientist's heads.

A 2016 lab study found high levels of estrogenics in fast food. Some estrogenics increased in the blood by over 50% and most increased by over 40%.

Drinking Water

Estrogenic atrazine levels in pristine wetlands cause “frog reproductive abnormalities" levels over 200 ng/L. So what is the condition of our drinking water? Are we successfully removing that concerning dose of atrazine? According to one thorough investigation of America’s largest water databases—including the nationwide Safe Drinking Water Act Data and the Syngenta Voluntary Monitoring Program—researchers found that 5% of all raw water in the USA has atrazine levels at 4,800 ng/L and 1% of our raw water was at 34,000 ng/L. That same massive study reveals that 5% of tap water in America is at 2,700 ng/L for atrazine and 1% is at 22,700 ng/L.

The Ideal Foods Principle: Try to find, use, and eat whole, unprocessed foods, from genuinely organic and naturally grown sources, preferably not stored in plastics, and raised in a healthy environment.

The 7 Deadly Things

Fat Gains

Depression

Hormonal Disruption

Immune Dysfunction

Blood Clotting

Cancer

Infertility

The Estrogenic Epigenetic Principle: Estrogenic changes can be passed along to future generations via epigenetics and such inheritance can inflate these health problems.

What you can do about it

First, you can improve your omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio. You can easily improve your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio by increasing your omega-3 intake. Specifically, you increase your omega-3 intake by taking fish oil or krill oil pills, eating more seafood, and eating more grass-fed animal products. Improving this ratio also means that you fastidiously avoid corn oil, safflower oil, grape seed oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, and margarine, specifically. I’m already assuming you also avoid soy and soybean oil, but you might find it valuable to know that “vegetable oil” is frequently another way of saying soybean oil.

Anthony recommends "Natural Family Planning (NFP) for postponing pregnancy. It is also called the “Fertility Awareness Method” (FAM). Personally, this one seems like a bit of a stretch, but knowing that the World Health Organization classifies some EE2 contraceptive ingredients as class 1 carcinogens, it may be worth a look.

Eliminate estrogenics already stored in your body. Specifically, target your preexisting fat. Sit in a hot sauna for at least a few sessions. Depending on your health state, probably start with 10 minutes and work your way up slightly and slowly. Do some research regarding your specific situation and always consult your doctor. Don’t start doing sauna sessions if you are pregnant, for example.

Find things that say “Estrogenic-Free” or “Free of All Estrogenics” or things that obviously do not contain any IRS 10 items. If you have a choice between glass or plastic, for instance, choose glass.

Support companies like The Honest Company, which lists ingredients for personal care products and is conscientious about avoiding the IRS Top 10 items, well, excepting lavender.

Artificial chemicals should be considered dangerous until proven safe, not safe until proven dangerous.

We must demand transparency from the companies we bless with our money.

Gold-Level Plan

This plan is for true try-hards.

???? Avoid ingredients that include “benz-” or “phen-”

???? Eliminate dietary grains, including all corn products

???? Eliminate dietary peanuts, cheap coffee, and cheap chocolate

???? Eliminate liquid dairy products unless grass-fed and in glass

???? Eliminate butter unless grass-fed

???? Eliminate all dietary liquids stored in plastics, especially oils

???? Eliminate fragrances in all personal care products

???? Eliminate fragrances in laundry detergent and dryer sheets

???? Travel and sleep with a pillow case washed without fragrance

???? Eliminate processed foods

???? Eliminate plastic shower curtains

???? Eliminate vinyl flooring / tiling, wallpaper, and plastic countertops

???? Avoid standard industrial bathroom hand-soaps

???? Avoid cannabis

???? Avoid candles except beeswax

???? Avoid plastics in your environment, including plastic toys

???? Eliminate carpets or use “Green-Label Plus” certified carpets

???? Avoid foods canned in metal

???? Only eat wild seafood from pristine waters

???? Only eat grass-fed organic meats, preferably in wax paper

???? Only eat grass-fed organic animal fats, with no plastic contacts

???? Only eat free-range chicken eggs

???? Use charcoal-filtered water for all drinking and cooking

???? Use charcoal-filtered water for showering

???? Use all glass and / or stainless steel coffee makers

???? Use “Estrogenic-Free” cleaning products

???? Use “Estrogenic-Free” kid’s toys, especially chewable items

???? Use “Estrogenic-Free” zinc sunscreen

???? Avoid moldy environments

???? Eliminate soy and soy byproducts

???? Eliminate flax

???? Eliminate lavender products

???? Eliminate oral contraception

???? Eliminate plastic cups, sippies, or plastic-lined mugs

???? Eliminate artificial red food dyes, including finger paints

???? Eliminate microwaving food in plastics

Silver Level Plan

???? Avoid ingredients that include “benz-” or “phen-”

???? Eliminate dietary grains, including all corn products

???? Eliminate cheap coffee and cheap chocolate

???? Eliminate liquid dairy products unless grass-fed and in glass

???? Eliminate butter unless grass-fed

???? Eliminate oils stored in plastics

???? Eliminate fragrances in all personal care products

???? Eliminate fragrances in laundry detergent and dryer sheets

???? Use “Fragrance-Free” washed pillow cases for extended travels

???? Eliminate highly processed foods

???? Eliminate vinyl countertops

???? Avoid standard industrial bathroom hand-soaps

???? Avoid cannabis

???? Avoid foods in metal

???? Only eat wild seafood

???? Only eat grass-fed organic animal fats, with no plastic contacts

???? Use charcoal-filtered water for all drinking and cooking

???? Use all glass and / or stainless steel coffee makers

???? Use “Estrogenic-Free” cleaning products

???? Use “Estrogenic-Free” kid’s toys, especially chewable items

???? Use “Estrogenic-Free” zinc sunscreen

???? Avoid moldy environments

???? Eliminate soy and soy byproducts

???? Eliminate flax

???? Eliminate lavender products

???? Eliminate oral contraception

???? Eliminate plastic cups, sippies, or plastic-lined mugs

???? Eliminate artificial red food dyes, including finger paints

???? Eliminate microwaving food in plastics

Bronze Level Plan

???? Avoid ingredients that include “benz-” or “phen-”

???? Diminish dietary grains

???? Diminish liquid dairy products unless grass-fed and in glass

???? Eliminate oils stored in plastics

???? Eliminate fragrances in all personal care products

???? Eliminate fragrances in laundry detergent and dryer sheets

???? Eliminate highly processed foods

???? Avoid cannabis smoke

???? Only eat organic corn products

???? Use charcoal-filtered water for all drinking water

???? Use all glass and / or stainless steel coffee makers

???? Use “Estrogenic-Free” kid’s chewable items

???? Use “Estrogenic-Free” zinc sunscreen

???? Avoid moldy environments

???? Eliminate soy and soy byproducts

???? Eliminate flax

???? Eliminate lavender products

???? Eliminate oral contraception

???? Eliminate plastic sippies

???? Eliminate artificial red food dyes, including finger paints

???? Eliminate microwaving food in plastics

Additional Considerations

Anything with perfume should be considered estrogenic, unless it specifically says “Phthalate-Free” and “Paraben-Free” (and preferably “Alkylphenol-Free” as well) or simply “Estrogenic-Free”. This includes deodorant, shampoo, bar soap, and even—absolutely—laundry detergent and dryer sheets.

Anthony's website lists what he uses for himself and his family here.

Probably 95% of sunblock brands contain estrogenic 4-MBC and / or BP so be vigilant. Buy something highly consumer-rated containing over 20% zinc that is devoid of 4-MBC and / or BP.

Moving on. Diminish or eliminate your processed “food” consumption. This includes fast-foods and “food” items with those massive ingredient lists and chemical names only professional chemists can pronounce. This also includes things like triangular shaped nacho corn chips that are “sprayed” with chemicals to fool our taste buds into believing we are eating a 4-course meal even as we merely eat carbs.

Buy fruits, nuts, vegetables, cheeses, and meats. Whole foods. Find a local and trusted farmer and buy directly, ideally. Also, try to obtain meat cuts that are wrapped in wax paper from a butcher (or hunter) rather than meats stewing in plastic. I’m assuming you eat meat, of course.

If you do not eat meats, you especially need to “soy vigilant”.

Soy—especially soybean oil—is particularly rampant in processed “foods” and things like salad dressings. Simply be more aware of ingredient lists and avoid soy-related items.

Next, again assuming you eat meat, ask yourself what your food was eating.

You can charcoal-filter your drinking water. DO IT. It’s really a no-brainer at this point. Anthony uses the “Royal Berkey” water filter system and include the added fluoride removal filters.

Next, be sure you aren’t storing water or other liquids in plastics. Start by drinking your high-quality H2O from glass or stainless steel.

Silicone is generally good. I am frequently asked about this. While I prefer natural wood or stainless steel, I have no issue with silicone.

Watch out for canned food. A lot of canned foods have the inside of the can coated with plastic. This plastic is usually BPA

Lastly, some people may think that estrogenics affect women less than men. This is not true.

If you read this far you're probably scared and angry. Share this with people you know and love. We can force change with our purchase decisions.

From: Anthony G. Jay. “Estrogeneration.”