For bodybuilders or athletes that are attempting to pack on muscle, it is important to limit the amount of estrogen in your body and promote healthy or high levels of testosterone for optimal growth. Unfortunately, your diet could be sabotaging your goals as hidden estrogen makes its way into your food sources. If you are struggling to meet your muscle growth goals and suspect estrogen may the culprit, make sure you are avoiding these estrogen-rich foods whenever possible.
Soy Products
Vegan or vegetarian bodybuilders will often use soy as a protein source; however, it could be increasing the amount of estrogen inside their body and limiting their chance at muscle growth. This is attributed to isoflavones that are naturally in soy products that function as a xenoestrogen. Recent studies have also found that 94% of United States soy contains GMOs, which can increase the estrogen content found in it.
Non-Organic Produce
When you choose to consume non-organic produce, you run the risk of ingesting a wide variety of chemicals that you likely don’t want. Among the most concerning is the inclusion of pesticides that are designed to limit the amount of insect tampering that the produce has. Unfortunately, high levels of pesticide on non-organic produce can increase the amount of estrogen found in the produce.
Factory-Farmed Meats
Whenever you eat meats that have been factory-farmed, there’s a good chance that you are consuming the same estrogen that was pumped into the animal prior to slaughter. If possible, it is important to make sure that the meat you are buying is organic and has been fed organic feed. While this can be expensive, it can help limit the hidden estrogen sources you are consuming.