Don’t Let Excess Estrogen Prevent You from Getting Six Pack Abs

Don’t Let Excess Estrogen Prevent You from Getting Six Pack Abs

When most men want to lose weight, they first they look for is a fat burner. There is certainly nothing wrong with using a fat burner but they may want to consider taking an estrogen blocker with a fat burner for losing bodyfat.

In males, testosterone is the primary source of plasma estradiol, the main biologically active estrogen, only 20% of which is secreted by the testes. Plasma estrone, 5% of which is converted to plasma estradiol, originates from tissue aromatization of, mainly adrenal, androstenedione. Estradiol levels are related to body fat mass and more specifically to subcutaneous abdominal fat.

When most men hear estrogen, they immediately think that’s something only women have to worry about, but older men need to worry estrogen as well. Usually in men, testosterone and estrogen are maintained in the correct balance. As a man ages, his estrogen levels can increase, while testosterone levels start to decrease. High estrogen symptoms in men can, therefore, be difficult to differentiate from low testosterone symptoms. Some of the factors that lead to increased estrogen are age, increased fat mass, Some of the symptoms of high estrogen are:

• Sexual dysfunction (low libido, decreased morning erections, decreased erectile function)
• Enlarged breasts
• Lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
• Increased abdominal fat (can also be a sign of low estrogen)
• Feeling tired
• Loss of muscle mass
• Emotional disturbances, especially depression

One study found that estradiol has an independent effect (separate from testosterone) in increasing percentage body fat, subcutaneous and intraabdominal fat, sexual desire and function; in measures of fat accumulation, estradiol played the predominant role. For example, the percentage of body fat increased in cohort one men on placebo or the two lowest doses of testosterone, but all men in group 2 had increased in body fat percentage—indicating estradiol’s effect on increasing bodyfat.

Estrogen Kills Your Muscle Gains
Excess estrogen levels not only increase fat mass, but they also decrease lean muscle mass. For example, one study measured the influence of aromatase activity (i.e. enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen) on body composition of patients with low testosterone. The baseline data of 90 patients between 40 and 74 years old that participated in a genetic study of response to testosterone therapy in men with low testosterone (i.e., <300 ng/dl) were analyzed. At the end of the study, the men in the highest levels of estrogen to testosterone ratio (E2: T) had the highest abdominal fat, and lowest lean leg body mass. A similar pattern was observed in the upper extremities; that is, fat mass significantly increased, whereas lean mass significantly decreased with increasing estrogen to testosterone ratios. The present findings suggest that in men with low testosterone, aromatase activity could be an important determinant of musculoskeletal health. Men with high aromatase activity have lower lean and higher truncal fat mass as compared to those with lower aromatase activity.

According to the Journal of Medicinal Food, estrogen-blocking foods that contain phytochemicals DIM and I3C can help reduce estrogen levels in the bloodstream. Elevated estrogen not only diminishes men’s testosterone levels, but it can also put men at risk for both heart disease and certain types of cancer.

Here are some way to lower estrogen levels:
• Eat cruciferous vegetables multiple times per week. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, contain high amounts of glucosinolates, which the body transforms into bioactive compounds that help to decrease estrogen activity and increase estrogen detoxification.

• Supplement with indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM). You can increase your cruciferous vegetable intake with their most beneficial compounds, I3C (200 mg per day) and DIM (100 mg per day), in supplement form.

• Increasing fiber, exercising, and reducing weight are also important natural treatments for reducing high estrogen symptoms in men.

Vermeulen A, Kaufman JM, Goemaere S, van Pottelberg I. Estradiol in elderly men. Aging Male. 2002 Jun;5(2):98-102. Review.

Carruba G. Estrogen and prostate cancer: an eclipsed truth in an
androgen-dominated scenario. J Cell Biochem. 2007 Nov 1;102(4):899-911.

Finkelstein JS, Yu EW, Burnett-Bowie SA. Gonadal steroids and body composition, strength, and sexual function in men. N Engl J Med. 2013 Dec 19;369(25):2457.

Finkelstein JS, Yu EW, Burnett-Bowie SA. Gonadal steroids and body composition, strength, and sexual function in men. N Engl J Med. 2013 Dec 19;369(25):2457.