Bananas And Estrogen: How can Banana affect hormones
Most often than not, people with hormone imbalances and people that try to maintain their body in a healthy state will pay attention to the foods they eat, giving birth to one of the most important questions (no pun intended) : “Will this Banana affect my estrogen levels ? and if so, how ?”
Before we get into the effects of Bananas on your estrogen levels, we need to understand what estrogen really is.
What is estrogen and how does it affect your body ?
Estrogen is one of the hormones that promotes both reproductive and sexual development.
While a hormone like estrogen will always be present in both men and women of all ages, women that are in their reproductive age will have much higher levels.
Estrogen promotes the development and maintenance of female characteristics, it also helps you keep a regulated menstrual cycle, which is why it’s beneficial to ask yourself questions like : how will this Banana affect me ?
Nevertheless, estrogen levels decline throughout menopause, leading to symptoms like night sweats and hot flashes, for this reason we need to look at two important definitions before learning about the effects of Bananas.
What are Phytoestrogens ?
Phytoestrogens are compounds that occur naturally in plants (fruits, veggies, grains, etc.), their structure is similar to estrogen, consequently they have the ability to bind to the same receptors as estrogen.
When eating phytoestrogens, our body can respond as if it’s our own natural estrogen.
What are Lignans ?
Lignans are a category of phytoestrogen that is most often found in grains, nuts, seeds, tea, plants and wine. Their most beneficial quality is their antioxidant effect. Bacteria that naturally occurs in your body can convert lignant into estrogen.
The effects of Bananas on your estrogen levels
Q : Are Bananas high in estrogen ?
A: According to recent studies, bananas can increase estrogen metabolites in women. Bananas contain phytoestrogen, when eating phytoestrogens, yur body can respond as if it’s yur own natural estrogen.
Q : What does Banana do to hormones ?
A: Bananas contain huge amounts of potassium, which help with the production of testosterone in men. They can also increase estrogen metabolites in women.
Q: What can Bananas do to females ?
A: Bananas can help with the increase of estrogen metabolites.
Q: What can Bananas do to males ?
A: Bananas are high in potassium, they can boost the production of testosterone and libido.
Q: Why is it good to eat Bananas ?
A: It is good to eat bananas because they :
- May improve blood sugar levels
- May support digestive health
- May aid in weight loss
- May support heart health
- Are High in antioxidants
- May improve kidney health
Q : What are the side effects of consuming Bananas ?
A: Over-consumption of bananas can lead to
- bloating
- gas
- cramping
- softer stools
- nausea
- vomiting
- high blood levels of potassium
What do Bananas contain ?
100 grams of raw Bananas provide :
- Calories: 89
- Carbs: 22.84 grams
- Fiber: 2.6 grams
- Protein: 1.09 grams
- Fat: 0.33 grams
- Vitamin C: 10% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Vitamin A: 0% of the DV
- Potassium: 8% of the DV
Are phytoestrogens and lignans dangerous ?
Phytoestrogen-rich foods can usually be safely consumed in moderation, as the benefits will likely outweigh the potential risks.
Also, contrary to what most people think, it has been demonstrated in studies that phytoestrogens have no effect on human male sex hormones.
The bottom line
Phytoestrogen is easy to find in a huge variety of plant foods.
In order to boost your estrogen levels, you can moderately incorporate phytoestrogen-rich foods into your diet.
In most cases, there are either no risks or the benefits outweigh the potential risks.
Eating Bananas in moderation is unlikely to harm you.