October 21, 2017
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
I thought I really knew everything there was to know about estrogen exposure until I read the new book written by Anthony Jay, today's podcast guest and the author of Estrogeneration: How Estrogenics Are Making You Fat, Sick, and Infertile.
In it, he delves into everything from cannabis to lavender to licorice…
…to genetic triggers that can cause a parent's choices to make a child fat or have a higher risk of breast cancer…
…to hidden estrogen sources that food and cosmetic manufacturers can legally hide from us…
…and much more.
Who is Anthony Jay?
Anthony grew up in rural Minnesota.He went to college at Ave Maria University, Florida, and earned a B.A. with a double major in Biology and Theology and a double minor in Chemistry and Classics. It was in college where he began researching inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and where he also acquired a unique reputation as the founder of the University Shark Fishing Club. After college, Dr. Jay began working in an Alzheimer’s disease lab in Boston for the U.S. Veteran’s Affairs.
Next, Dr. Jay earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, researching different types of fats and cholesterol. Today, Dr. Jay continues to lead the “AJ Consulting Company”, which he founded in 2010, where he predominantly analyzes DNA for high performing individuals. In addition, Dr. Jay is the President of the “International Medical Research Collaborative”, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that trains and educates medical students and doctors from around the globe within American hospitals and labs.
Working within the medical and research systems, Dr. Jay has become disenchanted with many aspects of the “conventional” medical and research culture in America and has become vocal about these problems and passionate about strategies for mental and physical health optimization and disease prevention. Dr. Jay is also an expert on artificial estrogen chemicals and recently published Estrogeneration: How Estrogenics Are Making You, Fat, Sick, and Infertile. Dr. Jay has other upcoming books as part of this book series called “Chagrin & Tonic” and a YouTube channel under that name, all focused on simplifying important scientific ideas
During our discussion, you'll discover:
-Why Anthony is concerned about two things I use before I go to bed at night (lavender and cannabis)…[6:10 & 10:18]
-Whether licorice can increase estrogen or decrease testosterone…[14:35]
-Which types of plants are the most estrogenic, and whether those plants can be processed in such a manner such as fermentation, that decreases the estrogens…[17:40 & 22:15]
-The little known estrogenic fungus ZEA and why Anthony talks about it in his book…[30:20]
-Why you need to be careful with any soap that creates high amounts of “suds”…[39:50]
-How a plastic can be BPA free but still be estrogenic…[42:40]
-What the chemical atrazine has to do with turning male frogs into female “princesses”…[46:20]
-How infertility and obesity issues caused by estrogens can actually be passed on to future generations…[53:15]
-Anthony's top strategies to detox ourselves from estrogens, and how long it takes…[57:10]
-And much more…
Resources from this episode:
-Estrogeneration: How Estrogenics Are Making You Fat, Sick, and Infertile
–Why Lavender Won't Give Your Boys Man Boobs
–Do Phytoestrogens Raise Estrogens and Modulate Cancer Risk?
–Ben's “How To Detox Your Home” article
-Ben's podcast about “OralIV”
–Zach Bush's “Restore” product for mitigating the effects of glyphosate
–My article on hacking an infrared sauna
Show Sponsors:
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-Quip – Go to GetQuip.com/ben to get your first refill pack FREE with purchasing a Quip electric toothbrush.
Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Anthony or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!
I find *far* more research showing that soy intake (phytoestrogen isoflavonoids) does not significantly affect testosterone levels than the small amount of data saying it does. Eating the whole food has a beneficial effect, whereas only ingesting compounds may have some detriment. Just don’t eat tofu as a staple, eh?
Thanks for the podcast! I thought of another question. I have read that Flax can help new mothers increase milk supply. Listening to your podcast though makes me think increasing flax seed consumption to help with lactation would not be a healthy choice. Is this the case? Thanks!
Does avoiding soy products also include avoiding soy lecithins?
Thank you!
OF COURSE! avoid any product that have soy, soy lecithins, lechitins, soy protein, protein
(pro tip: if they aren’t being specific it’s probly soy)
I cannot seem to find the website/link that lists all the products that Dr. Jay approves. Can someone assist with this
@Brenden: I know – it’s not super accessible to find. https://www.ajconsultingcompany.com/whatiuse.html
Ben, another great podcast!
Dr Jay, I believe the Finnish sauna study you referenced is this one [1]. There looks to be benefit going >11 but the benefits are even greater at >19 minutes. Their study doesn’t look at the impact/effect of the cold plunge afterwards which is typically common or the effect of pouring water on the rocks which is also pretty common over there. I haven’t looked at their most recent publication [2] but it sounds like there are some promising benefits related to Alzheimer’s dementia.
[1] Laukkanen T, Khan H, Zaccardi F, Laukkanen JA. Association Between Sauna Bathing and Fatal Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality Events. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(4):542–548. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8187
[2] Tanjaniina Laukkanen, Setor Kunutsor, Jussi Kauhanen, Jari Antero Laukkanen; Sauna bathing is inversely associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in middle-aged Finnish men, Age and Ageing, Volume 46, Issue 2, 1 March 2017, Pages 245–249, https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afw212
@Scott Rankin: Thanks for the additional details – that’s the study
Dr. Jay, I was reading through your website article “What I Use” Personal Care and noticed that the tooth paste has tea tree oil listed as an ingredient. I thought tea tree oil was considered to have an estrogenic affect. Also listed is Vegetable Glycerin and Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate. Doesn’t this concern you?
@Darryl: Regarding tea tree oil, the research is iffy. I know it is lumped in with lavender in the New England Journal of Med study but the concerns about the quality of tea tree oil they used in that study are very real [i.e. because they never were able to repeat those results]. That being said, a little bit in toothpaste isn’t a serious concern to me even if it was estrogenic. We have probiotics in our teeth that have “seen” these natural estrogens before and can break down these tiny quantities.
Regarding glycerin and Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate (not to be confused with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate aka SLS), my family has no reactions/issues with these, so I have no issues. They aren’t inherently unhealthy whereas, something like BPA, in my opinion, in “inherently” unhealthy. What I mean by that is BPA has long-lasting bad health impacts, even if you can’t see/feel them, revealed by strong scientific studies. Even SLS (sulfate): People that react to SLS normally notice the reaction immediately via gum redness or similar and should then avoid it. I admit, though, finding a “perfect” toothpaste isn’t something I’ve achieved yet and I’m not sure that exists yet.
Which beers are best? Which are worst? Asking for a friend…
@Mike: “asking for a friend” eh? Haha, actually, I haven’t done nearly enough research into plant estrogen in beer. One of these days, I’ll dig into it and do a YouTube video on the Chagrin & Tonic YouTube channel. The phytoestrogen in hops is called “8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN)”, so that’s where I’d start in terms of the research.
Thanks for the great discussion! You guys mentioned that smoking cannabis can be estrogenic as opposed to eating it, but is there a difference between smoking/combusting versus vaping?
@Kenny: Good question. I don’t know, unfortunately
Any thoughts on whether chia seeds are “estrogenic”, and whether they’re ok to eat (or avoid, like flax seeds)?
This came up in another podcast with Ben, but I have yet to get an answer.
Thanks
@Roy Liu – My favorite go-to scientific study on this is called “Phytoestrogen Content of Foods Consumed in Canada, Including Isoflavones, Lignans, and Coumestan”. Unfortunately, they did not test Chia seeds. A quick PubMed search of the terms “Chia Seeds Estrogenic” and “Chia Seeds Estrogen” give “0” search results (zero scientific studies that link chia seeds and estrogen). This makes me doubt Chia has any estrogen effect. As a relative comparison, searching “Soy Estrogen” reveals more than 2,500 scientific studies…
I was hoping that Dr. Anthony Jay had a link to his site where he mentioned that he had a list of the products that he uses that are non estrogenic (soaps and the like).
check out his book! BenGreenfieldFitness.com/anthony-jay
His website: https://www.ajconsultingcompany.com/
@Jesse Murray / @Ben Greenfield – thanks @Ben Greenfield, best comment yet
Sorry–I’m even more confused after hearing this. People have estrogen replacement for anti-aging now it’s the devil? I understand synthetics, but my “renown”oncologist said edamame/soy etc was perfectly fine to eat (Asians eat it all the time and have far lower cancer rates) so….so many contradictions. Hard to know what to do.
@Laura Soy is a tough one for sure. Lots of conflicting research is out there – I always acknowledge (and try to explain) that as best I can. That’s just where things stand.
Estrogen replacement isn’t the devil, btw, but clinical trials using EVEN natural estrogen were suspended due to huge risks, mainly blood clotting deaths. That being said, Asians (1) usually ferment soy products and (2) don’t eat as much soy as we Americans like to think. They also eat more seafood and do other healthy things (like far less sugar), so comparing them to Americans and making conclusions about soy is too broad. It’s better to look into more precise studies of soy, which I did in my book
PS: Sorry about the repeats – there was a webpage glitch
Thank you, Anthony!
Hey Ben. Any Niacin products you recommend and dosage Thank you
BenGreenfieldfitness.com/niasafe
You need to search my site for how I implement niacin.
This group is useful, too: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Saunadetox/
Does the product DIM help with estrogen overload. I take DIM with bio-Perone 200mg once daily
DIM is tricky. It can increase and decrease estrogen, depending on dosage. I encourage you to check out my discussion with Leanne Vogel on The Keto Diet podcast. Near the end, we chatted about diindolylmethane.
Loved this podcast. Totally awesome! What was the name of that nut you discussed?
@Jason Jones: I think Ben and I are both somewhat nutty (mostly me) but I don’t remember mentioning anything about nuts. @Ben Greenfield?
So my Nalgene bottle has a 7 on it and is BPA free. Kinda bummed at this one. What’s a good alternative water bottle to use without having to hire an assistant to carry around green glass bottled water like Ben?
@Jon: Hah, having an assistant is ideal but you can also use stainless. In addition, using water in those cloudy looking “milk jugs” is just fine bc that’s plastic #2. It will smell plasticky but is ok and certainly better than beautiful, clear, plastic #1 (or #7)
Great podcast! Thank you for tackling this issue. What natural method would you recommend for women who test low for estrogen? Should one increase their soy/flax intake or does the harm outweigh the benefits? Thanks again!
@Lillian Rowlatt – thank you! To answer your Q, it depends on the person and situation (as always!) but I normally recommend avoiding soy and flax even in MOST cases of low estrogen. More ideally, I would recommend you eat a lot more cholesterol using grass-fed butter and lift weights. 1/4 stick per day of butter would be ideal, spread throughout the day (assuming your other micronutrients are good). Sex hormones like estrogen are built from cholesterol so don’t be afraid of it! Finally, lift heavy weights if you are medically able. Deadlift! This will help. Start light and easy (for instance, use a 25 pound bar or 45 pound bar without weights) and perfect your form, but DEADLIFT. Add 2.5 pounds of weight (5 pounds total) to each side of the bar each week. Your body will beautifully adapt. Hopefully, that helps! Best to do things natural and these are better natural options that soy/flax in my opinion.
Thank you Dr Jay! I typically lift heavy four days a week (two day spilt between upper and lower body) and also incorporate calisthenics/gymnastics training as well as HIIT circuits. This is the first I’ve heard of increasing cholesterol intake to support hormone function but makes complete sense. Will definitely look to increase my grass-fed butter intake. Very much appreciate your feedback!
No problem – I’m glad you’re lifting/training. Not many people hear the phrase “eat more cholesterol” because the statin companies vilify cholesterol, which includes training medical doctors to view cholesterol as “dangerous”. It’s healthy and inflammation is the real issue for artery plaque. I’m writing a full book on this called “Blubber Brain” so stay tuned : )
Great podcast thank you for doing it! On a side note…I think I heard you say weeks ago you had a new podcast coming out with Katy Bowman. Is that true, totally stoked to hear it if so:)!
What about vaping CBD?
@Carrie – great question! I’m 99% sure CBD vaping will not have any estrogenic health effect
Thank you for the reply!