Hormones briefing
Reducing Excess Estrogen
Both what you eat and what you are exposed to in your environment can influence estrogen levels in the body. Small, steady changes to your diet, your household products, and your plastics use can help shift the balance.
Dietary recommendations
These everyday food choices can help reduce estrogen dominance and support your body’s natural ability to break down and remove excess estrogen.
Choose organic where possible
Many pesticides have been found to stimulate estrogen receptors, so organic foods help lower that exposure.
Low saturated fat, high in omega-3
A diet low in saturated fats and high in essential fatty acids (omega-3) helps reduce estrogen dominance.
Eat cruciferous vegetables
The cabbage family, including arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage and brussels sprouts, contains sulphur-based plant compounds that encourage the breakdown and removal of estrogen.
Include phytestrogens
Plant estrogens can prevent estrogen from binding to its receptor sites. They raise levels of estrogen’s carrier protein, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG): when more estrogen is bound to SHBG, less is free to bind to estrogen receptors. Found in soy, alfalfa, grains and seeds, fennel and fenugreek.
Support liver detoxification
Foods rich in sulphur such as garlic, onion, leek and cabbage aid liver detoxification. Foods high in methionine such as beans, legumes, onions and garlic assist with the methylation needed to excrete estrogen. The liver uses methylation to break down estradiol into the less potent estriol.
Decrease caffeine
Caffeine has been found to increase circulating estrogen levels. Cut back on colas, coffee, chocolate and tea.
Shift to a more plant-based diet
Synthetic estrogenic chemicals in the environment, such as PCBs and dioxin, accumulate in the fat of animal foods like meat, milk, cheese and butter.
Manage stress and stay active
Managing stress and including regular physical activity both support healthy hormonal balance.
Various nutritional and herbal supplements are also available to improve hormonal balance in both men and women, and are prescribed depending on each individual case.
Fibre and flaxseed
A high-fibre diet reduces estrogen levels in the blood and urine. Good examples are wheat bran, psyllium husks, pectins (the skins and rinds of fruit and vegetables) and lignans such as flaxseed. These lignans exert a protective effect against the proliferative effects of the body’s own estrogens, and so may help reduce the risk of breast cancer. Using 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed each day is an excellent strategy.
Household cleaners
Alkylphenols
Alkylphenols, a class of synthetic estrogenic chemicals, are found widely in household cleaners.
Choose non-toxic options
Non-toxic household cleaners can be found at health food stores or in the natural foods section of most local grocery stores.
Make your own
You can make your own cleaners. Ask if you would like recipes to do this.
Cosmetics
Potentially estrogenic chemicals, such as phthalates, alkylphenols, and parabens (methyl and propylparaben), are widely used in hair and skin care products. Check labels and choose products that leave these out.
Plastics
Generally it is best to limit your exposure to all plastic. A few specific habits make the biggest difference.
Avoid BPA
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogen-stimulating compound found in canned goods, most hard plastic drinking bottles, soda cans, polycarbonate-lined baking tins and pizza boxes.
Avoid the worst plastic codes
Avoid #3 polyvinyl chloride (PVC), #6 polystyrene or styrofoam, and #7 polycarbonate plastics. These match the numbers inside the recycling symbol on plastics.
Never heat plastic
Never microwave or reheat food in plastic containers or covered with plastic wrap. Use glass or ceramic containers instead.
Plastic recycling codes at a glance
| Code | Plastic | Common uses | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 PETE | Polyethylene terephthalate | Soft drink and mineral water bottles, fruit juice containers, cooking oil. | Generally lower concern |
| #2 HDPE | High-density polyethylene | Milk jugs, cleaning agents, laundry detergents, bleaching agents, shampoo bottles, washing and shower soaps. | Generally lower concern |
| #3 PVC | Polyvinyl chloride | Trays for sweets and fruit, plastic packing (bubble foil), and food foils to wrap foodstuff. | Avoid |
| #4 LDPE | Low-density polyethylene | Crushed bottles, shopping bags, highly resistant sacks, and most wrappings. | Generally lower concern |
| #5 PP | Polypropylene | Furniture, luggage, toys, plus bumpers, lining and external car parts. | Generally lower concern |
| #6 PS | Polystyrene | Toys, hard packing, refrigerator trays, cosmetic bags, costume jewellery, CD cases, vending cups. | Avoid |
| #7 OTHER | Other plastics, including acrylic, polycarbonate, polylactic fibres, nylon, fibreglass | Mixed and miscellaneous plastic products. | Avoid (includes polycarbonate) |
For more detail on reducing your exposure to hormone-like substances in your cosmetics, foods and household products, the Environmental Working Group is a useful resource.
Resource
Frequently asked questions
How can I reduce excess estrogen naturally?
Excess estrogen can be tackled from two angles: supporting the body to clear it, and reducing estrogenic chemical exposure. Dietary support includes cruciferous vegetables, whose sulphur compounds help break estrogen down, a high-fibre diet, and around 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily for its protective lignans. On the exposure side it helps to choose non-toxic cleaners and cosmetics and to avoid the higher-concern plastics. It is a two-pronged approach rather than a single fix, best guided by your practitioner.
What are xenestrogens and how do I avoid them?
Xenestrogens are synthetic, estrogen-mimicking chemicals found in some household cleaners, cosmetics and plastics that can accumulate in the body, particularly in animal fat. Practical steps to reduce exposure include choosing non-toxic cleaning products, avoiding cosmetics with phthalates, alkylphenols and parabens, and steering away from higher-concern plastics coded 3 (PVC), 6 (PS) and 7 (often BPA-containing polycarbonate). Plastics coded 1, 2, 4 and 5 are lower concern, and food should never be heated in plastic, with glass or ceramic preferred.
Does flaxseed help with estrogen balance?
Flaxseed is highlighted as a simple starting strategy, with around 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily recommended. Flaxseed is rich in lignans, plant compounds that appear protective in the context of estrogen balance, and it also adds fibre. A high-fibre diet helps because fibre supports the removal of estrogen via the gut, reducing levels in the blood and urine. Flaxseed works best as part of a broader pattern that includes cruciferous vegetables and reduced chemical exposure.
Reviewed by Rohan Smith, BHSc Nutritional Medicine · Elemental Health & Nutrition, Adelaide. Last reviewed 13 June 2026.
Important: This summary is general information, not personalised medical advice, diagnosis, or a treatment protocol. Speak with a qualified practitioner about your individual situation. Book a consultation →