Ways to Stop Testosterone from Converting into Estrogen
Looking for ways to stop testosterone from converting into estrogen?
Well, to be honest, estrogen is not just a female hormone. Men also produce it and it can bring about a lot of changes in your body, particularly by lowering your male hormone or testosterone!
If you want to build as much hard muscle as possible, or you just want to improve your masculine health and perhaps become the ‘alpha’ of your group, then you need more testosterone. We’ve gone over a number of different ways to increase T levels naturally with supplements and with lifestyle and health changes, so you should know how to start getting your levels above average (important seeing as the ‘average’ these days is abysmally low).
But if you think just increasing the amount of testosterone in your body is going to be enough then you are sadly mistaken. In fact, it’s not increasing testosterone that is the most important of all as much as keeping it. If your testosterone is being converted into estrogen in your body then no amount of vitamin D is going to fix things. And seeing that estrogen is the female hormone and has all the opposite effects to testosterone, this really isn’t something we want to happen. So how do you make sure that your testosterone stays as testosterone?
Signs and Symptoms of High Estrogen in Men
If you are converting too much testosterone into estrogen then you may exhibit a number of symptoms which can include a build-up of fats around your mid-section particularly, a loss of muscle, a reduction in energy and generally poor mood. It has even been linked with depression.
Before getting details, I think it is important to list out some of the serious complications that could occur as a result of high levels of estrogen in men. So, here you go:
- Gynecomastia – or man boobs, can be a particularly embarrassing problem for men. After all, who would want to have breasts like women? Sadly, high estrogen remains the underlying cause of this problem in men.
- Cardiovascular issues – This is another serious health problem that could arise as a result of high levels of estrogen running in your bloodstream and what is worse is that it can lead to increased chances of getting a life-threatening or fatal stroke.
- Weight Gain – Testosterone does much more than merely help build powerful and bigger muscles in your body. One of the most important functions of this male sex hormone is that it can help boost fat burning too. Lack of testosterone and a high level of estrogen can do just the opposite. It can lead to water retention and even weight gain. What could make things even worse is that water retention can lead to problems like high blood pressure etc.
- Prostate Problems – Yet another issue that could arise as a result of an increased estrogen level is that it can affect your prostate health and lead to various complications.
How Does Testosterone Convert to Estrogen in Men
All of us will convert a little of our testosterone into estrogen and this is entirely normal and healthy. The problem though, is when we start converting a large amount of testosterone into estrogen leaving none left to have the positive effects. If you’re over the age of 40 then there’s a good chance that’s what’s happening.
Normally our body converts about 10% of our testosterone into estrogen while women have the opposite balance. It is an enzyme called ‘aromatase’ that is normally responsible for this conversion and that’s all good and well. But when you end up with too much aromatase this then means that your body gets a little carried away and you end up greatly reducing your testosterone production.
How do you get that extra aromatase? Well, there are a few ways. For starters, if you eat a lot of carbohydrates containing sugars and flours then this will increase your aromatase. Diets that are high in carbohydrates then can contribute to low T.
Meanwhile, a zinc deficiency can also lead to an increase in aromatase. Zinc is a mineral that your body uses, among other things, to get rid of that enzyme, and thus if you don’t have enough of it, your aromatase levels can go through the roof.
How To Stop Testosterone from Converting into Testosterone
Now, we get to the point since this is what this article is all about. So, here are some important steps that could help you prevent your testosterone from converting into the female hormone estrogen:
Controlling Environmental Estrogens
Even though it is almost impossible to eliminate and control environmental estrogen, there are certain ways to minimize the damage.
First of all, you need to avoid having meat products from animals that are raised with synthetic hormones in order to enhance their productivity. Having meat of grass-fed animals is a much better start that you should give your body.
(A lot of cows are being given trenbolone injections in order to increase both their meat and milk productivity. Sadly, trenbolone is one of the most dangerous steroids that can create serious complications in your body when it enters through this meat that you consume. It can upset your testosterone levels by increasing the production of estrogen.)
Secondly, what you should do is that you should avoid plastic food wraps or food containers. The use of plastic has become increasingly popular the world over and most of us are now aware of its damaging effects on our health. One of the problems is that plastic contains compounds that mimic estrogen. These are called xenoestrogens and they seep into your body when you use foods that are wrapped in plastic food wraps or food containers. Thus, you must avoid using such plastic products.
Finally, you must also try and avoid using shampoos and toiletries that are also known to contain parabens that increase estrogen. A better alternative is to use herbal products that are safe and devoid of parabens.
Controlling Weight
One of the factors that highly affect your estrogen levels is your body weight. Excess body fat results in a high level of the enzyme aromatase in your body. As mentioned above, this enzyme converts testosterone into estrogen in men.
Thus, in order to prevent the conversion of testosterone into estrogen, you must try to control your body weight and make sure that you stay within the healthy limits for your age.
Avoiding high fad diets is also important since such diets are one of the root causes of gaining excess fat resulting in increased conversion of testosterone into estrogen.
A regular workout, on the other hand, is likely to help you get a lot of benefits since it can help you control and cut down on your body fat. Strength training is one of the best exercise forms as far as reducing fat and enhancing testosterone are concerned.
So, put on your gym shoes and try to hit the weights at least 4-5 days a week.
Diet
As far as your hormones are concerned, your diet plays a pivotal role in controlling and regulating their production, whether it be estrogen or testosterone. Thus, what you need to do is have more foods that boost testosterone and cut down or lower the consumption of those that increase estrogen.
You need to make sure that you avoid eating lots of carbohydrates, flours, and sugars and that you conversely increase your intake of zinc. Oysters, red meat etc. are a perfect source of dietary zinc that you should include in your diet. Over and above, you must also include foods that are abundantly rich in Omega 3 fatty acids since your body needs such fats in order to produce anabolic steroid hormones such as testosterone and even HGH.
Say NO to Alcohol and other alcoholic drinks!
Now, this is important. First of all, alcohol is hard on your liver. It affects your liver and kidney function and impairs your body’s ability to regulate the level of estrogen in your body. Moreover, alcohol suppresses testosterone secretion.
Estrogen Blockers
Now, comes the role of estrogen blockers that can be classified into two main categories and these include:
- Pharmaceutical Estrogen Blockers and
- Natural Estrogen Blockers
Pharmaceutical Estrogen Blockers
A couple of pharma-grade medicines are known to be great in terms of blocking estrogen in men. Even though they are formulated with women in mind, they are now finding popularity among men, especially those that want to father kids.
One of the complications arising out of testosterone therapy is that it can make men sterile. Estrogen blockers, on the other hand, can be effective in restoring hormonal balance without affecting fertility in men. One of the perfect examples of such drugs is clomiphene or Clomid, which is often used as a PCT by bodybuilders to help their bodies get back to normal testosterone production once they are done with a particular steroid cycle.
Apart from these there is another category of medications known thas SERMs (selective estrogen receptor modulators) that can also be used to block estrogen in men. It is worth noting that these drugs are primarily meant for treating breast cancer in women. Interestingly, they can also be used for treating conditions associated with low testosterone in men such as infertility, low sperm count, gynecomastia and osteoporosis.
Some of such medicines could include:
- Tamoxifen
- Raloxifene (Evista)
- Anastrozole (Armidex) and
- Letrozole (Femara)
Natural Estrogen Blockers
I am a great advocate of natural stuff and the primary reason behind this is that drugs often have side effects that can lead to serious complications. Natural remedies, on the other hand, are safe and do not have nasty side effects.
So, here are a few natural estrogen blockers that can help you get the desired results without any adverse side effects:
Wild Nettle Root
One of the most effective natural estrogen blockers is nettle root and this is why it is commonly used as an ingredient in many natural testosterone supplements. It consists of compounds that block the production of estrogen in your body.
Chrysin
Now, this is a flavonoid that is commonly found in passionflower, honey, and bee propolis. A lot of people argue that it can help block estrogen and boost testosterone production in men. Even though it lacks clinical evidence, there’s no harm in trying it.
Maca
This is a cruciferous plant that is commonly found in Peru. It is often used in many dishes in this South American country. One of the many uses of this plant is that it is used in natural testosterone and male enhancement supplements because of its ability to boost testosterone in men. It is often argued that it works by blocking estrogen but a lot more study is required to confirm this.
Grape Seed Extract
The grape seed extract is a powerful aromatase inhibitor. In other words, it works by blocking aromatase so that testosterone is not converted to estrogen. It is supposed to work great in women with a high risk of breast cancer. Men are also known to experience similar effects.
Role of Natural DIM Supplements
One of the best ways to prevent the conversion of testosterone into estrogen is with the help of a natural DIM supplement. DIM supplement acts as an aromatase inhibitor that prevents the conversion of testosterone into estrogen.
DIM supplements have been gaining a lot of popularity among men since they can help balance estrogen levels in men.
One of the best DIM supplements is the DIM 3X from Primegenix which is a 100% natural formula. What makes it more credible than other competing brands on the market is that it is a doctor-recommended supplement.
It is endorsed and recommended by Dr. Kaleb Redden. This is a supplement that can help:
- lower estrogen
- increase testosterone
- boost muscle growth
- burn excess fat
- enhance mood
- increase energy
- improve libido and sexual performance, etc.
DIM 3X has no negative side effects and has been getting amazingly positive user reviews. To top it all, it comes with a complete money-back guarantee too. Check out my detailed Primegenix DIM 3X review by clicking here.
