> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paleolithic Eating Support List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Charlotte Williams
> Sent: Monday, September 15, 2008 11:25 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: estrogens and diet
> 
> Hi everyone,
> One of my dear friends recently started following a vegan low estrogen,
> low
> GI diet. No meat, seafood, dairy. lots of beans, veggies, whole grains,
> sweet potatoes ... I was surprised that she even considers seafood too
high fat 

Even the extreme-low-fat-diet guru, Dean Ornish, recommends fish fats (omega
3 fats--found especially in wild saltwater fish like wild salmon). Ask her
if she has ever heard anyone claim that omega 3 fats are unhealthy (no one
has, to my knowledge). There are "GOOD" fats as well as "bad." 

> I wonder if anyone can point me in the direction of any information
> about
> how paleo-eating relates to estrogens, breast-cancer diets, fibroids?

There is tons of stuff on this on the Internet and in books. You could start
by searching the archive of this discussion list. From what I've read, the
biggest culprit behind fibroids and endometriosis appears to be gluten
grains. One of the many devastating effects of wheat is that it increases
estrogen, which in turn contributes to fibroids and endometrial growths. If
your friend is trying to minimize estrogen she should avoid wheat.

From: Food Intolerance in Animals and Man
http://www.dogtorj.com/pages/556863/page556863.html?refresh=1118534161756

"Wherever you have immune suppression and chronic inflammation come together
then you should look for cancer. Estrogens fit the bill here and therefore
should not surprise anyone as leading carcinogens in breast (mammary)
cancer. The good news is that the ovaries of the female do not make enough
estrogen by themselves to create this dilemma. It is what the individual is
consuming (including hormone replacement therapy) or exposed to in the
environment (pesticides, environmental toxins, food animal additives, etc)
that tips the scales in favor of the cancer (or endometriosis, polycystic
ovaries, PMS, catamenial seizures, or other estrogen-related disorders). The
"big four" foods fit right in here because the gluten grains, dairy, and soy
are loaded with estrogens. Dairy is a huge factor here as it also provides
cholesterol precursors to the formation of these hormones. Seeing a pattern
here? Yes, the foods that are bad for us are so in a number of ways."

http://dogtorj.tripod.com/id46.html
The major sources of estrogens in our diet are our "good friends" dairy
products (e.g. cow's milk, cheese), the gluten grains (wheat, barley, rye),
and soy (errrrrrh!!!!!). Yes, the top three human, dog, and cat food
allergens, damagers of the villi of the intestine, sources of harmful
lectins, and suppliers of "excitotoxins" are also the leading sources of
estrogen and it's precursors. Do you see a pattern here? 

Wheat / estrogen 
http://www.usn.co.za/advice_nutritiontips_hormones.htm

"Wheat as we all know is what bread is made from, but what you might not
know, is that it increases estrogen. So if you are a woman that carries
heavily on the thighs, or even a male that carries body fat like that (so
your typical pear shape), you should avoid wheat as much as possible."


The pesticides used on grains contain xenoestrogens--see below (but don't
believe the section entitled "Healthy Whole Wheat Products"--there's no such
thing as healthy wheat)...

More Reasons to Avoid Wheat
Wheaty Indiscretions: What Happens to Wheat From Seed to Storage
By Jen Allbritton, Certified Nutritionist
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/07/26/avoid-wheat.as
px

"Many of these pesticides function as xenoestrogens, foreign estrogen that
can reap havoc with our hormone balance and may be a contributing factor to
a number of health conditions. For example, researchers speculate these
estrogen-mimicking chemicals are one of the contributing factors to boys and
girls entering puberty at earlier and earlier ages. They have also been
linked to abnormalities and hormone-related cancers including fibrocystic
breast disease, breast cancer and endometriosis." (Foster, John. MD. Natural
Production from Estrogen Overload. Crucifers and Cancer. Found at
http://www.westonaprice.org/women/natural_protection.html on February 2,
2003.) 

Why avoid wheat?
Shrinking Fibroids Naturally
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
http://shrinkingfibroids.blogspot.com/2008/05/why-avoid-wheat.html

"One element of my fibroid-fighting plan has been avoiding wheat. Some
people may be wondering why. Here are some reasons...


The Gluten Free Mom
February 23, 2008
http://www.svmoms.com/2008/02/draft-gluten-fr.html

"I have had some medical issues, as well: Fibroids, swelling throughout my
body and rashes on my face.  After doing some research and talking to my
doctors, they recommended that I try to take gluten/wheat our of my diet for
a short period of time.  I thought that they were all crazy and jumping on
this colt-like, gluten free movement.  But... I did have quite a few pounds
to lose, and my weakness was bread and pasta.  Heck, I would give it a try.
I knew that Lisa would be so pleased!

Immediately, I noticed that my swelling went down.  The pains from my
fibroids slowly went away and the most noticeable change was that the rash
on my face (around my lips, nose and forehead) started to lessen. ..."

"Congrats, Jill!! You have given yourself a HUGE GIFT of health. 
... I'm now a holistic nutritionist and have seen the most amazing
recoveries when people go gluten free and make other dietary changes.
Arthritis clears up, psoriasis goes away, autoimmune diseases like diabetes
and lupus improve, migraines go away, kids with autism improve (65% of those
who try it per ARI), ADHD improves. I even had an adult dyslexic client who
is no longer dyslexic. People just cannot believe how much diet impacts our
health." -- Posted by: Alix | February 24, 2008 at 12:57 PM


Soy also contains harmful estrogens:

Five "Health Foods" to Avoid
By Dr. Joseph Mercola with Rachael Droege
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/01/31/food-warnings-
part-two.aspx

"Perhaps the most disturbing of soy's ill effects on health has to do with
its phytoestrogens that can mimic the effects of the female hormone
estrogen. These phytoestrogens have been found to have adverse effects on
various human tissues, and drinking even two glasses of soy milk daily for
one month has enough of the chemical to alter a woman's menstrual cycle."


...and on, and on, and on...

There's also lots of bogus information out there about the benefits of
wheat. When studies are cited, which is rare, they always compare whole
grain wheat to refined wheat or whole grain wheat to other bad foods. They
NEVER compare whole grain wheat to NO wheat. That would be the REAL test!