We live in a world of estrogen dominance and this is a leading factor in many of the health problems people face today. To investigate this we’ll discuss what estrogens and androgens are, the many effects of estrogen dominance, how we become overloaded with four bad kinds of estrogens, and lastly what you can do about it.
This article about male and female hormones is important for both men and women. Women have much more estrogen than men. Men have many more androgens then women. But both genders have both. And both are affected by the modern day environment to become estrogen dominant in a way that undermines their health and performance.
Different Types of Estrogen
There are many hormones in the body, in fact, there’s over 240 of them. For this discussion we need to dive into a few of these varieties. Estrogen is not just one hormone, but a class of several different forms.
- Estrone (E1) – One of the worst estrogens appears to be 16 alpha-hydroxy-estrone. However, there are also good estrones like 2 hydroxy-estrone.
- Estradiol (E2) – Excessively elevated levels of estradiol are the most common of the “bad” estrogens.
- Estriol (E3) – Of all the estrogens, estriol appears to have the best health producing effects.

The conversion of many hormones including the androgens and estrogens
So its important to note that while all estrogens are necessary in both men and women, especially women, their effects will depend on the ratio and amounts of them.
As we’ll discuss in more depth, estrogen dominance is an overburdening of excess estrogens, especially of the “bad kinds”, leading to all sorts of health issues.
The Androgens and their Effects
- Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) – A “weak” androgen with very low biological potency as far as male sex effects, but many other important anti-aging roles in the body.
- Androstenedione – The precursor to testosterone with roughly 20 percent of its potency.
- Testosterone – The most well known of androgens, because of its strong effects.
- Androsterone – A breakdown product of the androgens with one-seventh the strength of testosterone.
- Dihydrotestosteone (DHT) – A metabolite of testosterone, with excesses of it playing a role in male pattern baldness and prostate issues.
Having your androgenic hormones working properly will allow you to build and retain muscle mass better, support weight loss, enhance sex drive and function, increase “zest and vitality” and a sense of well-being in life, and even support cognitive function.
In addition to these effects for both sexes, androgens serve as the precursors to estrogens. So the androgens are required as precursors to some of the hormones they need and must be converted.
The Bad Effects of Estrogen Dominance
So just what will estrogen dominance do to you? Here’s a list of a variety of illnesses and problems it can contribute to.
- Weight gain (especially being unable to get rid of “stubborn” fat)
- Lack of Sex Drive
- Impotence
- Bone loss and osteoporosis
- Cancer, especially breast in women and prostate in men
- Diabetes
- Breast enlargement (early development for girls, and also “man boobs” or gynecomastia for guys)
- Acne
- Foggy Thinking
- Insomnia
- Impaired athletic performance
- Immune system compromise
- Low energy and “mid-day slump”
- Slow healing
- And more

Estrogen dominance can lead to many health problems and “cosmetic” issues like cellulite and “man boobs”.
Three Additional Hormonal Problems
Age Related Decline
Unfortunately, after puberty our “healthy” hormones, in both men and women go on a decline that appears to last the rest of our lives. It appears we’re made to become men and women, and be able to pass on our genes, peaking in our 20’s, then it’s a slow decline from there.
Eventually, this leads to menopause in women and andropause in men. Both of these occur when the male and female hormones have suffered enough to lead to some massive changes in the body.
While this is a natural process it can be “put off”, and certainly become an easier transition, by taking the right steps to support your male and female hormones. The whole field of anti-aging is largely about keeping your hormones at the healthful levels of your youth.
Aromatization
Aromatase is an enzyme that converts androgens to estrogens. While necessary, this can become a problem especially in men if it is being done too much. If so, this takes all the hormones that would give you health and vitality and convert them into something that does the opposite.
A variety of factors, like too much toxicity and impaired detoxification can contribute to increased aromatization.

Aromatization is the conversion of health androgens into often unhealthy estrogens.
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin
SHBG, as the name suggests, is a protein that binds to androgens making them unavailable for use in the body. This and other binding molecules are the difference between total and free testosterone. The sad fact is that testosterone can’t deliver its benefits if it’s bound up. While SHBG serves its role in the body, once again, too much can contribute to estrogen dominance.
Our Overly Estrogenic Environment
As previously mentioned the modern day environment is the biggest contributor to estrogen dominance and all of the problems that it brings. Here we’ll explore just how prevalent these estrogens are in our everyday lives.
The different types of estrogens can be classed in a number of ways.
Xeno-estrogens
From pesticides, chemicals, plastics and more. Common sources include:
- Bovine Growth Hormone
- Tap water
- Laundry detergents
- Chemicals in sunscreens
- BPA found in most plastic
- Food coloring like Red 3
- Parabens found in cosmetics and shampoos
- Insecticides like DDT, DDE, indane (banned in Europe but still in use in the USA), methoxychlor, etc.

A heavy dose of estrogenic pesticides and insecticides.
Phyto-estrogens
These estrogenic compounds are found in nature. If we lived in a “natural” world these probably would not be a problem, but in combination with the other estrogens it is best to avoid these completely.
- Soy – Soy is touted for its benefits as a widely consumed component of Oriental diets. However, they almost always eat it in fermented forms (miso, tempeh, natto) that break down estrogenic compounds in it. It is best to avoid processed soy foods like soy milk and tofu completely.
- Hops – Found in 99.99% of beers. After the German Beer Purity Laws it was discovered that the women who collected hops for beers experience earlier menstrual periods. Also men suffered from reduced libido and feminization.
- Flax seeds – Touted as a health food for its omega-3 content, this may lead to estrogen problems. A much better similar food is chia seeds. Although defatted flax seeds appear to help pull out excess estrogen from the body.
- Licorice root – A common harmonizing herb in many Chinese herbal formulas. Unfortunately it also has very strong estrogenic effects.
- Coffee – One study found it to increase estradiol levels.

It’s not just the calories that contribute to a beer gut, but estrogenic hops causing fat accumulation.
Metallo-estrogens
While many people in the field of health are aware of the problematic effects of heavy metal toxicity it is not well known that these metals contribute to estrogen dominance. Heavy metals contaminated products include:
- Fish (farmed fish is even higher in heavy metals than wild caught)
- Most tap water supplies
- Household cleaning agents
- Cookware
- White Flour
- Deodorants
- Pharmaceuticals
- Pollution (simply breathing in major cities causes consumption of lead and other heavy metals)
- Mercury Dental Fillings
- Vaccines
- And much more
Myco-estrogens
These toxins are from various fungi that contaminant many foods.
- Aflatoxins found in peanuts, cotton, corn and other grains.
- Ochratoxins found in beer, wine, coffee, and much more.
- Most cheeses and coffee are full of various sorts.
- Black molds and other hidden dangers within your home.
- If you suffer from candida overgrowth your body may be producing excess estrogens from within.
- And many more

Do you know what’s growing on your coffee?
The best thing you can do is limit your exposure to all of the above. But because these things are everywhere that’s a tall order even for the most health-conscious of people.
The Superfood of the 21st Century
Because of all of the estrogens in the environment our androgens, for both men and women, need support.
Even if we do everything we can, and let’s face the truth, that very few people are, avoiding estrogens is like a losing a war against an over-whelming enemy.
So let’s bring in the CAVALRY.
Earlier we discussed phyto-estrogens. These are estrogen mimicking compounds in various plant foods. While some may serve a purpose, the problem is with all the other estrogens, it is probably best to avoid these as much as possible.
Many people in the field of health are aware of these. But most are not aware of phyto-androgens. Part of this reason is that these are far more rare.
Luckily there is one substance that is fully loaded with them, the pollen of pine trees. (As a side note, pine nuts do contain some androgens, but in much smaller amounts.)

As part of the reproduction of pine trees, pine pollen is loaded with phyto-androgens which the human body can benefit from.
Pine pollen, as the male reproductive part of a pine tree, has many phyto-androgens.
Pine pollen contains gibberellins which are structurally very similar to testosterone. In fact, they have been found to actually connect with testosterone receptors in the human body. Basically, they can mimic testosterone in the body and, as Stephan Harrold Buhner tells us in his book The Natural Testosterone Plan, “because of their adrenal and pituitary actions, they stimulate androgen production in the body; energy levels increase.” They act as prostate regulators, upregulating when the prostate is too small (one study had castrated rats keep their prostates from shrinking) and down regulate when the prostate is too big and inflamed. They are also anticancerous and anti-inflammatory in the rest of the body.
Pine pollen also contains over 30 different kinds of brassinosteroids. Two of these brassinosteroids are used in the mechanism through which the liver safely removes xenoestrogens and other chemicals from the body. They have strong antiviral actions and are, “considered to be highly novel steroidal compounds with unique anticancer actions while possessing very low toxicity.”
Pine pollen has substances that are similar to testosterone, DHEA, androstenedione, androsterone and more. And that’s not all. Its chock full of nutrition with over 200 bioactive antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other super nutrients.
Understand that this is not like hormone replacement therapy. These are small amounts of hormones, but combined with the intelligence of all the necessary co-factors found in pine pollen. This doesn’t boost your hormones to unsafe levels, but instead helps to educate your body towards a more normal or optimized function.
Sources:
Wolfe, David, Longevity Now
Buhner, Stephen, The Natural Testosterone Plan: For Sexual Health and Energy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrogen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromatase
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_hormone-binding_globulin
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC164220/
https://stopdrinkingalcohol.com/beer-hops-estrogen/
https://www.evenbetterhealth.com/heavy-metal-poisoning-sources.php
https://www.naturalnews.com/027227_cancer_breast_estrogen.html
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Hello guys. Great site! What can you replace beer with? Also what do you recommend for increased drive and focus? Can the testosterone increase create prostate cancer??It seems like men function better when the women is not too close almost like she is sending estrogen waves!!!
If you’re looking for a hops free alcohol there are many options. Wine, hard alcohol, cider, mead, hard kombucha, etc.
For drive and focus, it depends on a few factors but Pine Pollen or Tongkat Ali are great for drive, Bacopa or Rhodiola are great for focus.
Regarding T and prostate, read this article: https://lostempireherbs.com/herbs-for-prostate-health/#Testosterone_DHT_and_Prostate_Issues
Are pine pollen, tongat ali, and horny goat weed insensitive to heat? Can I put them in my coffee?
Currently taking the pine pollen and horny goat weed in room temp. water. They work for me, are increasing my morning wood.
The tongkat and horny goat weed are heat extracted so they’ve already been exposed. The pine pollen is steam sterilized so it too has been exposed. So putting them in coffee is fine.
Anything that you would recommend to increase my wife’s libido? She has been going through menopause for a number of years.
Good starting place would be Athena. Our best reviews on that come from women in and around menopause. https://lostempireherbs.com/product/athena/
Was looking into saffron for ED, but it seems to have
an estrogen issue as well. Correct.
Hi Logan, I’m excited to have found your website, you might have what I’m looking for? I’m looking for morning wood and I need viagra to keep roger angry. I also have trigger finger on both hands, the left hand middle knuckle actually locks in and has to be reefed out. This was possibly caused by years of martial arts. Apart from that I’m great, I’m a vegetarian/vegan, still slim at 65 years old and want to keep on top of things. The pine pollen sounds great, could you also suggest other products for my ailments. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Beyond the pine pollen in the different forms also take a look at tongkat ali or our Thor’s Hammer formula.
Norderstedt, June 6th 2018
Hello Logan,
Some months ago I ordered Ultra Omega Burn in the USA and it took weeks and quite an amount of taxes to get ist out of customs. Another lot of Nutrio 2 was rejected by customs and sent back since it was a medication not allowed to be imported into Germany. Is it possible to buy your products here in Germany, maybe trough Amazon? I will be 80 yo this year and I am not too fit anymore, but I am interested in your products.
Best regards
from Klaus-Peter Tack, Kiebitzreihe 17, 22844 Norderstedt, Germany
Unfortunately Germany is very strict about supplements. Due to lots of issues like this we stopped shipping there ourselves. You’re welcome to try through Amazon, but there is likely to be customs issues at this time. Sorry!
I’ve been taking pine pollen for 3 days in xtr drs capsules which last in stomach acid for 45 minutes and have notice more energy but I’ve also noticed some sensitivity in the chest does that mean I should stop taking it oh and I’ve been taking tongkat Ali too
Try stopping taking them and see if the sensitivity goes away. Or lower your dosage. Or try just one at a time.
It also depends on what you mean by sensitivity.
Hi Logan
Thanks for putting up this website. Really interesting and useful.
However, I have a question. I have purchased T.Ali and P.Pollen, but did not seem to get the effects that were being talked about.
I have read further articles from you and need your input regarding this PDE5 business.
My woman, a great girl, gets me hard and then it just goes away all by itself!!! I am guessing that this is due to the PDE5 being stronger than the CMG.
Is there anything that you might recommend to overcome this? I am late 50’s, non-smoker, hardly ever drink, proper weight and walk quite a bit. Do not do any resistance work due to lower back problems, but am about to start again.
Medication is for an underactive thyroid and take 150mg Levothoroxine every day.
Your input or feed back would be most welcome.
Thanks
Steve
Just going off of what you wrote here’s a few things to investigate:
1) Hypothyroid causes some ED issues. Could also be the levothyroxine as some people appear to report that. My suggestions would be to aim to fix the underlying issues causing hypothyroid, and see if that helps.
2) If PDE5 is the culprit, then specifically test out Horny Goat Weed to see if that one helps you. You could also try our Thor’s Hammer formula, which contains that among other things, to see if that helps.