Phytoestrogens - from plants and botanicals that have an estrogen-like effect on your body. Some plants that contain phytoestrogens are soy beans, red clover, beans, cereal brans and flaxseeds. The effects of these plant estrogens are quite a bit weaker than estrogen produced by your ovaries. In alternative medicine, products that contain phytoestrogens may be used to treat menopausal symptoms. Not all of those herbal treatments are safe in regards to breast cancer.
Xenoestrogens – from chemicals present in our environment, many of which are petrochemicals. Xenoestrogens are much more potent than the estrogen your body makes, and too much exposure to them can result in problems with development, reproduction, and may cause cancer. We use products that contain xenoestrogens daily: plastics, electronics, medicines, foods, soaps and pesticides. Our environment (water, air, soil and plants) is being polluted by xenoestrogens from manufacturing runoff and the disposal of products containing xenoestrogens.
Synthetic Estrogens – made by pharmaceutical companies and included in prescription drugs. This kind of estrogen, like the xenoestrogens, is more powerful than natural estrogens. Before 2002, HRT was prescribed for a variety of reasons including treatment of menopause symptoms, and to help prevent heart disease, bone thinning, and certain cancers. The Women's Health Initiative Study, published in 2002, revealed that HRT actually increased the risk of breast cancer and provided limited or no benefit for heart disease or stroke. It is interesting that when large numbers of women stopped using HRT, the rates of new cases of breast cancer began to decline.
Estrogen Types - Female Hormones - Estrone, Estradiol, Estriol
Sources:
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicene. Do CAM Therapies Help Menopausal Symptoms? Last Updated: Nov. 2005. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/menopause/
Northwestern Health Sciences University. Stay Healthy Basics. Different Types of Estrogen and Their Functions. Last Updated: 2007.
