Sore Nipple Begone

(Chrysin appreciation post + Estrogen ramblings)

Almost one year ago I made the controversial decision to start taking anabolic steroids for bodybuilding. One potent concoction I tried was called Mix 3 which contained testosterone, nandrolone, and trenbolone (an anabolic steroid so strong it is the subject of many memes in the body building community). A week after taking it for the first time, I developed a sore left nipple, which was no doubt a symptom of gynecomastia. I knew I would have to take estrogen blockers or lower my Mix 3 dose. A colleague recommended I take chrysin (5,7 dihydroxyflavone), an over-the-counter herbal supplement. He told me chrysin is taken by some as a natural estrogen blocker, or more specifically, an aromatase inhibitor, a substance that inhibits the enzyme aromatase which converts testosterone into estrogen.

While I am a huge believer in dietary supplements, I had no faith that this herbal supplement would stand a chance against the side effects of the powerful Mix 3. I was certain I would need a prescription grade aromatase inhibitor. But I decided to try it. Why not? And to my surprise, within just days of taking one 500 mg capsule per day, the nipple soreness completely went away without adjusting the Mix 3 dose. Its immediate effect inspired me to look into chrysin’s aromatase inhibiting abilities. I began by Google searching “is chrysin an aromatase inhibitor” and Google’s answer sometimes put at the top of search results to quickly respond said that there was no evidence it was an aromatase inhibitor. Clearly that was not the case, as I had just experienced firsthand that it was. So, after Google told me chrysin wasn’t an aromatase inhibitor, I decided to start searching PubMed to find any studies done showing that it was. To my luck, I stumbled across a publication in which a group of researchers did all the work for me. These researchers systematically searched PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct for articles that contained references to chrysin and aromatase inhibition, and out of 1,721 publications, they found 20 studies that explored chrysin as an aromatase inhibitor. Of those 20 studies, all but one said that it was.¹ As a side note, I’ve noticed that Google is an unreliable and inconsistent search engine when it comes to health topics. In fact, at the moment I am writing this, months after initially querying Google, that same search query strangely yields the answer that chrysin is indeed an aromatase inhibitor.

Is this article relevant even if you aren’t a meathead on androgenic cocktails? Perhaps, as the recent writings of some of my favorite natural health advocates have been warning about the seeming epidemic of excess estrogen in both men and women catalyzed by 21st century modern western lifestyle. Estrogen and cortisol, the infamous stress hormone, are some of the few hormones that increase as humans age.²³ The ideal hormone profile is that of a young person instead of an old person because young people are healthier and their physiological environment is resilient to disease. Since estrogen and cortisol are some of the few hormones that increase as we age, it suggests that at some point they start working around the clock to ensure we die as the circle of life intends, although they are beneficial under certain circumstances. Even in post-menopausal women estrogen levels aren’t actually lower; the estrogen disappears from the bloodstream because the ovaries stop producing it, but it instead becomes made in tissues all throughout the body where it wreaks havoc by catalyzing disease and cancer.⁴⁵ But doctors who haven’t read a study since med school will tell you post-menopausal women have little or no estrogen because they are only looking at serum levels and not at tissue levels as well. Now regarding contemporary western lifestyle, the enzyme aromatase can be increased by various factors. Some of these factors are body weight, which we know is an increasing problem in the United States. Aromatase is expressed more in fat cells, so the more overweight you are, the more androgens will be converted to estrogens, which further promote obesity. Aromatase is also increased with inflammation,⁶ elevated cortisol,⁷ and alcohol consumption.⁸

In addition to the environmental and physiological factors that increase aromatase, chemicals in food and the environment called xenoestrogens can enter the body and mimic the effects of estrogen and also amplify the body’s natural estrogenic responses. These xenoestrogens can be of natural or synthetic origin. Natural xenoestrogens come from fruits, vegetables, fungi, and seeds. The most concerning of these natural estrogens is linoleic acid which is found in very high concentrations in commonly used cooking oils made from seeds such as soybean and corn. Any cooking oil high in polyunsaturated fat will likely contain high amounts of linoleic acid, so they should be avoided at all costs. Synthetic xenoestrogens are found in pharmaceutical products, food preservatives, UV filters, coolants, plasticizers, pesticides, environmental contaminants, and personal care products. The most concerning of these synthetic xenoestrogens are preservatives and plasticizers in my opinion because this makes all fast food and packaged food bought from the grocery store likely to contain xenoestrogens. The only way to significantly reduce exposure is to buy raw food ingredients and cook meals yourself. There is also glyphosate, a widely used fertilizer which is banned in many countries (but not the U.S.) for its carcinogenic properties. Glyphosate can increase aromatase expression at certain concentrations and at others mimic the effects of estrogen.⁹¹⁰

The increasing rates of endocrine related disorders such as genital malformation, infertility, neurobehavioral disorders, and endocrine-related cancers¹¹ are testament to the real negative effects increased aromatase and exposure to xenoestrogens can have. Does it make sense to limit the body’s production of endogenous estrogen to mitigate this risk, or should we just do everything we can to avoid exposure to xenoestrogens and aromatase increasing factors? What if avoiding exposure is impossible? What is the ideal level of estrogens a man or woman should have? Should the ideal level of estrogen be a proportion to how much androgens you have? If so, what is the proportion? It doesn’t seem that anyone has the answers to these questions. Sorry if this left you with more questions than answers.

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1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7063143

2. http://haidut.me/?p=480

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3428505

4

5. https://www.consultant360.com/story/estrogen-production-increases-adiposity-postmenopausal-women

6. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0923753419628875

7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22315456

8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6761906

9. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451943X20300399

10. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653522036943

11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3620733