I consider myself a connoisseur of all things beer. German Oktoberfests, Chocolately Rich Stouts, Hoppy IPAs, I loved them all. But I recently learned something about my favorite frosty beverage – that will explain Why I Just Gave Up Beer, For Good.
First, let’s talk about soy because I see a lot of misinformation out there throughout the various Facebook Groups I visit.
People are worried about GMOs, they’re worried about soy causing breast cancer, or prostate cancer, even man boobs…
While it is true that the majority of soy grown here in the states IS GMO Soy, it is mainly used to create that partially hydrogenated soybean oil we see in so many of our processed junk foods. And it is also used (along with GMO corn) to feed the vast majority of factory farmed animals that end up in our grocery store.
So guys, if you’re trying to eliminate soy – if you’re still eating grocery store meat….. you’re still getting it.
But you can certainly buy ORGANIC soy, organic tofu, miso, and tempeh and no longer need to worry about GMOs.
The problem with soy, according to some, is it contains something called a phytoestrogen, which closely resembles our own natural estrogen produced in our body. So people think, “I can’t eat soy because I don’t want the extra estrogen, that causes breast cancer”.
So here’s the thing.
ALL legumes (and some grains, nuts, and seeds) contain Phytoestrogens. But remember, these are plant-based estrogens, not mammalian estrogens like those found in our own body (or those of a pregnant cow found in all dairy products).
Flax seeds for example, (which are all the rage these days) contain 3 TIMES the amount of phytoestrogens than soybeans.
Here are some other foods that are high in phytoestrogens
- Flaxseed, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds
- Soybeans, Miso, Tempeh, Tofu
- Hummus
- Garlic
- Dried dates
- Pistachios, Walnuts, Almonds, Cashews
- Wheat berries, oats, barley
So as you can see, avoiding soy because of phytoestrogens is a little silly, especially while you’re stil drinking milk and eating cheese.
And to be honest, phytoestrogens found in plants can actually be helpful, because by attaching themselves to the estrogen receptors in our body, they BLOCK the real mammalian estrogens, which in excess CAN promote cancer.
For more information on this, there are numerous videos on YouTube with Dr. Michael Greger, Dr. Michael Klaper, and Dr. T Colin Campbell explaining the science behind this.
Ok so what does this have to do with beer.
Why I Just Gave Up Beer, For Good
The HOPS used to flavor beer contain a particularly powerful phytoestrogen called 8pn, or hopein. And keep in mind just the alcohol alone can reduce the levels of testosterone in men.
We also need to understand that when it comes to estrogen receptors in our body, there are 2 kinds. There is an alpha receptor and a beta receptor.
Soy tends to bind to the Beta receptor, which partially explains the cancer preventing effects of soy.
While hops on the other hand, along with mammalian estrogens, will always bind to the Alpha receptor, which explains why hops are sometimes an ingredient in breast enhancing supplements.
Did you catch that?
The estrogenic effect of beer, is no different than that of consuming dairy products.
Bottom line guys, beer is going to raise your estrogen levels in your body, lowering your testosterone, and put you at risk for the dreaded beer gut and man boobs as well as increase your chance of Erectile Dysfunction and breast cancer.
So if you think eating meat and drinking beer will make you more manly, and eating soy will make you less so….think again.
For me, as much as I love my suds, it’s simply not worth the risk.
Sources:
- https://youtu.be/thnZMpS8ELA
- https://youtu.be/0GiXZam27Q4