Hi all,

Oats contain estrone as does rice, wheat and a whole bunch of commonly eaten
beans, including green beans. Apples have estrone in the seed as do
pomegranates and date palms - a little harder to eat.  (Apricot seeds also
have estrone but you would not want to eat them as they also contain a
source of cyanide!). Now if someone would do some research looking at these
steroidal plant estrogens and lactation, I am sure they will find an
interesting relationship.

The steroidal phytoestrogen, estrone is much more potent than other plant
estrogens, stronger than coumestans like coumesterol ( in alfalfa for e.g.),
and much much stronger than isoflavonoid phytoestrogens like genistein and
daidzein (e.g. soy).   Compare relative potency: diethylstilbesterol
100,000, estrone 6,900 coumestrol 35 genistein 1.00.  Estrone is still a
weak estrogen - model is for estrogen antagonistic activity at receptors
decreasing overall estrogenic activity and thus promoting lactation ( how it
has been described - see archives). But lots of other mechanisms of activity
can be imagined, say, directly influencing oxytocin in the CNS (coumestrol
at least does reach the brain in animals).  Seems only the coumestans and
isoflavonoids get the research money so far and then not for lactation
specifically.

PS - I have been told that new moms in Japan are often told that rice helps
with milk supply.

Sheila
BSc RN IBCLC
Marine on St. Croix Minnesota

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