lowering/increasing estrogen with canned tuna

Question
Hello. I am a 31 year old man in need of your advice. I've decided to adopt a healthy lifestyle which includes making healthier food choices. But I've run in to a problem.

I've been eating canned tuna as it was my understanding that it was a healthy choice due it's low calories and high protein.

But I've come across some conflicting articles when looking into the other possible health benefits of eating canned tuna.

Some articles claim that eating canned tuna can lower estrogen levels in males while other articles claim that eating canned tuna can actually increase estrogen levels in males. So which is true?

I hope you can offer me some advice with this issue. Thanks

Answer
Lee,

You are doing the right thing with your tuna as it is an excellent and convenient source of protein. Personally I do not like tuna but my taste does not negate the benefits of it.

The issues you are referring to with estrogen come from certain studies that found that a synthetic chemical called BPA can raise estrogen levels. Food manufacturer's have used BPA for over 40 years to line the inside of food cans and other packaging to create a barrier between the metal or aluminum and the food. I'm not 100% sure on all of its intended applications.
Here is the thing, BPA has shown to raise estrogen levels. However you're not likely ingesting large amounts unless you eat a lot of canned food. Still though if you can it is best to avoid. So look for packages labeled BPA FREE. They've become pretty prevalent lately.

I did some research and found this link that lists some BPA free foods http://www.inspirationgreen.com/bpa-lined-cans.html

I am not familiar with this site and only found it 30 seconds ago. I'm providing it for your reference but can't vouch for the validity of it.
I am aware though that some stores like Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Fresh & Easy will make an effort to stock certain brands without a lot of nasty additives.

The best thing you can do is just search and look for that BPA FREE label. It can be anywhere on the package.
Also with plastic containers it is my understanding that if you look on the recycle symbol that ceratin ones indicate BPA status. Supposedly if you see a recycle symbol with a 1, 2 , 4 or 5 on it that the package is found not to contain BPA.

Some other things you can do though to decrease estrogen are to partake in some sort of resistance training and give this article a read http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/planet32.htm

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