It is well known that androgens are important hormones for maintaining male characteristics and are even synonymous with male masculinity, but in fact there is another important hormone, estrogen, “lurking” in men’s bodies, which affects male reproductive health through a subtle effect. In clinical practice, it has been found that many men have increasingly high levels of estrogen, some even 2-3 times higher than normal, and these high levels of estrogen are precisely the risk factors for male infertility and sexual dysfunction. Under normal circumstances, the male body maintains a balance between androgens and estrogens, both of which play an important role in the reproductive system. Once this balance is disturbed and estrogen is elevated in the body, it can be extremely harmful to men of all ages. First, for children, there is now a significant increase in occult penis (short penis) compared to the past. While this is certainly related to the increase in “chubbiness”, it cannot be ruled out that part of this is due to the increase in estrogen in the body. Secondly, the rise in estrogen levels will affect male pubertal development, secondary sexual characteristics are not obvious, the lack of masculinity and so on. For young and middle-aged men, by the time they reach marriage and childbearing, men may experience sexual dysfunction and infertility due to high estrogen levels. In addition, changes in the ratio of estrogen to androgen can lead to structural changes in testicular tissues, which may induce testicular cancer. So what factors can lead to elevated estrogen in men? In normal men, testosterone (androgen) is converted into estradiol (estrogen) by the action of aromatase. The increase of estrogen in men’s body is so much, in addition to some endocrine diseases, most of them are still related to environmental pollution, illegal food additives and bad lifestyle. First, chemicals and food Chemical residues: In order to improve the production of agricultural products, the abuse of pesticides, fertilizers, a variety of pesticides in rural areas, coupled with plastic, rubber products, waste gas, waste residues, etc., have brought a bad impact on the environment. These toxic and harmful substances, in addition to the direct effect on the human body, will also be in the form of residues, long-term residue in the soil and water. After the absorption of crops such as planted rice and wheat, they will continue to act on poultry and livestock. People are at the end of the food chain and can ingest these residues from many sources at the same time. Since the chemical structure of the residues is very close to the structure of estrogen, the more residues that accumulate in the human body, the higher the estrogen level in the body. Some cosmetics developed specifically for women also contain a certain amount of estrogen, and long-term use can also damage male reproductive health. Estrogen-fed animals: Many foods also contain harmful additives. For example, many men like to eat snapper or eels for tonicity, and unscrupulous breeders inject them with estrogen or take birth control pills in order to promote the rapid growth of such fish. Similarly, other animals such as chickens, ducks and geese may also be injected with estrogen. The more of these foods you eat, the more estrogen you will consume. Estrogen-rich foods: Long-term consumption of estrogen-rich foods such as soy, honey, walnuts, pine nuts and sweet potatoes can affect estrogen levels in the body. The higher estrogen content is most notable in soybeans and soy products and royal jelly. Soybeans mainly contain soy isoflavones, while royal jelly mainly contains 10-ene-decanoic acid. Second, the sedentary lifestyle In today’s society, men’s lifestyles have changed a lot: out can take a car, into the door by elevator, work with a computer, usually less exercise. This lifestyle can easily lead to weight gain or obesity, abnormal lipid metabolism and thus affect estrogen metabolism (androgen lower, estrogen higher). Coupled with fast-paced life, high mental stress, and poor body resistance, endocrine disorders are highly prevalent. Although abnormal estrogen levels in men can lead to a series of problems, there is still no uniform conclusion on how many of these problems there are, how harmful they are or how serious they are, and epidemiological research studies have yet to be conducted. Therefore, men with high estrogen levels should not be too alarmed, as some of them can still be adjusted to normal physiological levels through lifestyle improvements.