Estrogenic Plants Linked to Altered Hormones, Possible Behavior
Changes in Monkeys ScienceDaily (Nov. 19, 2012) — Eating certain
veggies not only supplies key nutrients, it may also influence
hormone levels and behaviors such as aggression and sexual
activity, says a new study led by researchers at the University
of California, Berkeley, that could shed light on the role of
diet in human evolution. The research is the first to observe
the connection between plant-based estrogenic compounds, or
phytoestrogens, and behavior in wild primates -- in this case, a
group of red colobus monkeys in Uganda. The more the male red
colobus monkeys dined on the leaves of Millettia dura, a
tropical tree containing estrogen-like compounds, the higher
their levels of estradiol and cortisol. They also found that
with the altered hormone levels came more acts of aggression and
sex, and less time spent grooming -- an important behavior for
social bonding in primates. The study, published in the current
issue of the journal Hormon