However, these patients are still at increased risk of heart disease. Lupus causes inflammation of the heart, resulting in an increased rate of heart attacks and artery disease, even in young patients in their 20s.
Phyto- is from the Greek phyton meaning plant. A phytoestrogen is a naturally-occurring plant nutrient that exerts an estrogen-like action on the body. Scientists have discovered hundreds of phytoestrogens including soybeans, whole grains, seeds (especially flax), nuts (especially walnuts) and many herbs.
Dark leafy greens like spinach are another type of food rich in phytoestrogens which you should up in your diet. These plant-based estrogen compounds bind to the same estrogen receptor sites that xenoestrogens try to, so the idea is that if a receptor site is already occupied by a phytoestrogen, xenoestrogens cannot attach to it.