Estrogen Foods, Interstitial Cystitis, Histamines + Mammogram Myths | Ask Me Anything

WATCH THE FULL-LENGTH EPISODE HERE ON YOUTUBE! 

In this Ask Me Anything episode, we covered a wide range of questions - but the thread connecting them all is this: context matters. Whether you’re talking about supplements, hormones, digestion, inflammation, or screening, the best approach is rarely one-size-fits-all.

We start with a question I hear often: “Is this supplement estrogenic?” We talk through the nuance around phytoestrogens and why plant compounds don’t function like taking a high dose of exogenous hormones. We also talk about the importance of bioindividuality - where you are hormonally, what your genetics suggest, and how your body is metabolizing hormones through the gut and liver.

We also go deeper on interstitial cystitis and why it’s often multifactorial. The symptom is real - the question is what’s driving it for you. In clinical work, we look at patterns that can include inflammatory and autoimmune overlap, histamine/mast cell activity, oxalates, environmental exposures like mold, pathogens, and nervous system dysregulation. It’s not always one thing - and healing usually requires a layered approach that supports the whole terrain.

We close with two conversations that I think many people need right now: how cooking changes nutrient bioavailability (and why “raw” isn’t always superior), and how joy and hope are not “extras” - they’re medicine. We also share a health hot topic on risk-based breast cancer screening and why personalized prevention is the future of medicine.

A few of my favorite things we cover in this episode: 

• Phytoestrogens and “estrogen mimicking” supplements, how to think about nattokinase and milk thistle with a breast cancer family history
• Nattokinase, why being derived from soy does not automatically mean it contains significant phytoestrogens
• Milk thistle, silibinin, and what “phytoestrogen activity” really means in the body
• Bioindividuality, why hormone context and lab interpretation matter more than internet hot takes
• Interstitial cystitis, why the symptom is real but the driver can be different person to person
• IC root cause framework from the telehealth lens, inflammatory and autoimmune patterns, then “what is triggering it”
• Common IC contributors they see clinically, mold, oxalates, histamine response, plus genetic susceptibility
• Trauma and stress physiology, ACE score and why nervous system safety affects inflammation outcomes
• “The body keeps the score,” why mental and emotional factors can layer with mold, autoimmunity, and other triggers
• Cooking vs raw foods, how cooking changes fiber types and what impacts digestion and absorption
• “You are what you absorb,” why bioavailability can matter more than what a food contains on paper
• Joy and community as part of healing, practical “homework” to find fun, laughter, and connection again
• Breast cancer screening discussion, moving from one size fits all annual mammograms to more personalized risk based strategies
• False positives, 75% of biopsies prompted by abnormal mammograms turning out benign
• Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), earlier detection signals, monitoring, and lifestyle intervention approach

Products Mentioned:  

• Prenuvo (whole-body MRI)
• Pique Tea (Use code WILLCOLE for 5% off your purchase) 

Episode Sponsors:

• Right now, you save 32% on your first order when you start a protein subscription, plus you get their new starter kit including a free, high-quality shaker bottle worth $25! Use my code WILLCOLE. Go to PUORI.com/WILLCOLE and use the code WILLCOLE at checkout for this exclusive offer.
• You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/WILLCOLE and using code WILLCOLE at checkout.
• Visit www.ohmyka.com and use code WILLCOLE for 15% off your first purchase.
• Go to CLEARSTEM.com/WILLCOLE and use code WILLCOLE at checkout for 15% off your first order.

Happy listening and we hope you learned a little bit more on the art of being well!

If you like what you hear, please rate and review the podcast, hit subscribe and pass it along to a friend.

In Health,

Dr. Will Cole