Are there phytoestrogens in shatavari and how do they work in the body?

Shatavari contains phytoestrogens, or plant estrogens. Phytoestrogens occupy estrogen receptors but do not act exactly like endogenous (symptom-causing) estrogen.

When there is too little estrogen in the system, shatavari will help by stimulating the estrogen receptors, and when there is too much estrogen, it will help by occupying the receptor thus competing with the stronger, symptom-causing endogenous estrogen.

Dr. Claudia Welch, author of Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life, suggests that a good substitute for shatavari would be vidari kanda, which does not contain phytoestrogens.