[sfem]

I have read on this forum in the past comments that the effects of the active components in phytoestrogens decay in a few hours in the body. I have also read that the normal cycle for females is to have a fluctation in their hormone levels where they are typically higher in the morning than later in the day. Having no reason to doubt either of these things, the next question is what is your schedule for taking PM? If you spread it out through the day, then the potential competition may indeed be a factor. If you take it only at night, or only in the morning then there really shouldn't be any potential competition and you are likely simply increasing your base level of phytoestrogens present throughout the day (by a teeny tiny amount).
I have been on a small maintenance dose of PM for quite a while which I take first thing in the morning only. After I take it, I feed and walk the dog, deal with my shower, tidy up around the place, and have coffee. Some days I eat breakfast, but most I don't and have an early lunch instead. So for me, a phytoestrogen rich diet would have little potential competition with my PM. But I don't eat a phytoestrogen rich diet. The flax part of your diet probably supplies more phytoestrogens than the rest of your diet put together, and that is probably less than a single capsule of PM. That is why I don't bother with worrying about phytoestrogens in my food. They really are just too little to do much of anything. I posted the link on the blog because I know there are folks who are nervous about the kinds of changes PM can bring, and just want to dabble and so they take other less potent things. I thought that article would be helpful to those who are on that path. It's probably also worth mentioning that there are lots of other factors involved besides just how much phytoestrogen is consumed, and many of the herbs in the list have other effects besides just the estrogenic actions (e.g. FG is a galactagogue).