Do constantly fluctuating hormones have you holding on to the edge of your seat, trying to predict what symptoms you may experience next? If so, this article is for you!
The female body is incredibly complex and intricate, and hormones add another layer to that intracacy. Maintaining hormonal balance in today’s world can seem like an arduous task. In a perfect world, hormones work like a beautiful symphony, each hormone playing its important part, maintaining balance and harmony. Unfortunately this is not the reality for many women. Stress, poor nutrition, obesity, lack of sleep and exposure to environmental toxins often throw a monkey wrench into this delicate hormonal balance, turning the beautiful symphony into an out of tune disaster. When hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and androgens become imbalanced, it can create a whole host of issues. Menstrual irregularities, mood swings, hair loss, brain fog, weight changes and digestive issues are just some of the many issues you can experience when dealing with a hormonal imbalance. The good news is that there are many ways to prevent hormonal imbalances from developing in the first place, and if the imbalance has already occurred, there are many ways to help restore balance and harmony again.
In this article, we will cover specific nutrients and lifestyle factors that help to promote hormonal balance. We will also explore some of the most common conditions that stem from hormonal imbalances, and what steps you can take to alleviate symptoms and achieve better overall health. Let’s get started!
Also known as the relaxation mineral, Magnesium is incredibly important for maintaining healthy hormones. Magnesium helps regulate the HPA-axis (think of it as the body’s stress control centre), and this helps to reduce excess cortisol production. Excess cortisol can cause a reduction in progesterone production (known as the calming hormone), which in turn can cause heavier bleeding during your period and spotting throughout your menstrual cycle. Low progesterone can also cause anxiety, irritability and depression. Magnesium also helps to regulate the pituitary gland, which can help regulate estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA production. Thyroid function is also impacted by magnesium, and is important for the production and conversion of specific thyroid hormones.
Vitamin D plays a vital role in women’s hormonal health. It helps to regulate production of estrogen and progesterone, which can help regulate menstrual cycles. Low vitamin D status in women has been linked to an increased risk of developing PCOS, endometriosis, PMS, and may even be linked to infertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes (1). It is always important to have your vitamin D levels checked before supplementing higher than normal doses, as excess vitamin D can be harmful to your health.
Here is another superstar mineral that is essential for hormone production. It is essential for LH, FSH, steroid hormone production, and proper synthesis of thyroid hormones. Zinc deficiency has been linked to poor ovarian follicular development (2), and issues with ovulation, which can impact fertility. There may be a potential link between PCOS and zinc deficiency, and in some studies zinc supplementation helped to reduce symptoms by improving insulin resistance and lipid balance in women with PCOS (3).
This team of 8 water soluble vitamins can make a mighty impact on hormone health. B3 is involved in the synthesis of cortisol and certain sex hormones, B6 can help to increase progesterone levels and help the liver to metabolize and break down estrogen. B6 can also help alleviate anxiety and irritability, and there is some limited evidence showing that 100mg/day of vitamin B6 can help with some of the mood related symptoms of PMS (4). Folate (B9) can also help increase progesterone production in the luteal phase, and one study showed that it decreased odds of anovulation (5). B12 is essential for thyroid hormone synthesis, and also supports adrenal gland function. Although each B-vitamin has its individual benefits, it is more advantageous to take a B-complex that includes all the B-vitamins, as they work synergistically together. Taking certain B-vitamins individually long-term may cause the depletion of other B-vitamins. If you are currently taking oral contraceptives, you may want to strongly consider taking a B-complex, as oral contraceptives can deplete B2, B6 and B12 in the body.
This powerful vitamin has it all! It is a potent antioxidant that can reduce inflammation throughout the body. Chronic inflammation can be your enemy in many ways, including its ability to increase estrogen production and lower progesterone production, which can lead to an imbalance called Estrogen Dominance. Excess estrogen can further fuel inflammation, and you can get stuck in a vicious cycle of unbalanced hormones and inflammation. Another thing Vitamin E can do is increase luteal blood flow and improve the corpus luteum’s response to LH stimulation, which can help increase progesterone. An increase in progesterone will help bring excess estrogen back into balance.
While supplements can be supportive when trying to help balance hormones, it is overall diet and lifestyle that makes the greatest difference. A healthy diet and lifestyle serve as the foundation for achieving hormonal balance and optimizing your overall well-being long term. Let’s discuss what a hormone balancing diet looks like, and what changes you can make in your everyday routine to feel more energized, improve your mood and reduce stress.
Here are the some of the key elements of a diet that supports hormonal health:
● More cruciferous: Eating more foods from the cruciferous family, like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, help to support your liver so that it can process estrogen more efficiently. It also helps eliminate estrogen through your bowels, so that it doesn’t get reabsorbed and recirculated through the body.
● Antioxidant rich foods: Antioxidant rich foods such as berries, citrus, dark leafy greens, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes and carotenoid rich fruits and vegetables can help to lower inflammation and combat oxidative stress in the body. This can help balance hormones and improve ovarian health. Consuming a wide variety of antioxidant rich foods will also result in better moods, increased energy and a healthier gut microbiome.
● Healthy fats: Getting adequate healthy fats in the diet is important for hormone production. Healthy fats can be found in salmon, sardines, mackerel, nuts and seeds, eggs, avocado and olive oil. It is important to get more Omega -3 in the diet than Omega 6. A 2:1 ratio is ideal for optimal health. Omega-3 helps to improve reproductive health, lower inflammation, enhance mood and it may even help with blood glucose regulation.
● Adequate protein: This can be a tough one to attain for some people, but it is important to get enough protein each day for not just hormone health, but overall health. Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks for hormones and neurotransmitters, which is important for regulating your hormones and mood. The RDA in Canada for women is 46 grams of protein per day, but this is a really rough estimate. Protein needs can vary, depending on level of activity, health conditions and body size. Try to choose from lean protein sources, such as lean cuts of meat, eggs, low fat dairy and plant based proteins (beans, lentils, tofu).
● Fibre: Fibre is your friend! Fibre binds to estrogen in the intestine, helping to remove it from the body before it can be reabsorbed and recirculated, which can lead to estrogen dominance. Fibre also feeds good bacteria in the estrobolome, helping to break down estrogen more effectively. Aim for at least 25 grams per day from a variety of sources. To achieve this daily goal, try to incorporate more fibre rich foods such as beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, as well as fruits and vegetables into your diet.
● Probiotic rich foods: This is another type of food that feeds the estrobolome. The estrobolome is a group of gut bacteria that is responsible for metabolizing and breaking down estrogen. It plays a big role in regulating estrogen levels, helping to balance hormones. Kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, kombucha, kefir and yogurt are just some of the many probiotic rich foods that you can choose from. Try to include more of them in your daily diet.
Other factors that can affect hormone health are lack of sleep, poor quality sleep, chronic stress. Women need on average 7-9 hours of sleep each night for healthy hormones. Getting less than 7 hours of sleep each night affects reproductive health and can negatively affect hormone balance. This can lead to irregular menstrual cycles and mood swings. Create a calming bedtime routine, maintain a consistent sleep schedule, limit screen time before bed, and avoid caffeine to make it easier to fall asleep and for a better quality sleep.
Chronic stress can cause high cortisol levels, which can disrupt the menstrual cycle and may even cause anovulation (no ovulation). This can lower progesterone, leaving you feeling more anxious and irritable. Constantly high cortisol levels can also trigger inflammation, and contribute to insulin resistance, both of which contribute to hormonal imbalances. It is important to explore various stress reduction techniques and find healthy ways to cope with stress. Exercise can be incredibly therapeutic, and is very helpful for reducing cortisol levels, increasing “feel good” neurotransmitters and balancing hormones.
Lastly, I wanted to discuss environmental toxins and their impact on hormone health. Environmental toxins such as PFAs, BPA. PCBs, parabens, pesticides and heavy metals can mimic and block the action of natural hormones, altering the way that those hormones are metabolized (6). This can lead to hormonal imbalances, reproductive problems, thyroid imbalances and metabolic disorders. It can also increase your risk of certain cancers. You can reduce your exposure to environmental toxins and pesticides by eating certified organic foods, consuming less canned foods, reducing your intake of ultra processed foods and fast foods, avoiding storing and microwaving foods in plastic, using stainless steel or cast iron cookware instead of teflon coated cookware, and using natural body care products.
When hormones remain unbalanced for too long, certain health conditions can develop. Many of these health conditions can be associated with estrogen dominance, although many other things can factor in, especially genetics. Let’s briefly cover some of the most common conditions linked to hormonal imbalances, and supplements that may help to improve each condition.
PCOS
Polycystic Ovarian syndrome is becoming quite common these days. PCOS is a condition that is characterized by small cysts on the ovaries, which then produces excess androgens. This can lead to irregular menstrual cycles, missed periods and unpredictable ovulation. Insulin resistance is a common feature in PCOS, and hirsutism (excess facial hair growth). PCOS symptoms often improve with certain changes in diet, increasing exercise, and reducing stress levels. Myo-inositol and D-Chiro inositol may help to improve insulin sensitivity, reduce hirsutism and promote regular ovulation. One study showed that taking myo-inositol for 6 months significantly reduced hirsutism and hyperandrogenism in participants who had PCOS (7).
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition in which cells that are similar to the endometrium grow in other parts of the body. This can cause a lot of pelvic pain, inflammation adhesions in various areas of the body, and heavy bleeding. Endometriosis may be connected with estrogen dominance, as it can be a driver in its development, but the root cause of endometriosis is still unknown (8). Omega-3, Resveratrol, N-acetyl Cysteine, Curcumin and Alpha-lipoic acid are just some of the supplements that have been used in both animal and human studies on PCOS with some success. They helped to decrease endometriosis lesion size, reduce inflammation, and improve endometriosis associated pain (9). Some of the studies had limitations, such as low sample size, so more studies are needed on this in the future.
Painful periods
Also known as dysmenorrhea, this condition can be incredibly painful during the first few days of menstruation, and even in the days leading up to it. The pain can be caused by high levels of a hormone-like substance called prostaglandins. Certain types of prostaglandins trigger the uterus to contract during menstruation. The pain can be quite severe and debilitating, and it can cause diarrhea, nausea and vomiting due to the pain. Dysmenorrhea can be caused by other conditions such as endometriosis and large fibroids, so it is important to see a doctor if you are experiencing a lot of pain during menstruation. Vitamin B1 may be helpful for reducing severity of menstrual pain. In a small human study, participants took 100 mg of thiamine (B1) for 90 days. 87% of participants noticed a significant decrease in the severity of their pain (10).
Fibroids
Fibroids are benign tumors that grow in the uterus, and their growth is stimulated by estrogen. Fibroids can cause heavy bleeding, pelvic pain, bowel and urinary problems and infertility. Getting estrogen levels back into balance and reducing inflammation through diet and supplementation can help slow the growth of fibroids. According to a pilot study done, Vitamin D and Green tea extract (EGCG) helped to reduce intramural type fibroids in premenopausal women, when taken for 3 months consecutively (11). If you struggle with large fibroids, it may be worth your while to try these two supplements to see if they reduce your symptoms.
If you have been diagnosed or suspect that you may have any of the conditions listed above, it is important to work together with a doctor who is knowledgeable about hormone imbalances and conditions that are caused by them. Each person has different genetics and health issues that contribute to their symptoms and conditions, and that requires more support. It is helpful to get hormones tested, blood work done to check for other imbalances, and address diet and lifestyle factors that may be contributing to your hormone imbalance.
All information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Everyone’s health needs are unique and require professional evaluation and treatment from a doctor. Remember that natural health products are not free of risk. Adverse reactions and medication interactions can occur. That is why it is important to consult with a doctor before starting any new supplements or before making changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Article written by Jennifer Fraser C.H.N.C.
References:
1. https://rbej.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1477-7827-9-146
2. https://ovarianresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13048-024-01442-z
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32824334/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10334745/
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3458830/
6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6501744/
7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1472648310602489
8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7215544/
9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8972862/
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8935744/
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34658291/
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