What Causes A Hormonal Imbalance
“Your hormones fluctuate naturally, with certain life events such as puberty, pregnancy and menopause causing them to change more dramatically. However, there are other factors that can create hormonal imbalances, such as stress, sleep, the food and drink that we consume, eating disorders and medication. Even using plastic can disrupt our hormones!”
What Is The Role Of Hormones In Women’s Health
“Hormones are chemicals that are produced within your body, which help to regulate and control your development,” Dr. Simoné tells us. “They affect everything from blood sugar and blood pressure, growth and fertility, metabolism, sex drive and even sleep.”
“Women experience a significant number of life events that are driven by hormonal changes in their body, such as periods, pregnancy and menopause. While teenage boys and men have the same hormones, women typically have to manage more difficult symptoms, resulting from more intense fluctuations and higher levels of hormones.”
Top Five Tips For Rebalancing Hormones
Maintain a healthy diet. Incorporate fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, plus raw nuts and seeds into your diet. Avoid high fatty foods, processed carbohydrates, fried foods, soft drinks, enriched flour, and processed vegetable oil. Avoid non-organic dairy products, which may contain harmful bovine growth hormones, steroids and antibiotics.
Add more Omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. These fats create healthy cell membranes, allowing hormones to bind to the cell more easily. Omega-3 fatty acids also repair receptor sites and keep it in optimal condition. Consider eating more foods with omega-3s or taking a high quality organic oil, such as hempseed or flaxseed.
Keep stress levels down. Studies show that women who mediate daily or practice yoga experience less hormonal swings than those who dont. Rest is important. Many women lead such hectic lives with many demands placed on them that they have little time to let their bodies re-adjust. Find small ways and time to relax. A massage can be a wonderful way to relax and remove the aches and pains caused by a busy lifestyle.
Get enough good quality sleep. Try to get at least 8 hours every night. During sleep the body recuperates and restores. Insufficient sleep is now recognised as a major cause heart disease, stroke, metabolic dysfunction and impaired mental health.
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Weve Come A Long Way Babyand
Women fought long and hard for access to contraception so that they and we could have more control over our reproductive health. The problem is that the pill, while very liberating in many ways, can also have significant and serious unintended consequences. It creates a very specific set of hormonal imbalances that can have short- and long-run consequences. Pill-imposed hormonal changes also mean it can take some time to restore your own natural hormonal cycles after the pill, or establish a new healthy hormonal equilibrium if yours wasnt in balance in the first place which may be why you first started the pill.
References
Boyoung, Park & Jeongseon Kim. Oral Contraceptive Use, Micronutrient Deficiency, and Obesity among Premenopausal Females in Korea: The Necessity of Dietary Supplements and Food Intake Improvement. PLoS One, June 27, 2016.
Demiroren, K, Dogan Y, Kocamaz H, Ozercan IH, Ilhan S, Ustundag B, Bahcecioglu, IH.
Supplements For Hormonal Balance
Dietary supplements shouldnt be used to replace treatment nor should they be used in place of the essential vitamins and minerals that come from a balanced diet. But, they can be used to support hormonal balance.
Here are some supplements that can potentially help bring hormonal balance. You should always talk to a healthcare provider before taking any supplements, though, as some may interfere with your current medications or health concerns.
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It Gives You The Freedom To Bleed On Your Own Terms
For most menstruating women, bleeding is just a fact of life. But it doesnt have to be. Most packs of birth control pills come with a week of placebo pills that dont contain any hormones. Theyre just there to keep you in the habit of taking a pill every day. Usually, youd get your period while taking these placebo pills.
If you have a big vacation or other event coming up during that week, skip the placebo pills. Instead, start a new pack. This method works best if you take monophasic birth control pills, which all contain the same dose of hormones. Read more about skipping the last week of birth control pills in a pack.
Other methods, such as IUDs, rings, and patches, can help you skip your period altogether.
Some women experience very heavy bleeding during their periods. This can increase the risk of anemia. People with anemia dont have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen around their body, which can cause weakness and fatigue.
Hormonal birth control methods that allow you to skip your period can help to prevent period-related anemia.
How Much Is Supplements To Balance Hormones
supplements to balance hormones come in a variety of designs and pricing ranges. Its difficult to predict product costs nowadays. You dont know how much something costs because the pricing range is so vast. For example, a pair of pants can range from $20 to $200 depending on where you buy them. Similarly, additional goods like as supplements to balance hormones.
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Natural Approaches To Improve Fertility
STEP 1: Test ACTIVE hormone levels to detect potential imbalances related to infertility
If youve been suffering from persistent symptoms or chronic health issues, including difficulties getting pregnant or miscarriage, testing your hormone levels is an important first step that can help identify root causes and next steps.
NOTE: the type of testing matters , especially when it comes to fertility challenges.
TEST YOUR MASTER HORMONES UPFRONT
At Your Hormone Balance, we prefer testing the master hormones in saliva , considered by many experts to be the gold standard for assessing adrenal function and a more accurate measure of bioavailable or ACTIVE hormone levels found in the target tissue of the body where hormones do their work! Meanwhile, standard blood tests measure TOTAL hormones, including those still bound to proteins in the bloodstream, which are inactive and tell us very little about symptoms that are actively being experienced!
This is why SO many women come to us after receiving blood test results, being told everything looks normal even though they feel anything but normal.
Testing these specific master hormone levels is important for many of the reasons already discussed, but to recap:
TRACK YOUR CYCLE
Types Of Hormone Imbalances
Estrogen Dominance Estrogen dominance is a quite common cause of hormone imbalance that occurs when estrogen levels are too high relative to progesterone levels. This can happen in a few ways:
Symptoms of estrogen dominance include: Tender breasts, irregular cycles long or short, bloating, acne, breast cysts, PMS, headaches, anxiety, weight gain, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, hair loss, and difficulties getting pregnant. However, this is not an all-inclusive list.
The graphic above shows a healthy pattern and 3 patterns of estrogen dominance. Please take note that all of the unhealthy patterns are still within a typical lab reference range. Your hormones will come back normal. Its the ratio between the hormones that are important! Adding a healthy pattern to the previously mentioned reasons for Estrogen Dominance leaves us with the following patterns for your hormones.
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Treating Imbalance With Medications
Treatments for hormonal imbalance are often specific to the type of hormone in question and its related effects. Doctors use medications to treat imbalance because there are a variety of medications that can either stimulate or even replace hormonal chemicals in the body. These treatments are often referred to as hormone therapy.
Medications to balance female hormones, like estrogen and progestin, can alleviate symptoms like hot flashes and even increase fertility. Women with high androgen, a male hormone, can take medication to suppress high levels. Meanwhile, testosterone supplements can help men experience relief from fatigue, muscle loss, and other symptoms of âLow Tâ. Medications can even stimulate puberty in teenagers with delayed puberty.
There are a variety of other medications used to relieve other hormone imbalances, including insulin to treat Type I and Type II diabetes. Hormone therapy medications are available in pill, patch, injection, and topical cream form, depending on the treatment you need.
How Do I Know If I Have A Hormone Imbalance
Common signs you should look out for include weight gain, fatigue, muscle aches, frequent urination, decreased sex drive, purple or pink stretch marks, heavy or irregular periods, night sweats, and acne, to name a few.
Certain lifestyle factors are associated with the balance of hormones, but a hormonal imbalance can occur due to underlying medical issues. They are often caused by issues related to the thyroid, adrenal glands, eating disorders, and more.
Adrenal glands produce hormones that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, response to stress, and other essential functions, making it important that theyre healthy.
In order to support hormone balance, be sure to eat certain foods like cruciferous vegetables, healthy fats, and quality protein with a balanced diet. Eating foods likecruciferous vegetables can help with your hormonal health or health issues relating to your menstrual cycle.
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The Power Of Hormones
Theprocess of aging happens in the life of every organism, but the changes are notalways easy to adjust to, especially when they affect your quality of life. Asbody processes slow, it becomes more difficult to keep up the pace you are usedto. You may also begin experiencing specific, disruptive symptoms associatedwith age-related hormonal shiftsand it may happen earlier than you think.Women often anticipate the hormonal changes associated with menopause but maynot recognize the symptoms when they first appear.
Throughout a womans reproductive life, estrogen and progesterone levels interact with each other in a cyclic opposition, spurring each phase of the reproductive cycle. But as women approach the menopause transition, these natural hormonal fluctuations can become more pronounced and less predictable, causing a host of physical and emotional effects. This transitional period before menopause is known as perimenopause, and it can begin long before you enter menopause. For many women, this means struggling with symptoms like menstrual irregularity, moodiness, irritability, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and night sweats for years.
Causes Of Hormone Imbalance Specifically In Women
Other than the general causes, there are some specific causes that affect reproductive hormones in women. These reasons include pregnancy, child-rearing, and hormone-altering medication such as contraceptive pills, early onset of menopause, menopause, and PCOS to name a few. Female hormone balance supplement helps in addressing most of the causes of hormone imbalance in women.
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Best Menopause Supplements Of 2022
To help you choose the best menopause supplements, weve compiled a list of the best quality menopause supplements regarding manufacturer transparency, ingredients quality, and client satisfaction.
Here are the 7 best menopause supplements on the market today:
Amberen is manufactured by Lunada Biomedical, which is a company with an overall good rating. This product was also designed to address the common menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, irritability, and low libido weight gain, joint pain, headaches, stress, and fatigue.
Amberen is different from your regular menopause supplements in that it contains natural metabolites instead of herbs. The product does not contain synthetic hormones, such as estrogen, but instead relies on natural substances that can assist a woman in dealing with the symptoms that are caused by menopause. Furthermore, the product does not contain soy and has been manufactured with top-quality ingredients.
The aim of the formula introduced by the users body through Amberen is to restore a natural balance of hormones, but without utilizing any synthetic hormones, as these are known to contribute to the development of adverse effects. Some ingredients found in Amberen include a series of amino acids, as well as vitamin E, and several beneficial minerals.
Additionally, numerous reviews claim that the benefits of the product can be experienced, but at a mild level.
Best Hormone Balance Supplements
Hormonal issues can affect people, so if you have symptoms of a hormonal imbalance or arent feeling yourself, you could benefit from taking vitamins for hormonal imbalance. Whether youre suffering from fatigue, mood swings or reproductive issues , you dont have to accept these issues as a fact of life.
Best hormone balance supplements can be made from natural herbs and spices or chemical extracts, and while each one has different benefits, theres sure to be at least one product that can help your specific imbalance in our picks for the best hormone balance supplements:
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How To Balance Your Hormones Naturally
Ultimately, consistency and commitment are key. How to balance your hormones, naturally, is all-encompassing. Here are the Cliffs Notes: Focus on an anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense diet, remove endocrine disruptors, incorporate stress relief habits, and take the necessary steps to get your gut health on track. Finding a balance with exercise is important, too. If youre feeling overwhelmed, start small. Begin with daily meditation practice. Next week, take a stab at a 3-day hormone-balancing meal plan. One step at a time.
Image by Hannah Zahner
What Causes Hormonal Imbalance
Just as there are many types of hormones with many functions, a hormonal imbalance has many causes. Certain medications, stress, mental disorders, injuries, or even tumors can lead to hormonal imbalance. Unfortunately, because the body depends on a precise balance of hormones to function properly, certain hormonal imbalance conditions, like diabetes and hyperthyroidism, can throw off the balance of other hormones as well.
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The Four Phases Of The Menstrual Cycle
What happens during each menstrual cycle? High-level, an egg develops and is released from the ovaries. If a pregnancy doesnt happen, the uterine lining sheds during a menstrual period. You bleed, and the cycle starts again. The four phases of the menstrual cycle are the menstrual phase, follicular phase, ovulation phase, and luteal phase. The length of each phase can differ from woman to woman, and it can change over time.
Get Consistent Quality Sleep
No matter how nutritious your dietor how consistent your exercise routinegetting enough restorative sleep is crucial for optimal health. You cant balance your hormones, naturally, without good sleep! Poor sleep is linked to imbalances in many hormones, including insulin and cortisol. For instance, not only does sleep deprivation impair insulin sensitivity, but poor sleep is associated with a 24-hour increase in cortisol levels, which can lead to a decrease in estrogen. To maintain optimal hormonal balance, aim for at least 7 hours of high-quality sleep per night.
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How To Take Hormone Balance Supplements
Learning that your hormones are out of balance can be worrying, especially if youre concerned about long-term health issues like diabetes, but you can regain your equilibrium with a little help. One simple way to bring them back under control is with supplements, but even with the best hormone balance supplements, there are certain tips you should consider to make the most of them.
The active ingredients in these supplements vary greatly depending on the manufacturer and the hormone they are meant to regulate, as do the recommended instructions. As such, there arent many hard and fast rules on taking hormone balance supplements, but here are a few tips that should help you get the most out of your chosen supplements that promote hormone balance:
Shop: The Best Supplements For Hormonal Health
Magnesium is magic for your hormones and is absolutely essential when it comes to treating all hormonal imbalance issues including PMS, PCOS, thyroid conditions, perimenopause, anxiety, and adrenal fatigue. Without it, you will not produce hormones at the levels you require, and ovulation can become irregular. This supplement from Together contains five natural forms of magnesium. Just take one to two capsules daily as a food supplement with or without food and you’re good to go.
Who doesn’t love adding Epsom salts to their bath after a long day or a hard workout? Epsom salts are of course super beneficial to relax your muscles but they differ from magnesium flakes. The main difference is that magnesium flakes are a form of magnesium called magnesium chloride, whereas Epsom salts are made from magnesium sulphate. BetterYou Magnesium Flakes only uses natural magnesium chloride that is mined from Northern Holland. Research suggests that Magnesium Chloride is the better choice since it has a larger range of benefits and has a lower potential for toxicity.
Magnesium oils are quite a trendy option right now and this oil from Better You soaks into your skin when massaged well to stimulate absorption. This is ideally applied after showering or before sleep and works much in the same as a supplement would making this a great choice if you don’t like to take capsules, as this can be easily implemented into your shower routine.
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What Are Birth Control Pills
Birth control pills are a type of hormone replacement therapy. They contain synthetic hormones that disrupt the natural hormonal cycle to stop ovulation. In a womans natural hormonal cycle, estrogen and progesterone fluctuate. Estrogen peaks right before ovulation, and progesterone right after.
Birth control pills work by providing the body with synthetic hormones to keep them consistently high, fooling the body into thinking its pregnant to prevent your ovaries from releasing an egg.
The original purpose of birth control pills, of course, was to stop pregnancy, however conventional medicine doctors are quick to prescribe the pill for other reasons, such as hormone balance, acne, PMS, painful periods, ovarian cysts, fibroids, mood swings, and perimenopause, just to name a few.