Do Hormone Balance Supplements Work
Yes! Various nutrients commonly found in supplement form are evidenced-based, with a large body of research supporting their abilities to maintain healthy levels. Some studies show the efficacy of hormonal supplements, while others show how a nutrient with estrogen-like effects influences biological pathways for sleep, digestion, mood, weight, etc.
Can Vitamins Help Hormonal Acne
Yes, vitamins can help hormonal acne by acting as antioxidants, reducing inflammation, and supporting healthy hormone balance. The best vitamins for acne are vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and a B complex. You can find many of these nutrients in food, but taking supplements can ensure you’re getting enough.
What Causes Hormonal Imbalances
The endocrine system is consists of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. These hormones control many important body functions, including growth, metabolism, and reproduction.
When the glands of the endocrine are not functioning properly, it can harm hormonal health. The major causes of hormonal imbalance are puberty, menopause, and thyroid disorders.
However, they can also be caused by stress, infection, or certain medications. If you are experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, or mood swings, it is important to see your doctor for a hormone test before taking any hormone balance supplements. With proper treatment, most hormonal imbalances can be corrected.
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Work On Your Stress Levels
In women, sex hormones, like progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen, are made in the adrenal glands. These hormones often become depleted during periods of chronic stress, in order for the body to increase cortisol levels .
Additionally, stress affects our hormones further upstream by disrupting the pituitary gland or master gland of the endocrine system. The pituitary gland controls the creation and release of many hormones, and a dysregulation of this system can offset normal hormone production [57
Over time, chronic stress can create symptoms of a hormonal imbalance and potentially lead to an endocrine disorder. Common stressors include:
- Work, relationship, and personal life issues
- Blood sugar fluctuations
- Chronic inflammation
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to reduce your stress levels. Cognitive behavioral therapy and coping-skills training can both reduce stress and symptoms of hormonal disorders . Meditation, yoga, deep-breathing exercises, and other forms of mindfulness are all effective at reducing overall stress levels.
Eating a balanced diet to control blood sugar levels, healing the gut, and lessening your inflammatory burden on the body are all ways in which you can reduce your overall stress load.
Other Ways To Balance Your Hormones: Life Hacks & Tips
Supplements are a great option to keep your hormones in balance, but they are only a small part of the picture. Your diet and lifestyle play a huge role in how you feel building sustainable daily habits will help promote homeostasis, your body’s natural state of equilibrium. In fact, every single day, multiple times a day, you are making choices that either promote hormone balance:
- Your eating habits: Do you eat mindfullyor do you snack on endocrine-disrupting junk food while watching TV?
- Your activity level: How much you move
- Self-care: Do you prioritize restful sleep and maintaining a “zen” state of mind?
If this sounds overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be! Check out these six easy tips to keep your hormones in balance.
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Other Nutrients That The Pituitary Gland Needs To Stay Healthy
Sometimes, people refer to their pituitary glands as their bodys thermostat since it has control over all the other glands which secrete hormones. This master gland is able to monitor and even send the appropriate signals in order to regulate the hormone levels in the body. The pituitary gland also has control over functions like growth, thyroid activity, the production of urine, and even the functions of the other bodys organs. This means that the pituitary gland is especially important and people need to keep it healthy. Here are other foods and nutrients one can take to maintain the master glands health:
Beet Juice. The component which gives beets their dark crimson color also happens to contain boron. This is an element which can counteract the effects of excess calcium in the body. Its also effective in flushing out metal compounds and fluoride. Aside from this, beet can also improve cellular health because it contains a lot of B vitamins.
Chlorella. With its cousins spirulina and wheatgrass, chlorella can help eliminate metal toxins in the body. It can also increase the levels of oxygen which, in turn, helps repair any damaged tissues. The oxygen boost provided by chlorella may also reduce the calcification of the pineal gland.
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The 2 Most Important Vitamins To Balance Womens Hormones
Hormonal balance is important for your health and quality of life and thats because hormones are the basis of life. They are the chemical messengers responsible for sending messages through the bloodstream for human tissues and organs to perform their tasks. They are responsible for managing several functions, including your mood, libido, immune function, and digestion.
Magnesium and Vitamin E are two vitamins that are super important for your health and every woman should take them. Have a look below!
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Boycott Soy For Hormone Balance
Did you know that soy:
- Disrupts hormones by looking like estrogen to the body
- May cause inflammation and leaky gut by inhibiting trypsin, a protein-digesting enzyme
- Is most likely genetically modified
Soy milk, soy meat, soy protein, soy-based cereal all these foods touted as healthy wreak havoc on the body. The Weston A. Price foundation has also collected and summarized a list of studies showing the toxic effects of soy consumption on hormone balance and general health.
Fermented soy, such as miso and tempeh, have the detrimental effects reduced, but I believe these should be only eaten in strict moderation. If you are currently trying to balance hormones, I strongly recommend avoiding even fermented soy.
Key Hormones To Keep In Check
Cortisol
Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars in the bloodstream, enhances your brains use of glucose, and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation.
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone made by one of the bodys organs called the pancreas. Insulin helps your body turn blood sugar into energy. It also helps your body store it in your muscles, fat cells, and liver to use later, when your body needs it. After you eat, your blood sugar rises.
Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone
Thyroid hormones regulate both your bodys energy use and metabolism. Our bodies produce TSH in the pituitary gland.
If you often feel tired or sluggish, or if you witness changes in your metabolism, your thyroid might not function properly.
Estrogen
Estrogen grows the lining of your uterus to prepare it for conception .
But progesterone also has an important role to ensure that the lining remains there for roughly 14 days after ovulation in case you become pregnant.
Estrogen is a sex hormone responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics.
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Final Thoughts On Using Supplements To Balance Hormones
Supplements are a viable option when treating hormonal conditions and non-specific symptoms of an endocrine disorder. While research shows that they may be particularly beneficial for PMS, menopause, and PCOS, their benefits likely extend beyond these to other types of hormonal imbalances.
We see that many of the above supplements provide the best results when used in combination, such as in our hormone balancing formulas, Estro-Harmony and Progest-Harmony. These formulas can help improve hormone levels and non-specific symptoms in a variety of conditions, and are approved for use in both cycling and menopausal women.
For more help on how to balance your hormones and improve your lifestyle, reach out to our clinic at the Ruscio Institute for Functional Medicine for an appointment. You can also learn how to regulate your hormones by healing your gut in my book, Healthy Gut, Healthy You.
The Ruscio Institute has developed a range of high-quality formulations, including Progest-Harmonyand Estro-Harmony, to help our patients and audience. If youre interested in learning more about these products, please click here. Note that there are many other options available, and we encourage you to research which products may be right for you.
References
Now You May Be Wondering If Vitamins Actually Help Improve And Balance Womens Hormones
Yeah, they do! Hormones are produced by the endocrine glands and work as messengers that travel through your bloodstream. And just like vitamins, hormones regulate certain organs and are crucial for growth and reproduction among other processes.
If you suffer from hormone imbalance, you should always contact your doctor, because everybody and every diagnosis are different. Although, you yourself can help your hormones to function better in a natural way: with vitamins, because they support and balance the normal hormone production in your body.
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What Is The Natural Remedy For Hormone Imbalance
Hormone imbalance is a complex condition.
Not everyone struggles with hormonal issues, but plenty of women experience their share of hormonal ups and downs. Stress problems, depression, anxiety, severe PMS, and menopause symptoms can be the result of hormonal imbalances.
Hormones play a key role in the emotional state of both men and women, but as women, we are more likely to experience extreme and sudden changes in mood as a result of our hormones, mainly due to the monthly cycle and changing levels of progesterone and estrogen.
Fortunately, there are all sorts of tried and true ways to help balance hormones. One such way is by ensuring youre getting all the right hormone-balancing nutrients from your diet. Supplementing with certain vitamins and supplements may help as well. Relief is possible, with the right approach.
Using natural remedies such as vitamins and supplements for hormone balance has many benefits as they are safe and non-toxic and support the body to assist natural healing.
Natural remedies for hormone imbalance start with treating leaky gut, supporting the immune system, and changing your lifestyle. Everything is connected. Treating your body with drugs and hormonal treatments does not have to be your only option.
There are many safe natural treatments for hormone imbalance and simple self-help measures you can use to help with your symptoms. As well as diet changes, there are also many supplements to balance hormones that can help with specific symptoms.
Vitamin K2 Metabolises Estrogen
Vitamin K2 is a curious vitamin. Research is still ongoing but we so far know that it provides a significant boost for vitamin D production, which, in turn, maintains bone and cardiovascular health.
When taken as a vitamin for hormone balance, however, vitamin K2 is the right solution if youre looking to decrease estrogen dominance.
Studies show that vitamin K2 binds to the estrogen and androgen-converting enzyme 17 beta-HSD, which modulates estrogen metabolism. When estrogen is properly metabolized, less of the hormone remains in the body.
Furthermore, the process inhibits the overproduction of estrogen, which not only lowers the effects of high estrogen in men and women, but is also a potent support in fighting estrogen-related breast cancer.
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Impressive Herbs That Help Balance Your Hormones
Herbs are a group of plants whose leaves, flowers, roots, and seeds are used for various purposes.
If you love to cook, you may be most familiar with using herbs as cooking ingredients. Interestingly, humans have also used them for healthcare, spiritual rituals, and more for thousands of years .
Traditionally, some herbs have even been used to balance hormone levels. Although rigorous research on the topic is limited, some evidence suggests that certain herbs could influence hormone levels in your body, as well as other related functions of the endocrine system.
Still, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction when it comes to using herbs for medical or health reasons.
Thats why weve sifted through the science and put together this list of 5 herbs, all of which have evidence to support some of their hormone-balancing claims.
Whats The Best Hormone Balance Supplement For Women
The raspberry leaf is widely used by women due its health benefits.
Its mainly used for its uterine therapeutic effects, but it also helps women by increasing fertility, preventing miscarriage, decreasing heavy menstrual flow, easing pregnancy nausea, and relieving menstrual cramps.
Due to its healing powers, tablets of raspberry leaf have also become available.
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Stimulating The Pituitary Gland
Small as it may be, the pituitary gland is one of the most vital parts of the body because of its role of producing many hormones. A person will always feel more energized and better when this pea-sized friend is in tip-top condition. A person can visit the doctor to determine the condition of his pituitary. In case it needs a kick-start to function optimally, the doctor can always recommend a hormone therapy or a change in diet. Here are other ways to stimulate the gland:
Get Medical Attention. If a person feels that theres something wrong with his pituitary gland, schedule an appointment with the doctor. The services of an endocrinologist may be needed. This is a doctor specializing in the endocrine system and such doctor will most probably recommend a blood test to determine how much hormones the gland is producing.
After the first tests, the doctor may also recommend some further and more detailed tests for the diagnosis like a magnetic resonance imaging scan or MRI. The pituitary gland may not be functioning properly because of another larger illness. This is always taken into account by the doctor during their initial examinations.
When To See Your Gp
Some hormone imbalances need medical intervention. Always tell your GP if you experience any symptom thats not normal for you.
If you suspect an imbalance and your symptoms dont respond to diet and lifestyle changes, see your GP to rule out other causes.
5 October 2021
The advice in this article is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP or healthcare professional before trying any supplements, treatments or remedies. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
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Magnesium For Good Hormonal Health
Magnesium, found in greens, nuts, beans and wholegrains, is a bit of a PMS superstar. A 2010 study by researchers at the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in Iran found that taking a supplement of 300mg of magnesium can help ease PMS, when itâs taken alongside vitamin B6.
Itâs thought magnesium has a relaxing effect on the muscles which can help soothe symptoms like cramps and breast tenderness.
Unfortunately, itâs very common to have a magnesium deficiency without realising. One reason is that a boozy or stressful lifestyle, strenuous exercise and overdoing it on the caffeine are all linked to reduced absorption of the mineral. Pregnancy, insulin resistance, heavy periods and HRT can also lead to magnesium deficiency.
Absorption of magnesium also depends on other nutrients â if youâre low in B6 or vitamin D, or you take too much vitamin D or calcium, for example, you may be upsetting the delicate balance of magnesium in your body.
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What Controls Hormone Levels
Maybe youve been trying to understand what causes some of your monthly symptoms, like irregular periods, increased PMS, mood swings, acne, or you just had your test and it came back hormonal imbalance. Its possible your doctor recommended progesterone cream or hormonal treatments and maybe youre looking for other ways to balance your hormones.
Below are the best female hormone balance supplements.
Its pretty amazing how much you discover about your body once you battle with hormone imbalance.
Everything from learning that certain foods can harm our fertility , as well as certain medications and even make-up.
Your endocrine system makes and releases hormones.
But hormones are even made and released by the brains, lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, and skin. Hormones are the messengers of the bodythey send chemical messages and affect processes of metabolism, mood, growth and development, sexual function, and reproduction.
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Magnesium And B Vitamins
Magnesium is one of those minerals that can have a huge impact on your overall well-being. For example, magnesium deficiency has been linked to high anxiety levels, and we all know that stress wreaks havoc on the human body in myriad ways. Throwing a womans hormonal health off-balance is one of those ways, so taking magnesium supplements to reduce stress can have a notably positive effect on a womans body. Eating magnesium-rich foods like dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, and legumes are a great natural way to improve magnesium levels as well.
Many magnesium-rich foods are also excellent sources of B vitamins, such as Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 . The thyroid gland is responsible for a wide variety of bodily functions, as thyroid hormones help maintain your bodys metabolic rate, heart function, digestive health, and more.
Vitamin E Supports Menopause
Both PMS and menopause are estrogen-related hormone imbalances that occur when women transition from one phase to another.
Vitamin E is a known vitamin for hormone imbalance. It can help soothe depression, mood swings, and stress related to the onset of menopause.
However, it doesnt just help the mental and emotional symptoms, but the physical ones as well studies show that vitamin E can help relieve the intensity and duration of hot flashes.
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