Best Supplements for Hormonal Imbalance in Women
At times, it feels like the slightest things tend to get you triggered. You feel highly irritable with cramps, anxiety, allergies, fatigue, etc. These symptoms can be very unsettling, to say the least. You are then made to wonder if there is any stop to the fluctuations that often manifest as a result of your unstable hormones.
The truth is that it isn’t uncommon for women to experience bouts of hormonal imbalance. It either occurs at some point during your menstrual circle or as early signs of menopause. This is often a result of either internal influences like pregnancy, puberty, menstruation, etc., or external influences like stress, feeding habits, environment, medications, and the likes.
What are Hormones, and Why are They Important?
Hormones by definition, are unique chemicals that transport messages from a person’s endocrine glands which are the birthplaces of hormones, to the body’s cells and organs. Some examples of hormones are cortisol, progesterone (in women), testosterone (in men), glucagon, adrenaline, insulin, and so on. These hormones are responsible for the regulation of one’s appetite, response to stress, libido, sleep pattern, blood sugar, fertility, and energy levels. The reality is that a person’s hormones are responsible for almost all of his body’s metabolism/functions. These functions range from mood stability to fat-burning, cognition, etc.
Hormones influence a large part of the body’s cells and organs, and they also go a long way to affect each other. As a result of the fact that the body has a special relationship with the body, little disruptions in the hormone can have serious effects on a person’s health. It is, however, important for women to spot the symptoms of hormonal imbalances at every point. This is the best way to keep track of one’s health and ensure optimum health.
How to Maintain Balanced Hormones
Vitamins and minerals are very important parts of the body’s enzyme systems, tissue & organ function, and cell function. A nutritious eating habit can easily set things in the right order, but because most of the foods we eat these days are processed, one needs extra supplements to get the necessary nutrients.
To get stabilize one’s hormones, it is necessary to add vitamins and minerals, as well as other substances to boost one’s health. Studies have shown how vitamins and minerals help to balance a person’s hormones, prevent diseases, and even treat symptoms. Below are some tips that can help you maintain a balanced hormone:
- Eat more protein: when you add protein to all your meals, you’ll be more satisfied, hence your levels of hunger hormone known as ghrelin reduces.
- Get enough sleep: Sleep is one of the most important factors that can help you balance your hormones. It is not uncommon for the levels of some of your hormones to increase and decrease during the day. Getting adequate sleep will help you deal with these fluctuations.
- Get more healthy fats instead of carbs: if you wish to maintain a balanced hormone, you’ll need to take different foods that are rich in short, medium, and long-chain fatty acids. This will help supply your body with the variety of fats it needs to produce hormones. These fats include saturated fat and cholesterol. These essential fats are not only important in supporting the production of hormones, they are also very important in regulating the inflammation levels of your system by keeping them low. It will also increase your metabolism, and help you lose weight. Healthy fats are the opposite of processed carbohydrates that can cause inflammation and disrupt the balance of your hormones.
- Opt for oils: the elimination of toxins in the body helps in the natural balance of your body’s hormones. This is why you need to stay away from chemical skincare products that could be harmful as a result of some harmful chemicals used in them. These chemicals include parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, DEA, propylene, etc. The best skincare products for hormonal balance are those that are made from oils like castor oil, carrot oil, shea butter, coconut oil, etc.
- Avoid plastics: one of the reasons why you need to ditch plastics is to balance your hormones, amongst others. Almost all the plastics available have chemicals that act like estrogen in the body. When you continue to use such plastics and get exposed to them even at the most minimal levels, it can cause hormonal imbalance and expose you to the risk of insulin resistance, breast cancer, etc.
Best Supplements for Hormonal Imbalance in Women
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Diindolylmethane (DIM) for hormonal imbalance
This is a phytochemical supplement that is gotten from the consumption of cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and kale. When you take these cruciferous vegetables, the indole-3 precursor is broken down to DIM as digestion takes place. DIM helps with the breakdown of estrogen to healthy metabolites in the liver. It also stops the enzyme that turns testosterone into estrogen (aromatase). The DIM is also responsible for the inhibition of the effects of testosterone as well as other androgens.
Another thing that DIM does is that aids the cellular detoxification of pathways that are prone to chemopreventive activities during the phases of breast carcinogenesis. According to studies, DIM helps in preventing obesity, reducing inflammation, and boosting neuroprotection. You can get this supplement at Amazon.
2. Magnesium
Unfortunately, lots of people lack this essential mineral which is also very important for hormonal balance. Lack of magnesium leads to the situation when we may lose control over our emotions and become irritable, anxious, suspicious, often in a bad mood. There are problems with concentration and attention, difficulties in memorizing new information.
Magnesium supports many of the body’s systems and also maintains a healthy level of cortisol and strengthens the body against the attack of toxins as well as free radicals.
If you are prone to suffering from PMS symptoms with mood swings, disturbed sleep, and anxiety, look into the special form of magnesium – Magnesium Acetyl-Taurate. This form of magnesium shows high absorbtion rate, supports healthy response to stress, helps to calm down and relieve anxiety symptoms. Actually, a study on rats [1] show that Magnesium Acetyl-Taurate helps with anxiety-life behaviour and depression.
It is often the case that women with PCOS are suffering from magnesium defficiency. Therefore, magnesium is one of the crucial supplements for those suffering from PCOS.
Magnesium also helps to increase a woman’s libido and boost fertility by maintaining a healthy reproductive system that is free from chronic stress.
3. Chasteberry (Vitex Agnis-cactus), also known as Vitex
This supplement is used to aid hormonal activities and boost low progesterone levels. This is probably done by causing the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) from your pituitary gland and reducing fluctuating levels of prolactin. It also influences many neurotransmitters in the body.
Vitex also balances the symptoms of both premenopausal and postmenopausal hormones. This vitamin also helps to balance out our instable emotions caused by premenstrual tension (anxiety, nervousness, insomnia and mood changes).
Vitex is a natural remedy that is used to treat certain signs of infertility: no menstruation, anovulatory cycles, irregularities in the cycle after using contraceptives, some other forms of infertility.
4. Probiotics
Probiotics are also called good bacteria. They are natural bacteria that can be found in the digestive tract. A group of these bacteria makes up a person’s microbiome. You need to keep your microbiome healthy for your body’s metabolism, digestion, and the production of neurotransmitters.
These helpful bacteria can be destroyed by poor diet, antibiotics, and inflammation. To regain this probiotic bacteria in your guts, you are required to consume anti-inflammatory foods, avoid antibiotics when possible, and consume probiotic supplements. These supplements can also help to curb depression, mood disorders, and anxiety.
5. Zinc for hormone imbalance
This supplement is important for building resilience and resistance to stress and mood swings. When you consume zinc supplements, it gives you up to 300 enzymes which are helpful for women who are approaching menopause as they can boost brain function and maintain emotional balance.
By consuming more zinc, you will experience an improvement in your mood. This supplement can also keep a woman away from depression. For postmenopausal women, zinc helps to increase bone mass.
there are many forms of zinc formula in supplements. If you are confured and do not know which form of zinc formula is the best for hormone imbalance, opt in for zinc picolinate, and zinc glycerate. Both of these zinc forms have high absorbtion rate and proven to support hormone balance and expecially in women with PCOS.
Final words
It is very important to pay attention to your hormones to ensure that they are balanced at all times. There are a lot of ways to do so. You may choose to adopt a healthy eating pattern or take necessary precautions or get supplements that are useful in balancing your hormones. Whatever the case may be, the goal is always to stay healthy. Note that you must always ensure to check with your doctor before you start taking any supplement as this will rule out any risk of counter effects.
Photo by Castorly Stock from Pexels
Sources:
Hosgorler F, Koc B, Kizildag S, Canpolat S, Argon A, Karakilic A, Kandis S, Guvendi G, Ates M, Arda NM, Uysal N. Magnesium Acetyl Taurate Prevents Tissue Damage and Deterioration of Prosocial Behavior Related with Vasopressin Levels in Traumatic Brain Injured Rats. Turk Neurosurg. 2020;30(5):723-733. doi: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.29272-20.1. PMID: 32865219.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice; the content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.