Support hormonal balance
Support hormonal balance
Raffaella Quieti Cartledge, Nutritional Therapist, London
Hormones are messengers produced by glands in the endocrine system, that travel to target organs thought the blood. Hormonal imbalances occur when there is too much or too little of a hormone in the bloodstream. Because of their essential role, even small hormonal imbalances can cause side effects throughout the body.
Hormones are important for regulating most major bodily processes, so a hormonal imbalance can affect a wide range of bodily functions such as metabolism and appetite, sleep cycle, reproductive cycles and sexual function, general growth and development, mood and stress levels, body temperature etc.
A woman’s body makes different hormones throughout her life. The three major sex hormones made by the ovaries are the ‘female’ sex hormones oestrogen (role in puberty, bone density and mood) and progesterone (role in pregnancy, immunity and brain function) and the ‘male’ sex hormone testosterone (role in male reproductive tissues, muscle and bone mass, growth of body hair). During reproductive years, these hormones prepare the body for pregnancy in women’s body, but they also affect other aspects of the body, health and well-being. After natural menopause or when the ovaries are surgically removed, these hormone levels decrease, leading to menopausal symptoms. Testosterone continues to be made by the adrenal glands, although levels decline as women age.
Hormone balance can be achieved through nutrition, lifestyle changes and the use of supplements and herbs. The first step is to improve our nutrition by limiting processed foods, caffeine, alcohol, refined flours and sugars.
Protein shakes, eggs, nuts or nut butters at breakfast and the right amount of protein throughout the day help correct insulin resistance and balance blood sugar, which in turn will help balance hormones. The correct amount of protein intake needs to be based on one’s body weight.
Saturated and trans fatty acids, antibiotics, hormones in food from commercially raised livestock (meat and dairy often contain hormones/antibiotics) and artificial sweeteners all interfere with the detoxification process, tiring our liver, the main organ predisposed to detoxify hormones.
Environmental toxins are also a significant source of oestrogen (xenoestrogens), many of which find their way into our food supply through pesticides and herbicides.
Further interventions like dietary fibre increase, fat reduction, phytoestrogen (plant-derived, oestrogen-modulating compounds) intake, weight loss, anti-oxidant increase (in order to prevent oxidation of some hormones) and exercise further ameliorate hormonal balance.
General advice
What I usually recommend to my clients in order to rebalance their hormones is:
- Consume a high-fibre diet: dietary fibres and lignans or phytoestrogens (found in flax seeds, beans, and seeds) reduce the circulation of oestrogen by binding it and enhancing its excretion through the bowel. Additionally, they improve the balance of the intestinal flora. Based on their medical history, I may recommend clients to increase their intake of cruciferous vegetables to 1-2 cups a day, as their content of a compound called indole-3-carbinol that helps the liver to get rid of excess oestrogen.
- Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids found in small, cold-water fish such as wild salmon, sardines, and herring. Also found in flax seeds, Omega 3 oils help reduce inflammation, balance oestrogen levels and reduce excess testosterone.
- I recommend choosing organic foods when possible and the use filtered water (ideally reverse osmosis) to minimize intake of xenoestrogens.
- I also stress the importance of probiotics. Found in food such as yoghurt and fermented products, they may help stop excreted oestrogens being reabosrbed from the gut by reducing specific bacteria that increase the amount of free oestrogen available.
- Other phytonutrients (plant-derived beneficiaI substances) I may recommend include curcumin, which can increase glutathione (antioxidant, crucial for detoxification) and vitamins that promote hormonal balance such as folate, vit. B6 and vit.B12.
Menopause
If you are going into the menopause, your body will be extremely reluctant to let go of the fat around your middle. This is because fat is a manufacturing plant for oestrogen which will help protect your bones from osteoporosis. It’s a system designed to protect you, but the combined effect of female hormonal changes, slower metabolism and stress with spikes of cortisol levels, create a bigger likelihood of stubborn fat deposits around the middle.
Fat around the middle is more metabolically active than fat elsewhere because it causes inflammation, increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer and diabetes. I help my clients tackle that fat with personalised plans that often include a combination of lower carbohydrate intake and exercise.
In order to manage hot flushes, I recommend my clients increase hydration, cut down on caffeine consumption and replace caffeinated drinks with teas such as liquorice, ginseng and green tea (also helpful at tackling excess weight). Sage, red clover, celery seed and alfalfa are sources of both phytoestrogens and phytosterols, plant-derived compounds which help to reduce hot flushes, vaginal atrophy, improve sleep/cognition, and positively affect bone health.
If you are having trouble sleeping, relaxing teas such as chamomile, valerian, lemon balm or passionflower can help.
Poor glucose control is a huge stressor in the body. Healthy post-menopausal women and menopausal women experience more hot flushes when their blood glucose falls between meals. Choosing food with a low glycaemic index or food that release energy more slowly, helps reduce hot flushes. Benefits are higher if combined with exercise and the correct protein intake.
As already stated above, maintaining a healthy microbiome in your gut is essential to activate phytoestrogen absorption. Prebiotic foods which feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut are asparagus, leeks, onions, garlic and Jerusalem artichokes. Probiotic foods are fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kombucha.
Phytoestrogens are compounds that occur naturally in plants. Because they mimic your body’s own oestrogen, phytoestrogens bring to our body some of the same benefits, including relief from hot flashes, prevention of osteoporosis, natural relieve from menstrual issues.
Foods containing phytoestrogens include legumes such as soybeans, tempeh, lentils, chickpeas; vegetables such as garlic, onions, celery, carrots, fennel, alfalfa sprouts, peas, mung beans. Useful herbs are thyme, hops, sage, parsley, and nuts and seeds I recommend are ground flaxseeds, sesame, sunflower seeds and almonds.
Eating high quality protein on a daily basis to help enzymes required for hormone metabolism is essential. Here are some examples: organic or wild fish, free range poultry and eggs and lean, grass fed meat. Sesame seeds and Brazil nuts (if from Brazil, they contain selenium, an antioxidant that also supports the thyroid function) have several benefits for the menopause including a high protein content.
Vitamins D, K, calcium, magnesium and boron are essential for bone support. Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) can bring benefits and risks to clients based on their case history. I would look at each individual and work with your doctor if he/she has recommended you start using it.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Dairy, gluten, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, stress, and lack of exercise all contribute to worsening PMS.
Many symptoms of PMS can be linked to the inflammatory effects of oestrogen. Both Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids in the form of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), have been used successfully for PMS for their anti-inflammatory properties. I might also recommend magnesium and B6 which, combined, improve PMS symptoms.
In specific cases I might recommend zinc, a co-factor in sex hormone production. Additionally magnesium, zinc and B6 all contribute to the synthesis of serotonin and essential fatty acid.
Women with PMS symptoms are often vitamin D deficient with low intracellular calcium, potentially affecting nervous system functioning. Based on blood tests, I might recommend treatment with vitamin D in order to reduce symptoms.
Hot baths at night, massage, yoga, deep breathing, or meditation can also help balance hormones by reducing stress levels.
