7 Simple and Natural Ways to Treat Hormonal Imbalance

Are you troubled by unexplained symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, low mood, or itchy skin? If you have checked all possible causes and just cannot detect the problem, you may want to consider getting checked for hormonal imbalance. Yes, hormonal imbalance is a sneaky culprit that pesters males, females, and children with an array of unwanted symptoms.

Thankfully, both detecting and treating hormonal imbalance is possible. Better yet, you can discipline your unruly hormones with a surfeit of home remedy options. Treatment can be as simple as making some simple lifestyle choices. You can also treat it by taking some natural supplements that would also let you enjoy some additional benefits.

Interested in restoring the balance in your body without the risk of side effects associated with hormone therapy and surgical treatments? Then trying holistic and natural health products for women and men is your best bet. In this article, you will find an overview of some of the simplest ways you can treat hormonal imbalance.

What is Hormonal Imbalance?

Hormones are powerful chemicals that circulate throughout your bloodstream as a messenger. Over 50 different hormones go around telling your organs and tissues what to do. They control major bodily functions such as growth, metabolism, reproduction, sexual health, and even mood.

Understandably, out-of-sync hormones (i.e., hormonal imbalance) can make you feel very ill and trigger an onset of serious health complications. A hormonal imbalance is when your endocrine glands produce too much or too little of one or more of these hormones. Such imbalances may trigger symptoms like weight gain, weight loss, fatigue, muscle aches, sweating, increased temperature sensitivity, acne, changes in bowel movements, depression, blurry vision, thinning hair, and infertility.

Some hormone levels may naturally fluctuate throughout your life. However, natural ageing is not the only cause of hormonal imbalance. Some common causes include medication, hormone therapy, lifestyle, stress, eating disorders, trauma or injury, cancer treatment, and tumours.

Women are prone to hormonal imbalance due to additional changes in their bodies that take place due to pregnancy, breastfeeding, PCOS, menopause, premature menopause, and birth control pill. On the other hand, men can also experience hormonal imbalance due to low testosterone levels, eventually leading to male menopause, known as andropause.

What’s more, further hormonal imbalances can occur if you have conditions like diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, hypogonadism, Cushing syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and Addison's disease.

7 Natural Ways to Treat Hormonal Imbalance

Include Healthy Fats in Your Diet

The right amount of healthy fats can have anti-inflammatory benefits. Simply adding polyunsaturated fats such as omega-3 and omega-6 in your diet can decrease your appetite and, therefore, your risk of obesity. Fatty acids can increase leptin production, a hormone that regulates fat storage and hunger. Adequate levels of leptins mean you will feel satiated.

Nuts such as walnuts, Brazilian nuts, and macadamia are excellent sources of Omega 3. In addition, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) and lauric acid in coconut oil make it a quick energy source and improve metabolism. If you are not a fan of coconut oil, olive oil and avocado oil are great plant-based healthy fats too.

Try Different Types of Seeds

Not only are seeds a healthy dose of fibre, but they also offer a plethora of health benefits - especially restoring hormonal imbalance among women. In fact, seeds are among the most popular holistic natural health products for women. Women suffering from PCOS often resort to seed cycling.

Seed cycling involves eating four kinds of seeds - namely flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds - during different menstrual cycle phases. It is beneficial to intake one tablespoon of flaxseed and pumpkin seed each during the first 15 days of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Then, in the remaining 15 days, you can add one tablespoon each of sunflower seeds and raw sesame seeds. The high selenium and zinc levels of these are great for your body.

While seed cycling is more common amongst women, men can do it too. However, they need to take into consideration the moon cycle to rotate the seeds.

If you want, you may even consume grains in powdered form and add them to your salads or veggies or simply take natural supplements that contain the goodness of these seeds.

Take Probiotics

Several hormones are released in the digestive system. So, any inflammation or a weak digestive system can lead to hormonal imbalance. An excellent way to take care of gut health is to incorporate loads of good bacteria, i.e., probiotics, into your diet.

Packed with antioxidants, Kanji water is a probiotic that can also help keep your blood sugar and cholesterol in check. Plus, it is rich in manganese, potassium, and vitamin K and C. Other probiotic options include olives, kefir, fermented vegetables, and kimchi. While all of these may help ward off leaky gut syndrome, consume in moderation as some of these have very high sodium content.

Do not worry if any of these are not readily available to you. You can always choose probiotic supplements as an easy alternative to balance the microbiome in your gut.

Prioritise Stress Management

There is a clear link between hormone levels and stress. Even the slightest amount of stress may cause an endocrine response. Stress increases cortisol and adrenaline, which in turn disrupts the overall hormone balance. The outcome can be mood swings, obesity, or even cardiovascular complications.

A great way to reduce stress is to perform exercise regularly. Even short sessions of low-intensity exercise such as walking can help reduce stress. Another no-fail stress management tip is to get adequate sleep. Aim for at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night. You may notice that limiting sugar intake can improve the quality of sleep.

Take Vitamin D Supplements

Vitamin D deficiency is a common factor for hormonal imbalances. Insufficient supply of this vitamin can affect bodily functions such as inflammatory response, cell differentiation, and immune function. Low vitamin D levels can lead to influenza, heart disease, tuberculosis, colon and breast cancer, and hypothyroidism.

Spending 10 to 30 minutes in the early sun is enough to get your daily dose of this vital vitamin. However, that is not a realistic target for most people. If you too cannot make time for daily sunbathing, you can get your daily dose from VItamin D-rich food and Vitamin D3 supplements.

Include Plenty of Magnesium in Your Diet

Magnesium is excellent for individuals struggling with insulin insensitivity, a relatively common hormonal imbalance. You can reverse this condition by including magnesium-rich food sources in your diet. Thankfully, it’s not too difficult.

Dark leafy vegetables like kale, watercress, and spinach have high magnesium content. You will also get a good amount of magnesium from avocados, tofu, nuts, seed, and whole grains. In addition, chickpeas, soybeans, and lentils are magnesium-rich legumes you might consider adding to your diet. You can also massage magnesium oil on your tummy or soles of your feet to induce absorption of magnesium through your skin.

Try to Add Herbs to Your Meals

When it comes to hormonal imbalance, herbal remedies cannot be overlooked. For example, Chaste berry balances hormones by targeting prolactin. Low prolactin levels can relieve PMS symptoms. Consuming Maca and Burdock roots are other favourite natural remedies for both men and women as they help alleviate side effects caused due to andropause and menopause, respectively.

Furthermore, adaptogenic herbs can lower your cortisol levels by regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. You can add in some adaptogenic herbs next time you make tea or coffee. Adaptogens that can help adrenal function include ginseng, ashwagandha, holy basil, jiaogulan, reishi, Chinese liquorice, and Rhodiola Rosea.

The right balance of hormones enables the normal functioning of your body. In case your hormones are out of sync, you will face some severe symptoms. The long list of symptoms is matched with an equally lengthy list of possible causes. No matter what causes a hormonal imbalance in your body and what symptoms you face, making simple lifestyle changes will be beneficial.

By simply incorporating exercise, healthy eating, and adequate sleep, you can enjoy reduced symptoms. However, to further alleviate your symptoms and restore the balance of hormones, you need to take some additional measures. These include getting sufficient vitamin D, magnesium, probiotics, etc.

In case you cannot meet your daily requirement of these through diet, you can always fill in the nutritional gaps using organic supplements. By simply following all of the aforementioned natural remedies, you can attain the perfect balance of hormones.