Best Supplements to Balance Hormones

So many incredible supplements are available that can help balance the hormones in our bodies. Below we will break down which supplements work for which situations and with which supplements you will see the best outcomes for balancing your hormones. 

Key takeaways from this article include: 

• The best supplements to balance hormones depend on your personal health history. 

• Inositol and magnesium are excellent supplements for women with PCOS. 

• Vitamin D, Fish oil, Chaste Berry, and Black Cohosh are supplements that support fertility and menstrual cycle health in women. 

• Probiotics help balance the gut microbiome, which in turn helps direct hormone allocation throughout the body. 

Don’t Forget About Lifestyle

Before we dive into the best supplements to balance hormones, it is important to discuss that supplements are intended to be exactly that: supplemental to positive lifestyle habits. Without the proper lifestyle habits, supplements may help mitigate symptoms but ultimately will not lead to optimal healing and balance.

When assessing your lifestyle habits, you should practice good sleep hygiene. Sleep deprivation can contribute to hormone imbalance. We suggest eight hours of high-quality sleep per night. 

Other essential lifestyle factors include: 

• Adequate hydration

• A nutritious diet based on whole foods

• A balanced gut microbiome

• High intake of healthy fibers from fruits and vegetables

• Limited consumption of sugar and other inflammatory food

• Adequate exercise.

If you don’t have a plan for the above lifestyle habits and want to optimize your hormones, develop a plan you can implement simultaneously with a good supplement routine.  A functional medicine practitioner can help you create this type of health optimization plan. 

Moreover, now that you understand balancing hormones hinges on lifestyle changes as much as a good supplement routine let’s look at the best supplements to balance hormones!

The Best Supplements to Balance Hormones

Inositol

Inositol Is a carboxylic sugar that improves communication between neurotransmitters and hormones. It is an important tool for stabilizing blood sugar and balancing serotonin and dopamine in the brain. What’s more, inositol helps regulate the hormonal response involved in ovulation. Inositol can improve ovarian function and fertility as well as decrease excessively high male sex hormones in PCOS. 

Vitamin D

When vitamin D is absorbed through light into the body, it acts as a ‘prohormone’. It is then converted in the liver and kidneys where it turns into a hormone that helps protect our bone density. Vitamin D also helps regulate our neurotransmitters (brain chemicals). Women need to have adequate vitamin D levels, as vitamin D is important for proper estrogen production.

Fish oil

Omega 3 fatty acids act as precursors of locally produced hormones. This fact may surprise you, but an imbalance in omega fatty acids can cause dysmenorrhea or painful periods. 

Often times, because many of the foods in the standard American diet consist of an excess of omega 6 fatty acids, people can become imbalanced. Adding a fish oil supplement rich in omega 3 fatty acids can bring balance to your fatty acids and improve menstrual cycles.

Probiotics

There are over a trillion bacteria living in your gut. These microorganisms influence the chemical signals sent to our brains. Without proper signaling, the brain can have difficulty appropriately directing hormone production and allocation to the body. Prioritizing gut health and a balanced microbiome can help maintain hormonal balance in your body. Probiotics, which are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for you, especially your digestive system, are one way to support your gut health.

Black Cohosh

Black Cohosh comes from a flowering plant typically used in traditional native American medicine. It has estrogen-type properties, allowing it to act similarly to estrogen in a woman’s body. Cohosh is very useful in many menopausal or perimenopausal women as estrogen levels drop. It’s important to have your hormones tested and understand if low estrogen is a problem for you specifically before taking cohosh.

Chaste berry

Chaste berry, also known as Vitex, is an herb that is known to reduce hormonal symptoms. It reduces inflammation and supports the body in balancing hormones. Further, it can help balance the steep fluctuation of hormones. The many benefits of this herb include reducing PMS symptoms, decreasing symptoms of menopause, and improving fertility.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a very important element in women’s health. Magnesium calms the nervous system and reduces some of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. For these reasons it can help calm menstrual cramps and reduce PMS symptoms. Additionally, magnesium improves insulin resistance which is often associated with PCOS. In fact, many studies support the role of magnesium in balancing and managing women’s hormones.

Magnesium can help stabilize a variety of hormonal concerns in women and is one of the best supplements to balance hormones. It should be a staple supplement in the world of women’s health.

Work with a Functional Medicine Practitioner

At Peak Health Institute, we work with you to establish a baseline and understand HOW your hormones function. We give you a plan to decrease inflammation, heal systems associated with hormone balance, and determine which supplements will assist you in meeting your goals. We will direct you to the best supplements to balance hormones to move the needle on your overall health. Want to learn more? Get more information here!