Tasty Foods That Help with Hormonal Imbalance
Published March 15th, 2023
You may not realize it, but our hormones play a crucial role in our health. But when we have too much or too little of one or more of those hormones, an imbalance ensues.
Hormonal imbalance can cause various health problems like low fertility, weight gain, and insomnia, among others. It’s also linked to various mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
But aside from medications and IV therapy, you can also correct hormonal imbalances by eating healthy. Here are some of the most common foods that help with hormonal imbalance.
1. Lean meat
Lean meat is a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, both excellent hormone regulators.
Protein helps our body produce peptide hormones which regulates our body’s metabolism and energy levels. It also plays a vital role in our growth and reproduction process.
Omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, are considered one of the building blocks for hormone production, particularly our sex hormones. It also helps stabilize our blood sugar levels which, in turn, prevents hormonal imbalance.
2. Fish
Like lean meats, fishes are also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. This helps your body produce or regulate hormone production. The American Heart Association also recommends eating fatty fish like herring and mackerel to stabilize hunger hormones.
3. Tofu
If you’re not familiar with this food, it’s made of curdled soy milk pressed into blocks. Aside from being a great vegan alternative to meat, tofu is also excellent for your hormones.
Thanks to its high concentration of isoflavones, soy has estrogenic properties. Meaning, it can increase or decrease your estrogen production depending on its existing levels.
For instance, if you have high levels of estrogen, it will slow down your body’s estrogen production. But if you are producing less estrogen, it will increase your body’s estrogen levels.
4. Eggs
You may have heard about a common misconception that eggs can cause hormonal imbalance. That is a total myth. On the contrary, it can help regulate your hormone levels.
Aside from being an excellent source of protein, eggs are also rich in vitamin D and B6. These nutrients help regulate estrogen metabolism in women. Eggs contain HDL cholesterol too, which is one of the building blocks of hormones.
5. Dairy
Milk and other dairy products contain various types of hormones, including growth and sex hormones.
In a study in Mongolia, researchers found that drinking milk can increase growth hormone levels in young boys and girls. A 2010 study also found that commercial cow’s milk contains large amounts of estrogens and progesterone, the two most important female hormones.
So if you’re looking to increase your estrogen levels, you should add milk and other dairy products to your diet. Note, however, that the above studies also suggest milk intake can also increase estrogen levels in men causing hormonal imbalance.
6. Leafy vegetables
Remember when your parents would always tell you to eat your vegetables? Turns out they were onto something, after all.
According to a 2015 study, high vegetable intake is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer thanks to its hormone-balancing effects. Leafy greens also have anti-inflammatory properties that can affect estrogen levels in postmenopausal women. Plus, most leafy vegetables are rich in fiber which can also reduce the risk of breast cancer.
7. Foods rich in unsaturated fats
We’ve always been told that fats are bad for our health. However, unsaturated fats are actually good for you. It’s particularly beneficial if you’re trying to restore your balance in your hormone levels.
Unsaturated fats are essential in hormone production. The cholesterol in it helps your body secrete more of the hormones you need to prevent a hormonal imbalance.
A study in Spain also suggests that healthy fat intake can boost testicular function in men. While another study published in 2016 found that unsaturated fats can help regulate the ovulation process in women.
Some of the foods that contain high levels of unsaturated fats include avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, and canola oil.
8. Colorful vegetables
Colorful vegetables are not only nice to look at, they’re also rich in various vitamins and minerals that can help regulate your hormones.
For instance, carrots contain unique fibers that detoxifies excess estrogen from the body. Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, are rich in beta-carotene that helps increase progesterone. For men, you can increase your testosterone production by adding more onions and garlic to your diet.
9. Whole grains
If your body is producing too much estrogen, you should consider eating more whole grain foods.
Whole grains are widely known to be a great source of fiber. But what most people don’t know is that fiber can also reduce your body’s estrogen levels. It reduces the absorption of cholesterol which, in turn, helps reduce the risk of estrogen dominance.
10. Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds is rich in lignans, which is an estrogenic adaptogen. Meaning, it can both reduce or increase your estrogen levels depending on what your body needs.
If your estrogen level is too high, it will prevent excess estrogen from being reabsorbed into the bloodstream. But if your body needs more estrogen, the lignans in flaxseeds can also boost estrogen production. This is especially helpful for women on the early stages of menopause.
A 2009 study also claimed that flaxseeds can help reduce androgen levels in men with prostate cancer.
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About The Author
Judy Ponio is a professional blogger for the South Florida Allied Health website. She lives in the Philippines and enjoys quality time with her friends and family when not working. She is committed to providing the most up to date, expert approved, factual content on the topics she writes about.
