There are natural hormone treatment options available to help us regulate our hormone levels. Our hormone levels can change and we may want to find ways to boost or maintain them without turning to medicine and have some alternative options. Some of these options include diet, managing our stress and exercising. Want to find out some natural hormone treatment options? Keep reading!
Diet as a Hormone Treatment Option
We can change our diet to include certain foods that have a role in regulating our hormones, and exclude other foods that negatively impact our hormones, as a natural hormone treatment option.
What you want to increase in your diet:
Vitamin D: The sex hormone estrogen has a role in maintaining and supporting the strength of our bones. If estrogen levels lower in the body, for example, as a result of menopause, you may be more at risk of developing conditions such as osteoporosis. Include more vitamin D in your diet to help keep your bones strong and healthy, as vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium. Dietary sources of vitamin D include oily fish, egg yolks and mushrooms. We can also get vitamin D directly from sunlight.
Calcium: As mentioned for vitamin D, our bones may become weaker as a result of lowering estrogen levels. As 99% of the calcium in our body is stored in our bones, eat foods that will boost your intake of the nutrient. Foods that are rich in calcium include dairy products, green leafy vegetables and bread.
Vitamin E: You may want to consider increasing your intake of vitamin E if you are considering hormone treatments due to symptoms of menopause. Around 75% of women experiencing menopause have hot
flashes, and vitamin E can help to reduce the frequency of these. Foods that contain vitamin E are avocados, green leafy vegetables, nuts and whole grains.
Omega 3 essential fatty acids: Omega 3 essential fatty acids are a great natural hormone treatment as they not only promote hormonal balance, but also help to alleviate some of the symptoms of menopause, such as fatigue, depression and painful joints. Omega 3 essential fatty acids can be found in oily fish, green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Foods to decrease in your diet:
Caffeine, alcohol and spicy food: If you are experiencing hot flashes as a symptom of menopause and want to try and reduce their frequency as a natural treatment option, limit caffeine as it is a stimulant. Alcohol and spicy food have also been linked to increasing the frequency of hot flashes.
Exercising to Naturally Manage Your Hormones
Exercising has great benefits for your body, and may replace the need for hormone replacement therapy that isn’t natural. Regular exercise can improve muscle and bone strength, and therefore decrease the risk of osteoporosis. Exercise also helps to improve your mental health, sleep quality and provide you with more energy.
Managing your Hormones by Managing your Stress
When women experience menopause, they do not stop producing estrogen altogether. Your adrenal glands play a role in producing some estrogen post menopause, and they are also responsible for producing adrenaline. When we get stressed, our adrenal glands produce more adrenaline to deal with the situation. As your adrenal glands would be functioning a lot when we are stressed, they do not function as well to carry out other roles, therefore estrogen production would decrease. You should try managing stress by adopting new habits in your life, such as meditation.
Herbal Supplements as Natural Hormone Treatment Options
Along with diet, exercise and stress management, herbal supplements may be another natural option for hormonal treatment. Some herbal supplements are thought to have important roles in balancing hormones. These include black cohosh, dong quai (a herb used in traditional chinese medicine), chaste tree, maca, milk thistle, wild yam, marshmallow root, and Zechstein magnesium chloride.
