10 Best Hormone Balancing Foods for Women
From chia seeds to leafy greens, discover the best hormone balancing foods for women.
Balanced hormones equals more energy, less anxiety, improved mood, and better sleep. While you can’t fix a hormone imbalance overnight, you can improve hormone health with foods that balance hormones.
Read on to learn what foods help balance female hormones so you can restore hormone health and look forward to a better, brighter mood, more energy, and an improvement in your overall well-being.
What Causes Hormone Imbalance?
Hormones are chemical messengers that play a role in controlling your mood, weight, and appetite. A hormone imbalance happens when you have too little or too much of a certain hormone in your system.
While hormone levels fluctuate throughout the day, they can change over your lifetime during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. Some potential causes of hormonal imbalance include: high stress (cortisol) levels, undereating certain nutrients like protein, carbs, or fat, metabolic syndrome, certain autoimmune conditions, exposure to endocrine disrupters, thyroid issues, and certain medications.
What are the Signs of Hormone Imbalance?
According to Cleveland Clinic, hormone imbalance symptoms vary because the body makes more than 50 types of hormones. Some of the most common signs of a hormone imbalance include: weight loss, weight gain, mood swings, depression, anxiety, acne, hair loss, hot flashes, irregular menstrual cycle, and more body hair.
Poor digestive health, difficulty sleeping, breast tenderness, and fertility challenges can also all be signs of a hormone issue. By naturally balancing your hormones with food, you can enjoy healthy hormones and a better quality of life. So, what are the best foods for hormones?
Best Hormone Balancing Foods for Women
Eating a healthy diet packed with protein, fiber, vitamins, and healthy fats helps provide the body with energy to metabolize hormones effectively. Here are the best foods for balancing hormones.
1: Leafy Greens
Leafy green veggies like kale, spinach, and chard are all rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants that support overall health. According to a 2009 study, high-fiber diets can influence hormonal health thanks to fiber’s positive effects on estrogen levels.
In addition to promoting healthy hormone balance, leafy greens can also improve brain and heart health thanks to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Not a fan of leafy veggies? Try blending them into a smoothie with other fruits like banana to improve the taste.
2: Banana
Banana is one of the best fruits for balancing hormones. Like leafy greens, bananas are packed with fiber that can help promote hormone balance and health. They’re also full of potassium, a mineral that’s vital in maintaining hormone balance. By regulating blood sugar levels and supporting thyroid function, potassium keeps your hormones in check.
What’s more, banana is chock full of vitamins A, B, and C, which reduce the level of stress in the body controlling cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone.” High cortisol levels disrupt the normal balance of estrogen and progesterone, which can lead to irregular menstrual cycles and even missed periods.
3: Seeds
Chia seeds and flaxseeds contain lignans, compounds that regulate and normalize estrogen levels by stimulating estrogen production when you have too less and reducing it when you have too much. These seeds are rich in vitamins and healthy fats, which are essential for healthy hormone production.
They also have a high fiber content, which is important for balancing hormones as it helps manage blood sugar and insulin resistance. Without enough fiber in your diet, your body can’t break down foods as efficiently. As a result, it’s not able to absorb the nutrients and metabolize hormones in the way that it should.
4: Pineapple
Loaded with bromelain, an enzyme with anti-inflammatory properties, pineapple can ease menstrual cramps and bloating. It’s also rich in vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that helps regulate cortisol and adrenaline levels.
Long touted for its ability to increase fertility, researchers believe that vitamin C plays an important role in the reproductive process by managing cortisol levels and improving hormonal balance in women, especially during pregnancy.
5: Berries
Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are all great hormone balancing foods for women. Berries are rich in vitamin C, which regulate progesterone levels. Research shows that a progesterone imbalance could be a main factor of PMS, so snacking on berries might help relieve symptoms.
Berries are also loaded with powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols. They help protect your cells from stress and fight inflammation while having a positive effect on cortisol, aka, the stress hormone.
6: Coconut
The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in coconut can accelerate metabolism, which boosts energy. Coconut also contains lauric acid, which increases estrogen levels and balances hormones, especially during the menopause.
Research shows that coconut supports the gut health, adrenal function, and overall immune system, all of which play important roles in hormone health.
7: Olive Oil
Healthy fats like olive oil are some of the best hormone balancing foods for women. Fat is essential for making cholesterol, which is a building block for hormone production. Healthy fats nourish the body and stabilize insulin and blood sugar levels, helping with hormone balance.
A 2015 study found that olive oil can balance the levels of a hormone responsible for regulating the appetite and stimulating the digestion of fat and protein. Olive oil also contains a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation.
8: Lentils
Pulses such as lentils are packed with vitamin B6 that aids in the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that enhances mood and regulates the appetite. Lentils are also full of iron, a mineral that’s linked with a lowered risk of developing PMS thanks to its effect on serotonin in the brain.
The combination of fiber and protein in lentils can significantly benefit hormone health by reducing excess estrogen. They also keep your blood sugar balanced and your digestion thriving, thus supporting balanced hormones in the body.
9: Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower are among the best hormone balancing foods for women. Packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients, they play a role in metabolizing hormones like estrogen and help support overall hormone health. Cruciferous vegetables are also high in fiber, which helps to stabilize blood sugar and lower the risk of developing insulin resistance.
Cruciferous vegetables produce a nutrient called sulforaphane, which is said to provide a myriad of health benefits, from protecting your DNA to protecting against free radicals.
10: Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts are naturally high in selenium, a mineral that’s essential for maintaining thyroid function. Selenium plays a vital role in the production of thyroid hormones, which helps control metabolism. Brazil nuts are also chock full of healthy fats and magnesium, both of which support hormone balance.
You only need 1-2 Brazil nuts per day to get what your body needs. The recommended daily intake is 55 micrograms of selenium. And just one Brazil nuts contains 95 micrograms.
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How to Eat to Balance Hormones
A hormone balancing diet is about eating healthy and upping your intake of fiber, protein, and healthy fats to support hormone health. Here are some quick tips on how to balance hormones with diet.
Eat Regularly: Eating regular, balanced meals is essential for healthy hormone production. Research shows that eating too less can signal to your body that now is not a safe time to reproduce, which can affect the production of reproductive hormones.
Feast on Fiber: Fiber is essential for balancing blood sugar levels and enabling the body to absorb nutrients. It also helps with the digestive system, which is good for hormone functioning.
Make Healthy Fats Your Friend: We need cholesterol and fat in order for the body to make hormones. Healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, nuts, fatty fish, and seeds can all help to balance hormones.
Reduce Sugar Intake: Sugar can increase the amount of fat tissue in the body which can affect the balance of estrogen in the body. Aim to eat added sugar in moderation to keep your blood sugar levels and insulin hormone levels balanced.
Feature photo by Mikhail Nilov, Pexels
